Salary · CA · SOC 31-9011

Massage Therapist salary in California, per year and per hour

BLS data for May 2025. Median, mean, and percentile pay for massage therapists in California, with every metro area BLS publishes.

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates, released May 15, 2026. Publisher page

Quick answer

The median pay for massage therapists in California was $45,970 a year, or $22.10 an hour, in May 2025 (BLS). The middle 80% earned $34,320 to $89,880. About 14,600 were employed.

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Massage Therapist pay in California vs the US

Massage Therapist wages in California and the US, May 2025
Measure	CA annual	CA hourly	US annual
Median (50th percentile)	$45,970	$22.10	$58,450
Mean (average)	$55,630	$26.75	$63,830
10th percentile	$34,320	$16.50	$33,640
25th percentile	$35,170	$16.91	$43,480
75th percentile	$64,130	$30.83	$78,320
90th percentile	$89,880	$43.21	$100,200

Employment in California: 14,600. Location quotient: 1.26 (1.0 = the national share of jobs).

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Publisher page

Massage Therapist salary by metro area in California

Massage Therapist median wage by metro area, California
Metro area	Median annual	Median hourly	Employed
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$43,530	$20.93	5,680
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$45,200	$21.73	1,820
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$40,280	$19.37	1,800
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	$44,760	$21.52	1,330
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$51,980	$24.99	720
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$50,060	$24.07	680
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$50,620	$24.34	310
Napa, CA	$39,330	$18.91	250
Salinas, CA	$61,400	$29.52	240
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA	$50,240	$24.16	210
Fresno, CA	$49,290	$23.70	190
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	$43,920	$21.12	170
Stockton-Lodi, CA	$45,400	$21.83	140
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA	$60,640	$29.16	120
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA	$58,050	$27.91	110
Vallejo, CA	$58,870	$28.30	100
Bakersfield-Delano, CA	$57,300	$27.55	90
Modesto, CA	$45,360	$21.81	60
Chico, CA	$63,290	$30.43	40
Redding, CA	$50,690	$24.37	40

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Publisher page

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Massage Therapist salary in California

Median pay: $45,970 a year ($22.10 an hour)

Middle 80% earn $34,320 to $89,880 a year

Employed: 14,600

BLS OEWS, May 2025. Source: Rivvi

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<div style="font:14px/1.45 system-ui,sans-serif;color:#222;border:1px solid #E6E6EE;border-radius:12px;padding:14px 16px;max-width:360px;background:#fff"><div style="font-weight:600;font-size:15px;margin-bottom:6px">Massage Therapist salary in California</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Median pay: <strong>$45,970</strong> a year ($22.10 an hour)</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Middle 80% earn $34,320 to $89,880 a year</div><div style="margin:2px 0">Employed: 14,600</div><div style="margin-top:8px;font-size:12px;color:#555">BLS OEWS, May 2025. Source: <a href="https://rivvi.ai/salary/massage-therapist/ca" style="color:#3C38C9">Rivvi</a></div></div>

Questions

How much does a Massage Therapist make per hour in California?

The median hourly wage was $22.10 in May 2025, per BLS. The 10th percentile was $16.50 and the 90th was $43.21.

What is the average Massage Therapist salary in California?

BLS reports a mean (average) of $55,630 a year and a median of $45,970 for May 2025. The median is the middle wage; the mean is pulled up by the highest earners.

Do massage therapists in California earn more than the US median?

The California median of $45,970 is 21% lower than the US median of $58,450 (BLS, May 2025).

How does California rank for massage therapist pay?

California ranks 45 of 50 states (plus DC) by median annual wage for massage therapists (BLS, May 2025).

Where do these numbers come from?

The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates, SOC 31-9011. Figures BLS did not publish are left out.