AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 31-9011.00

Will AI replace Massage Therapists?

Massage Therapists: AI can already handle 2 of 14 tasks; the work mostly needs a standard-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 14 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Massage Therapists, from most to least exposed. 2 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Assess clients' soft tissue condition, joint quality and function, muscle strength, and range of motion. 65 Estimated Standard 4.2
Consult with other health care professionals, such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, physicians, and psychologists, to develop treatment plans for clients. 60 Estimated Standard 3.3
Develop and propose client treatment plans that specify which types of massage are to be used. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.4
Confer with clients about their medical histories and problems with stress or pain to determine how massage will be most helpful. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.8
Massage and knead muscles and soft tissues of the body to provide treatment for medical conditions, injuries, or wellness maintenance. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.6
Apply finger and hand pressure to specific points of the body. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.4
Provide clients with guidance and information about techniques for postural improvement and stretching, strengthening, relaxation, and rehabilitative exercises. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Treat clients in professional settings or travel to clients' offices and homes. 30 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Refer clients to other types of therapists when necessary. 30 Estimated Efficient 3.6
Prepare and blend oils and apply the blends to clients' skin. 30 Estimated Efficient 3.3
Perform other adjunctive therapies or treatment techniques in addition to massage. 30 Estimated Efficient 3.2
Use complementary aids, such as infrared lamps, wet compresses, ice, and whirlpool baths to promote clients' recovery, relaxation, and well-being. 30 Estimated Efficient 2.7
Maintain treatment records. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Maintain massage areas by restocking supplies or sanitizing equipment. 12 Estimated No tier 4.5

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 14 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 14 of 14. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

A standard-tier model or lower covers 84% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 92% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 8% is hands-on.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
98,790
Median annual wage
$58,450
Middle half of earners
$43,480 to $78,320
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
+15.4%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Massage Therapists and AI

Will AI replace Massage Therapists?

AI already handles 2 of the 14 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 34 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +15.4% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Massage Therapists?

34 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 14 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 14 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Massage Therapists tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Assess clients' soft tissue condition, joint quality and function, muscle strength, and range of motion; Consult with other health care professionals, such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, physicians, and psychologists, to develop treatment plans for clients. They are the tasks that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A standard-tier model or lower covers 84% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Massage Therapists, and what do they earn?

98,790 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $58,450 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +15.4% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Massage Therapists. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/massage-therapists

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A founder replies within one business day.