Massage Therapists Salary
The median pay for a massage therapists in Hot Springs, AR is $27,040/year ($13/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $25K at the entry level to $91K for experienced workers. Note: the mean (average) wage is $41K, significantly higher than the median. This typically reflects a mix of employment settings including academic and private practice positions. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.73), which stretches that salary to about $31,541 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,090/month, about 57% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $27K get you in Hot Springs?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Hot Springs’s Regional Price Parity (85.73). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About massage therapists
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What this looks like in Hot Springs
Pay for massage therapists in Hot Springs runs about 54% below the U.S. median of $58K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,090/month, which is 57.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.73 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for massage therapistss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for massage therapists in metros near Hot Springs, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers | $42K | $46K |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway | $43K | $48K |
| Fort Smith | $37K | $43K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $59K | $57K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hot Springs, AR
Entry-level massage therapists (10th percentile) start around $25K. Mid-career wages sit at $27K. Top earners bring in $91K or more, a $66K spread from bottom to top.
Massage Therapists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Massage Therapists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $135K | +131% | 570 |
| Washington | $87K | +49% | 3,740 |
| Oregon | $87K | +49% | 2,250 |
| Hawaii | $81K | +39% | 1,330 |
| New Hampshire | $80K | +37% | 270 |
| Rhode Island | $75K | +28% | 290 |
| North Dakota | $74K | +27% | 100 |
| Maine | $73K | +25% | 370 |
| Michigan | $71K | +21% | 2,410 |
| District of Columbia | $64K | +10% | 120 |
| Massachusetts | $63K | +8% | 2,830 |
| Minnesota | $63K | +8% | 1,690 |
| New York | $63K | +7% | 4,500 |
| Arizona | $62K | +7% | 2,530 |
| Maryland | $62K | +7% | 1,350 |
| Connecticut | $62K | +7% | 700 |
| Virginia | $62K | +6% | 2,730 |
| Utah | $62K | +6% | 1,840 |
| Missouri | $62K | +6% | 1,500 |
| Wyoming | $62K | +6% | 150 |
| Colorado | $61K | +4% | 3,950 |
| North Carolina | $61K | +4% | 2,460 |
| Illinois | $60K | +3% | 4,950 |
| Idaho | $60K | +3% | 170 |
| Kentucky | $60K | +2% | 780 |
| Texas | $59K | +2% | 8,630 |
| Delaware | $59K | +1% | 230 |
| Pennsylvania | $58K | -0% | 2,990 |
| Wisconsin | $58K | -1% | 1,520 |
| South Carolina | $58K | -1% | 1,840 |
| Iowa | $58K | -1% | 540 |
| Ohio | $56K | -4% | 1,760 |
| Indiana | $56K | -5% | 1,480 |
| Nebraska | $54K | -8% | 270 |
| Nevada | $54K | -8% | 1,620 |
| Montana | $54K | -8% | 200 |
| South Dakota | $52K | -11% | 180 |
| Georgia | $51K | -13% | 1,700 |
| New Jersey | $50K | -14% | 2,890 |
| Tennessee | $50K | -14% | 1,230 |
| Kansas | $50K | -14% | 780 |
| Florida | $50K | -15% | 9,280 |
| Alabama | $49K | -16% | 600 |
| West Virginia | $47K | -20% | 250 |
| California | $46K | -21% | 14,600 |
| Mississippi | $40K | -31% | 230 |
| Arkansas | $40K | -32% | 430 |
| New Mexico | $38K | -35% | 360 |
| Oklahoma | $37K | -37% | 520 |
| Louisiana | $36K | -38% | 890 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track massage therapists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Hot Springs numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a massage therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Hot Springs?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $27K, rent takes 57.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,090/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for massage therapists in Hot Springs?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new massage therapists typically earn — is $25K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,477/month. At HUD’s $1,090/month FMR, rent would take 74% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is massage therapist a high-paying job in Hot Springs?
Local pay runs 54% below the national median — $27K here vs. $58K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Hot Springs compare to the national average for massage therapists?
Hot Springs pays $27K median vs. the U.S. average of $58K — that’s -54%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.73), the purchasing-power equivalent is $32K — below the national median.
How much do massage therapists make in Hot Springs, AR?
The median is $27,040 a year, that works out to about $13 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $24,620, and experienced massage therapists can clear $90,970. The mean (average) is $41,070, reflecting that some workers earn substantially more. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $27K enough to live in Hot Springs?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,907/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,090/month, which eats 57.2% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a massage therapists salary go in Hot Springs?
Hot Springs has a Regional Price Parity of 85.73 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median massage therapists salary is worth about $31,541 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do massage therapists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.