Massage Therapists Salary
The median pay for a massage therapists in Wilmington, NC is $81,390/year ($39.13/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $21K at the entry level to $121K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.42), that's roughly $84,412 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,426/month, or 27.2% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $81K get you in Wilmington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (96.42). 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 Wilmington
Wilmington sits well above the national pay line for massage therapists, local pay runs about 39% higher than the U.S. median of $58K. Rent runs $1,426/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 96.42) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for massage therapists in metros near Wilmington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $59K | $61K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $71K | $73K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $63K | $68K |
| Asheville | $48K | $50K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wilmington, NC
Entry-level massage therapists (10th percentile) start around $21K. Mid-career wages sit at $81K. Top earners bring in $121K or more, a $100K 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 Wilmington numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare Support
Frequently asked questions
Can a massage therapist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Wilmington?
Yes — at the median salary of $81K, rent takes 27.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,426/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for massage therapists in Wilmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new massage therapists typically earn — is $21K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,253/month. At HUD’s $1,426/month FMR, rent would take 114% 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 Wilmington?
Local pay is 39% above the national median — $81K here vs. $58K nationally.
How does Wilmington compare to the national average for massage therapists?
Wilmington pays $81K median vs. the U.S. average of $58K — that’s +39%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $84K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do massage therapists make in Wilmington, NC?
The median is $81,390 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $20,890, and experienced massage therapists can clear $121,240. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $81K enough to live in Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,165/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,426/month, which eats 27.6% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a massage therapists salary go in Wilmington?
Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 96.42 (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 $84,412 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.