SOC 31-9011 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Massage Therapists — Philadelphia
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD · 10 metro areas compared
At $59,560, median pay for Massage Therapists in Philadelphia, PA tracks the national median of $58,450 closely.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow much faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +15.4%
- Openings per year
- 24,700
- Typical entry-level education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
41.9% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $59,560, median pay for Massage Therapists in Philadelphia, PA tracks the national median of $58,450 closely. Pay ranges from under $33,720 at the tenth percentile to more than $124,800 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $47,500 to $77,630.
The area has 1,500 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.81 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, State College records the highest median at $82,490. Of the 713 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 393rd.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $33,720 | −42.3% |
| 25th | $47,500 | −18.7% |
| Median (50th) | $59,560 | +1.9% |
| 75th | $77,630 | +32.8% |
| 90th | $124,800 | +113.5% |
| Mean | $65,530 | +12.1% |
Other metro areas in Pennsylvania
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | State College | $82,490 | 40 | |
| 2 | York | $59,540 | 80 | |
| 3 | Pittsburgh | $59,290 | 560 | |
| 4 | Lancaster | $59,000 | 160 | |
| 5 | Erie | $58,600 | 80 | |
| 6 | Scranton | $58,380 | 110 | |
| 7 | Altoona | $50,480 | 40 | |
| 8 | Reading | $50,430 | 100 | |
| 9 | Allentown | $49,940 | 170 | |
| 10 | Harrisburg | $48,190 | 190 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Philadelphia run 2.6% above the national average, so the median of $59,560 buys what $58,051 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 0.7% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$59,560as reported by BLSLocal price level
102.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$58,051US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $59,560 a year, 1.9% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $33,720 to $124,800 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 1,500 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is State College, at $82,490.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Massage Therapists in Philadelphia, PA?
The median annual wage is $59,560, or $28.64 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $58,450, so pay in Philadelphia, PA is 1.9% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Philadelphia, PA earns more than $124,800 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $33,720 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in State College, at $82,490 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 1,500 jobs in this occupation in Philadelphia, PA. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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