massage therapist
Key facts
Interested in a career focused on helping others feel their best? As a massage therapist, you can use your skills to promote relaxation, relieve pain, and improve overall well-being through therapeutic touch.
Massage therapists work directly with clients to provide a range of massage treatments tailored to their individual needs. A typical day might involve assessing a client’s condition, selecting the appropriate massage techniques (such as shiatsu or Swedish massage), performing the massage, and providing aftercare advice. They must maintain a clean and professional environment, and often manage appointment scheduling and client records.
- • Assess client needs and medical history to determine appropriate massage techniques.
- • Perform various types of massage, adapting pressure and strokes to client comfort and goals.
- • Maintain accurate client records and track treatment progress.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Deeper colour: reported the same way in more consecutive years.
Figures cover Health associate professionals — 49 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Cyprus, Italy, Malta, Poland and 2 more.
Longest-running shortage: Bulgaria, 2 years.
Where it is regulated, your qualification would need formal recognition before you could practise.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
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Could massage therapist fit you?
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Do you enjoy tasks that require Concern for Others?
Do you enjoy tasks that require Dependability?
Do you enjoy tasks that require Integrity?
Future Outlook for massage therapist
The outlook for massage therapist is exceptionally stable. While AI tools will assist with daily tasks, the core of this role relies on human judgment, resulting in a high resilience score of 82%.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could massage therapist change as AI adoption grows?
Human judgement, trust, and context remain strong protectors for this role.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How could massage therapist change as AI adoption grows?
Human judgement, trust, and context remain strong protectors for this role.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- work ergonomically
- empathise with the healthcare user
- give massages
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- maintain work area cleanliness
- identify customer's needs
- discuss the medical history of the healthcare user
Tasks most exposed to automation
- manage healthcare users' data
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Healthcare & Human Services
A typical day as a massage therapist
09 09:00 · Morning develop personalised massage plan
10 10:30 · Mid-morning accept own accountability
12 12:00 · Midday identify customer's needs
14 14:00 · Afternoon apply massage therapy
15 15:30 · Late afternoon communicate with customers
17 17:00 · Wrap-up discuss the medical history of the healthcare user
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
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contraindications
The condition under which a normally beneficial treatment can be harmful and have a counterproductive effect on a person's health.
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administrative tasks in a medical environment
The medical administrative tasks such as registration of patients, appointment systems, record keeping of patients information and repeated precribing.
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balneotherapy
The use of therapeutic baths to treat a variety of conditions, through relaxation, massage or stimulation techniques. This includes the beneficial properties of mineral waters and mud-wrapping techniques.
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cosmetics
The various types of substances used to enhance the appearance of the human body.
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electrotherapy
The type of medical treatment using electrical stimulation.
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hydrotherapy
The practice used to treat diseases or maintain overall health using water.
- human anatomy
- massage theory
- massage types
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identify customer's needs
Use appropriate questions and active listening in order to identify customer expectations, desires and requirements according to product and services.
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discuss the medical history of the healthcare user
Ask the healthcare user about his medical condition and physical well-being and the desired results to be achieved through the suggested therapy and follow the prescribed treatment.
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communicate with customers
Respond to and communicate with customers in the most efficient and appropriate manner to enable them to access the desired products or services, or any other help they may require.
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maintain personal hygiene standards
Preserve impeccable personal hygiene standards and have a tidy appearance.
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work ergonomically
Apply ergonomy principles in the organisation of the workplace while manually handling equipment and materials.
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empathise with the healthcare user
Understand the background of clients` and patients’ symptoms, difficulties and behaviour. Be empathetic about their issues; showing respect and reinforcing their autonomy, self-esteem and independence. Demonstrate a concern for their welfare and handle according to the personal boundaries, sensitivities, cultural differences and preferences of the client and patient in mind.
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give massages
Provide clients with head, hand, neck, facial or full body massages.
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develop personalised massage plan
Determine the massage treatment to be applied based on the medical diagnosis, the prescription plan, and according to the condition of the patient.
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manage healthcare users' data
Keep accurate client records which also satisfy legal and professional standards and ethical obligations in order to facilitate client management, ensuring that all clients' data (including verbal, written and electronic) are treated confidentially.
Skill DNA
Work personality traits and values that define this role
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Where does massage therapist fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
Frequently asked questions
- What kind of training is required to become a massage therapist?
- Training programs for massage therapists vary in length and content, but typically involve coursework in anatomy, physiology, massage techniques, and ethics. Specific requirements can differ by region, so research local regulations.
- Can I work as a massage therapist and be self-employed?
- While many massage therapists find employment in spas, clinics, or wellness centers, it’s also common to establish a self-business or practice. This offers greater flexibility but requires managing business aspects like marketing and client acquisition.
- What are the key personal qualities needed to succeed as a massage therapist?
- Successful massage therapists are often empathetic, detail-oriented, and possess excellent communication skills. The ability to listen attentively to clients and maintain a professional demeanor is also crucial.
- Massage Therapist — is there a shortage in Europe?
- Yes. In the 2025 ELA/EURES edition, a shortage was reported in 6 of the 8 European countries that assessed this occupation group: Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Greece and 2 more. Bulgaria has reported one for 2 consecutive years. These assessments are published per occupation group rather than per job title.
- Massage Therapist — what does it pay in the United States?
- $57,950 a year at the median, as of 2025-05. State medians run from $29,000 to $134,930. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is a United States figure and not a projection for Europe.
- Massage Therapist — is it a regulated profession?
- It is listed as a regulated profession in 15 European countries: Lithuania, Austria, Finland, Slovakia and 11 more. The lowest qualification level required among them is EQF 3. Where a profession is regulated, a qualification earned elsewhere has to be formally recognised before you can practise. Source: EU Regulated Professions Database.