Massage Therapists Salary
The median pay for a massage therapists in Virginia is $62,220/year ($29.91/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $120K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $65,640 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 40.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $62K actually covers in Virginia, month by month
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What this looks like in Virginia
Massage therapists pay in Virginia tracks closely to the national median, $62K locally vs. $58K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,646/month, which is 40.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.79 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia
Entry-level massage therapists (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $120K or more, a $82K spread from bottom to top.
Massage Therapists salary by metro in Virginia
4 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke | $63K | +1% | 60 |
| Charlottesville | $58K | -6% | 100 |
| Richmond | $58K | -7% | 490 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $58K | -8% | 540 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Virginia numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a massage therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 40.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,646/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for massage therapists in Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new massage therapists typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,580/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 64% 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 Virginia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $62K locally vs. $58K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for massage therapists?
Virginia pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $58K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $66K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do massage therapists make in Virginia?
The median is $62,220 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,070, and experienced massage therapists can clear $119,570. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,081/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 40.3% 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 Virginia?
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 94.79 (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 $65,640 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.