Massage Therapists Salary
The median pay for a massage therapists in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is $50,060/year ($24.07/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $98K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 110.42), so that salary is closer to $45,336 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,483/month, about 106.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $50K get you in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara’s Regional Price Parity (110.42). 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
Pay for massage therapists in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $58K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,483/month, which is 102% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 110.42), so groceries and services cost more too. 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $44K | $38K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $45K | $40K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $40K | $35K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $45K | $42K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Entry-level massage therapists (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $98K or more, a $60K 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 |
| Montana | $54K | -8% | 200 |
| Nevada | $54K | -8% | 1,620 |
| 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 with published data
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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a massage therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 102% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,483/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for massage therapists in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new massage therapists typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,270/month. At HUD’s $3,483/month FMR, rent would take 153% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $50K here vs. $58K nationally.
How does San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara compare to the national average for massage therapists?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $58K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 110.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — below the national median.
How much do massage therapists make in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?
The median is $50,060 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,840, and experienced massage therapists can clear $97,510. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,414/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,483/month, which eats 102% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara has a Regional Price Parity of 110.42 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median massage therapists salary is worth about $45,336 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.