How Many People Receive Massages Every Year?

Approximately 47.5 million people in the United States received a total of 214 million massages in the last year. This number has increased by 14% in the past decade, and the profession is predominantly female, with 86% of massage therapists being women. More than 50 million American adults discussed massage therapy with their doctors or healthcare providers in the previous year, and nearly half of massage therapists (46%) have a bachelor's degree or higher. The Pay tab describes typical earnings and how workers in the occupation receive annual wages, hourly wages, commissions, tips or bonuses.

Within each occupation, income varies depending on experience, responsibility, performance, tenure, and geographic area. As the American population ages, the field of massage therapy is expected to grow. Most states regulate massage therapy and require massage therapists to be licensed or certified. Swedish massage, deep tissue massage and sports massage are just a few of the many modalities of massage therapy.

Multiple studies suggest that one of the benefits of massage is its ability to effectively reduce migraines and improve sleep. According to the AMTA consumer survey, an average of 21% of adult Americans received at least one massage at a spa in the past year. This type of massage uses wide, gentle movements to reduce pain in the neck, back or shoulders. Zeel changed the image of the massage industry by becoming the first company to offer same-day home massages to its customers.

This is a type of active massage in which the therapist moves the client's body in multiple positions that are sometimes quite extreme. Statistics from the massage therapy industry indicate that about 88% of all massage therapists in the country are women. Sports massage involves applying pressure to specific muscles and connective tissues in the body.

Mark Szymonik
Mark Szymonik

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