Massage Therapy & Bodywork programs: earnings, debt and schools by state
521 certificate and associate-degree programs at 453 U.S. schools teach massage therapists and bodywork practitioners. Federal data shows what past graduates earned and borrowed. Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services (CIP 51.35) is mostly massage-therapy programs that prepare students for state licensure.
Best-paying massage therapy programs (one year after completion)
Ranked by the median earnings of completers working and not enrolled, among programs with at least 10 earners reported. High earnings can reflect local labor markets and who enrolls, so compare debt and completion too.
| School | City | Program | Credential | Completers/yr | 1-yr earnings | Median debt | Monthly payment* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mildred Elley School-Albany Campus | Albany, NY | Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services | Certificate | 10 | $47,271 | $16,937 | $192 |
| Swedish Institute a College of Health Sciences | New York, NY | Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services | Associate degree | 69 | $42,130 | $33,250 | $378 |
| Mildred Elley School-Albany Campus | Albany, NY | Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services | Associate degree | 5 | $40,767 | $24,475 | $278 |
| Mildred Elley-New York Campus | New York, NY | Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services | Associate degree | 4 | $40,767 | $24,475 | $278 |
| American Institute of Alternative Medicine | Columbus, OH | Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services | Certificate | 32 | $39,572 | $10,667 | $121 |
| Body Wisdom Massage Therapy School | Urbandale, IA | Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services | Certificate | 29 | $39,535 | $10,703 | $122 |
| Alaska Career College | Anchorage, AK | Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services | Certificate | 40 | $39,029 | $9,500 | $108 |
| Academy of Massage and Bodywork | Bear, DE | Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services | Certificate | 36 | $38,007 | $7,208 | $82 |
| Madison Area Technical College | Madison, WI | Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services | Certificate | 0 | $37,851 | – | – |
| Southern California Health Institute | North Hollywood, CA | Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services | Certificate | 58 | $37,469 | $10,500 | $119 |
| Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Minneapolis | Minneapolis, MN | Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services | Certificate | 30 | $37,363 | $6,333 | $72 |
| Northwest Career College | Las Vegas, NV | Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services | Certificate | 86 | $36,878 | $9,500 | $108 |
| Northern Virginia School of Therapeutic Massage | Falls Church, VA | Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services | Certificate | 94 | $36,806 | $6,843 | $78 |
| Northwestern Health Sciences University | Bloomington, MN | Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services | Associate degree | 16 | $36,374 | $28,821 | $328 |
| Pacific College of Health and Science | Chicago, IL | Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services | Certificate | 28 | $35,285 | $15,080 | $171 |
*Scorecard's estimated monthly payment on the median debt over 10 years. “Not reported” means the Department suppressed or did not publish the figure.
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Massage Therapy programs by state
| State | Programs | Schools | Median 1-yr earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 6 | 5 | $26,269 | – |
| Alaska | 1 | 1 | $39,029 | $9,500 |
| Arizona | 21 | 16 | $27,428 | $9,514 |
| Arkansas | 2 | 1 | not reported | – |
| California | 36 | 33 | $25,525 | $9,500 |
| Colorado | 11 | 9 | $30,875 | $7,916 |
| Connecticut | 3 | 3 | $30,850 | $10,378 |
| Delaware | 1 | 1 | $38,007 | $7,208 |
| Florida | 67 | 65 | $27,014 | $7,917 |
| Georgia | 18 | 13 | $29,374 | $11,250 |
| Idaho | 5 | 4 | $24,417 | $9,116 |
| Illinois | 29 | 24 | $30,970 | $8,360 |
| Indiana | 5 | 4 | $29,902 | $14,920 |
| Iowa | 16 | 16 | $31,513 | $7,890 |
| Kansas | 1 | 1 | not reported | – |
| Kentucky | 7 | 6 | $29,420 | $9,666 |
| Louisiana | 13 | 12 | $23,019 | $8,744 |
| Maine | 2 | 2 | $30,895 | $8,424 |
| Maryland | 11 | 8 | $29,782 | $9,451 |
| Massachusetts | 5 | 5 | $30,895 | $8,424 |
| Michigan | 16 | 15 | $21,988 | $10,270 |
| Minnesota | 15 | 11 | $36,868 | $15,968 |
| Mississippi | 7 | 5 | $25,304 | $12,378 |
| Missouri | 5 | 5 | $29,697 | – |
| Montana | 1 | 1 | not reported | – |
| Nebraska | 4 | 2 | $20,643 | $17,500 |
| Nevada | 7 | 6 | $28,886 | $7,461 |
| New Hampshire | 3 | 3 | $34,160 | – |
| New Jersey | 13 | 12 | $31,589 | $9,496 |
| New Mexico | 6 | 5 | $25,042 | $11,678 |
| New York | 15 | 12 | $40,767 | $24,475 |
| North Carolina | 17 | 12 | $30,155 | $7,811 |
| North Dakota | 5 | 4 | not reported | – |
| Ohio | 16 | 12 | $23,660 | $12,870 |
| Oklahoma | 3 | 3 | $22,118 | $12,094 |
| Oregon | 5 | 4 | $31,022 | $12,243 |
| Pennsylvania | 20 | 18 | $28,155 | $9,542 |
| Rhode Island | 3 | 2 | $30,114 | $9,500 |
| South Carolina | 9 | 9 | $28,018 | $10,674 |
| South Dakota | 3 | 3 | $26,466 | – |
| Tennessee | 11 | 11 | $27,328 | $12,838 |
| Texas | 23 | 20 | $26,114 | $7,917 |
| Utah | 4 | 4 | $24,731 | $9,500 |
| Virginia | 19 | 18 | $24,309 | $9,367 |
| Washington | 13 | 9 | $32,164 | $9,759 |
| West Virginia | 6 | 6 | $25,451 | $8,181 |
| Wisconsin | 11 | 11 | $34,624 | $8,249 |
| Wyoming | 1 | 1 | not reported | – |
States with fewer than three programs have no detail page.
What to know before you enroll
Most states license massage therapists and set minimum training hours; check your state board before choosing a school.
Questions to ask every school
- Does the program meet my state's required hours?
- What is the MBLEx pass rate?
- What is the clinic or student-practice model?
For national pay and job outlook, see the Bureau of Labor Statistics profile: Massage Therapists.
Frequently asked questions
How much do massage therapy graduates earn?
Among 184 massage therapy programs that report earnings, the median first-year figure is $28,668 for certificate programs ($28,084) and $38,570 for associate programs. These are medians of past graduates and vary by state and employer.
How much debt do massage therapy students take on?
The median federal loan debt among borrowers across programs reporting it is $9,496. Many students in short programs borrow nothing; the figure only covers borrowers.
Is the data current?
It comes from the College Scorecard release dated October 15, 2026. The Department updates it annually and each figure describes graduates from earlier years.
Can I trust a school's own job-placement claims?
Treat them as a starting point. Ask for the placement rate definition, the number of graduates counted and the time window, then compare with the federal earnings above.
Related programs
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Field of Study and Institution files (release dated 10/15/2026). Earnings are median annual earnings of completers working and not enrolled one year after finishing; debt is median federal loan debt of borrowers; both describe past cohorts and small programs are suppressed by the Department. See our methodology.