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Salary comparison

Massage Therapists vs. Home Health and Personal Care Aides: Who Earns More?

Massage Therapistss out-earn Home Health and Personal Care Aidess by $23K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Massage Therapistss land at $58,450 and Home Health and Personal Care Aidess at $35,800. The education gap is real: massage therapist programs typically require postsecondary nondegree award, while home health and personal care aide programs require high school diploma or equivalent. Top-paying state for Massage Therapistss is Alaska ($134,930); for Home Health and Personal Care Aidess it's Washington ($47,730).

Massage Therapists
Home Health and Personal Care Aides
Median salary
$58,450
$35,800
Hourly rate
$28.1/hr
$17.21/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$33,640
$27,040
Senior level (90th %)
$100,200
$45,040
Education required
Postsecondary nondegree award
High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employment
98,790
4,305,810
Job growth (10-year)
15.4%
17%
Category
Healthcare Support
Healthcare Support
Top-paying state
Alaska
Washington

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Massage Therapists median pay.

State
Massage Therapists
Home Health and Personal Care Aides
Alaska
$134,930
$39,740
Washington
$87,360
$47,730
Oregon
$86,970
$44,410
Hawaii
$81,280
$38,110
New Hampshire
$80,360
$38,760
Rhode Island
$74,960
$43,680
North Dakota
$74,140
$39,440
Maine
$73,290
$38,580
District of Columbia
$64,110
$42,700
Massachusetts
$63,390
$40,910
Minnesota
$63,070
$38,370
New York
$62,630
$39,620
Connecticut
$62,260
$38,990
Colorado
$61,060
$38,540
Illinois
$60,490
$38,060

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Massage Therapistss or Home Health and Personal Care Aidess?

Massage Therapistss earn more nationally. The median is $58,450 for Massage Therapistss versus $35,800 for Home Health and Personal Care Aidess, a difference of $23K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Massage Therapists or Home Health and Personal Care Aides?

Home Health and Personal Care Aides has the better 10-year outlook at 17% projected growth, compared to 15.4% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

Which requires more education, Massage Therapists or Home Health and Personal Care Aides?

Massage Therapists typically requires postsecondary nondegree award. Home Health and Personal Care Aides requires high school diploma or equivalent. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Massage Therapistss get paid the most?

Alaska is the top-paying state for Massage Therapistss at $134,930/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Massage Therapists vs. Home Health and Personal Care Aides pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Alaska, Massage Therapistss earn $134,930 vs. $39,740 for Home Health and Personal Care Aidess. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Massage Therapists salary breakdownView →Full Home Health and Personal Care Aides salary breakdownView →Best cities for Massage Therapistss by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Home Health and Personal Care Aidess by take-home payExplore →How to become a massage therapistsGuide →How to become a home health and personal care aidesGuide →