Read about the current state of the massage therapy profession.
As we look at key market data from 2023, the state of the massage therapy profession looks bright based on these latest findings from AMTA’s recent surveys.
Better understand your clients and the massage profession. Grow your practice with this quick glance guide, based on AMTA's 2024 Massage Profession Research Report.
Last year 27% of women and 22% of men got a massage.
Consumers with children under the age of 18 at home are more likely to get a massage than those without children at home.
Income has an impact on how likely consumers are to get a massage. While 39% of those making $100,000 or more got a massage last year, only 17% of those making $50,000 or less got a massage.
Forty-two percent of all massage consumers got their last massage for health and wellness reasons.
Just 15% of consumers list pampering as their primary reason for their last massage, and 32% of consumers received a massage for pampering in the last year.
Fifty-one percent of consumers got a massage last year for relaxation or stress reduction.
Men and women were equally likely to discuss massage therapy with their doctor or health care provider.
In 2023, 43% of consumers who got a massage for health and wellness reasons stated it was part of a treatment plan from a doctor or medical provider.
While most massage therapists don’t actively promote client-to-client referrals, at just 40 percent, that is the most common way clients find a massage therapist, at 81 percent.
The next most common ways to find massage therapists are online and through professional networking.
While most massage therapists don’t actively promote client-to-client referrals, at just 40 percent, that is the most common way clients find a massage therapist, at 81 percent.
The next most common ways to find massage therapists are online and through professional networking.
The average massage therapist uses more than five outlets of communication to promote their practice.
Social media and the internet are the most common digital tools massage therapists use to promote their practice.
65% of massage therapists had websites for their practice – and those working as employees reported 62% of their employers had a website.
Roughly half of massage therapists received referrals from physicians at least once every 6 months.
Seventy-five percent of massage therapists referred clients to another massage therapist at least once every 6 months.
The number of massage therapists has increased by 4.6% over the last decade. The profession is predominately female at 81%. Nearly half of massage therapists (42%) have a bachelor's degree or higher. Massage therapy was rarely the first career choice for most massage therapists, regardless of the practice setting.
The latest research on consumers' views of the massage therapy profession and their use of massage therapy services.
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