Massage Therapists
Healthcare Support Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 31-9011.00
Perform therapeutic massages of soft tissues and joints. May assist in the assessment of range of motion and muscle strength, or propose client therapy plans.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Low· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.17
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
14 rated tasks · 1 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (7.1%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 30.2) | Claude.aiRaw / share % |
|---|---|
Assess clients' soft tissue condition, joint quality and function, muscle strength, and range of motion.31-9011.00 | 0.00000.0 |
Refer clients to other types of therapists when necessary.31-9011.00 | 0.00000.0 |
| Not observed on any surface — 12 task(s) — These tasks have no row in the source for this release. The 0 in the share row is a display-stage composition ratio; absence is what the — in the raw row states. | |
Confer with clients about their medical histories and problems with stress or pain to determine how massage will be most helpful. | —0 |
Apply finger and hand pressure to specific points of the body. | —0 |
Massage and knead muscles and soft tissues of the body to provide treatment for medical conditions, injuries, or wellness maintenance. | —0 |
Maintain treatment records. | —0 |
Provide clients with guidance and information about techniques for postural improvement and stretching, strengthening, relaxation, and rehabilitative exercises. | —0 |
Develop and propose client treatment plans that specify which types of massage are to be used. | —0 |
Treat clients in professional settings or travel to clients' offices and homes. | —0 |
Consult with other health care professionals, such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, physicians, and psychologists, to develop treatment plans for clients. | —0 |
Prepare and blend oils and apply the blends to clients' skin. | —0 |
Perform other adjunctive therapies or treatment techniques in addition to massage. | —0 |
Maintain massage areas by restocking supplies or sanitizing equipment. | —0 |
Use complementary aids, such as infrared lamps, wet compresses, ice, and whirlpool baths to promote clients' recovery, relaxation, and well-being. | —0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Maintain treatment records.O*NET Task ID 7881 | 1.0 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (14)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Confer with clients about their medical histories and problems with stress or pain to determine how massage will be most helpful. | Core |
| Apply finger and hand pressure to specific points of the body. | Core |
| Massage and knead muscles and soft tissues of the body to provide treatment for medical conditions, injuries, or wellness maintenance. | Core |
| Maintain treatment records. | Core |
| Provide clients with guidance and information about techniques for postural improvement and stretching, strengthening, relaxation, and rehabilitative exercises. | Core |
| Assess clients' soft tissue condition, joint quality and function, muscle strength, and range of motion. | Core |
| Develop and propose client treatment plans that specify which types of massage are to be used. | Core |
| Refer clients to other types of therapists when necessary. | Core |
| Treat clients in professional settings or travel to clients' offices and homes. | Core |
| Consult with other health care professionals, such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, physicians, and psychologists, to develop treatment plans for clients. | Core |
| Prepare and blend oils and apply the blends to clients' skin. | Core |
| Perform other adjunctive therapies or treatment techniques in addition to massage. | Core |
| Maintain massage areas by restocking supplies or sanitizing equipment. | Core |
| Use complementary aids, such as infrared lamps, wet compresses, ice, and whirlpool baths to promote clients' recovery, relaxation, and well-being. | Supplemental |
0.20/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Apply finger and hand pressure to specific points of the body. | E2 structured facilities |
| Massage and knead muscles and soft tissues of the body to provide treatment for medical conditions, injuries, or wellness maintenance. | E0 none |
| Assess clients' soft tissue condition, joint quality and function, muscle strength, and range of motion. | E0 none |
| Treat clients in professional settings or travel to clients' offices and homes. | E0 none |
| Prepare and blend oils and apply the blends to clients' skin. | E0 none |
| Perform other adjunctive therapies or treatment techniques in addition to massage. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Maintain massage areas by restocking supplies or sanitizing equipment. | E0 none |
| Use complementary aids, such as infrared lamps, wet compresses, ice, and whirlpool baths to promote clients' recovery, relaxation, and well-being. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 155K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 179K
- Change (2025–35)
- +15.3%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $58,450
- Typical education needed for entry
- Postsecondary nondegree award
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24960 | 안마사 | Same scope | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 3255Physiotherapy Technicians and Assistants
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Physiotherapy technicians and assistants provide physical therapeutic treatments to patients in circumstances where functional movement is threatened by injury, disease or impairment. Therapies are usually provided as per rehabilitative plans established by a physiotherapist or other health professional.
Tasks
- (a) administering manual treatments such as massage therapy or pressure point therapy;
- (b) administering electrical modality treatments, ultrasound and other physical therapies using specialized techniques and equipment;
- (c) instructing, motivating, safeguarding and assisting patients as they practice physical exercises, relaxation techniques and functional activities;
- (d) conferring with physiotherapists or other health care providers to evaluate patient information for planning, modifying, and coordinating treatment;
- (e) monitoring and recording patients' progress during treatments, including measuring their range-of-joint motion and vital signs;
- (f) fitting patients for orthopaedic braces, prostheses and other physical supportive devices such as crutches, and instructing patients in the use of such devices.
Example occupations
Acupressure therapist · Electrotherapist · Hydrotherapist · Massage therapist · Physical rehabilitation technician · Physiotherapy technician · Shiatsu therapist
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- complementary therapistESCO 2230.1This occupation is narrower
Complementary therapists use a range of complementary and alternative therapies to work simultaneously with the clients` body, mind, and spirit in a holistic approach. They offer practices and services for holistic wellbeing, health maintenance, health education, health promotion and prevention of illness, along with the sustainable treatment of certain illnesses, especially chronic illnesses. Their practices include but are not limited to acupuncture, aromatherapy, banotherapy, homeopathy, and herbal medicine.
- massage therapistESCO 3255.3This occupation is broader
Massage therapists provide therapeutic massage treatments to improve the well-being of their clients. They perform a variety of massage types such as shiatsu and swedish massage, according to their client's needs and preferences.
- masseur/masseuseESCO 5142.7This occupation is broader
Masseurs/masseuses perform massages to help their clients relax and de-stress according to their preferences. They use appropriate massages, equipment and oils and also instruct their clients on techniques to improve relaxation.
- shiatsu practitionerESCO 3255.5This occupation is broader
Shiatsu practitioners provide health maintenance, health education, whole health evaluation and recommendations for wellbeing, and treatment of certain illness through energetic evaluation of the body's life energy system (Ki) and regulation of the life energy system through various energetic and manual techniques.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| D1222 | Masseur / Masseuse bien-être | This occupation is broaderprovisional |
| J1404 | Kinésithérapeute | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| K1108 | Intervenant / Intervenante en pratique de soins non conventionnelle | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 3325 | Ayudantes fisioterapeutas | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| 5812 | Especialistas en tratamientos de estética, bienestar y afines | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 81712 | Berufe in der Physiotherapie - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is broader |
| 82222 | Wellnessberufe - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 152 | あん摩マッサージ指圧師，はり師，きゅう師，柔道整復師 | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| 383 | 美容サービス従事者（美容師を除く） | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources