Massage Therapist Salary in Texas: $61,624 (2026)

Quick Answer:Across Texas's 109 metropolitan areas, the average median massage therapist pay sits at $61,624/year heading into 2026 — a figure projected from 2025 BLS OEWS wage data for SOC 31-9011. Because Texas sits at BEA RPP 96.0 (4% below the U.S. baseline), that statewide median translates to roughly $64,192 in nationally-comparable purchasing power. Highest-paying metros: Waco ($72,560), Abilene ($68,730), San Marcos ($61,870).

Massage Therapist Salary in Texas - 2025 BLS Data Infographic — Texas massage therapist salary overview (2026)

$61,624

Avg Median Salary

$29.63

Avg Hourly Rate

9,673

Metro Employed

109

Cities

The average median salary for massage therapists in Texas in 2026 is projected to be $61,624, which is slightly below the national median of $61,975, reflecting a difference of -0.6%. The salary range across Texas cities demonstrates significant variation; the highest paying city, Waco, offers an average of $76,935, while Edinburg, the lowest, has an average of $49,060. This $27,875 gap can be attributed to factors such as cost of living, local demand for massage therapy, and the presence of healthcare facilities that typically require these services. Texas has specific licensing requirements for massage therapists, including completing a state-approved training program and passing an examination. The state's scope of practice laws allow for a range of techniques, which can enhance service offerings and, in turn, income potential. Demand for massage therapy continues to be driven by an increasing focus on wellness and self-care, contributing to a job market projected to grow at an annual CAGR of 6.03%. With approximately 9,673 massage therapists employed statewide, opportunities for employment are expected to remain strong, particularly in urban areas such as Waco, Abilene, and San Marcos where salaries tend to rise with demand.

Texas Massage Therapist Salary Range

Entry Level (10th %ile)

$36,785

avg across 109 cities

Median

$61,624

state average

Top Earners (90th %ile)

$109,065

avg across 109 cities

Overall salary range in Texas: $28,455 (lowest entry-level) to $126,663 (highest top earner)

Texas vs National Average

Texas

$61,624

National Median

$61,975

Texas massage therapists earn 0.57% less than the national median ($-351/year difference).

Texas Massage Therapist Salary Distribution (2026)

Massage Therapist salaries in Texas range from $36,785 (entry-level, 10th percentile) to $109,065 (top earners, 90th percentile), with a median of $61,624. The Texas median is $351 below the US national median of $61,975. The average hourly rate is $29.63/hr. Approximately 9,673 massage therapists are employed across 109 cities.

2019 BLS Actual

$41,669

2025 BLS Actual

$58,119

2026 Current Est.

$61,624

2019–2027 Growth

+56.8%

Salary Trajectory for Massage Therapists in Texas (2019–2027)

2019–2025: actual BLS OEWS data for this metro area. 2026+: CAGR 6.03% projection.

BLS Actual Estimated Projected

Year	Annual Salary	Status
2019	$41,669	Actual
2020	$41,361	Actual
2021	$43,070	Actual
2022	$48,063	Actual
2023	$49,963	Actual
2024	$54,118	Actual
2025	$58,119	Actual
2026(current)	$61,624	Estimated
2027	$65,340	Projected

Based on 7 years of BLS OEWS data for the Texas metropolitan area, the median massage therapist salary grew 39.5% from $41,669 (2019) to $58,119 (2025). At a 6.03% compound annual growth rate, salaries are projected to reach $65,340 by 2027 — a total increase of $23,671 (56.81%) from 2019.

Note: Historical values (2019–2025) are actual BLS OEWS figures for the Texas metropolitan area, sourced from annual Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys. 2026–2026 figures are current estimates, and 2027 values are projections, calculated using a 6.03% CAGR derived from 7-year BLS historical data. Actual salaries may vary based on employer, experience, certifications, and local market conditions.

Top 5 Highest Paying Cities in Texas

Waco

60 employed · $36.99/hr

$76,935

+24.85% vs avg

Abilene

60 employed · $35.03/hr

$72,874

+18.26% vs avg

San Marcos

13 employed · $31.54/hr

$65,601

+6.45% vs avg

Round Rock

26 employed · $31.03/hr

$64,554

+4.75% vs avg

Austin

1,360 employed · $30.82/hr

$64,106

+4.03% vs avg

Lowest Paying Cities in Texas

City	Median Salary	vs State Avg	Hourly
Edinburg	$49,060	-20.39%	$23.59
El Paso	$49,643	-19.44%	$23.87
McAllen	$50,269	-18.43%	$24.16
Mission	$50,717	-17.70%	$24.39
College Station	$52,294	-15.14%	$25.14

Best Value Cities for Massage Therapists in Texas

When adjusted for local cost of living, these Texas cities offer the most purchasing power for massage therapists.

City	Nominal Salary	CoL Index	Adjusted Salary
Waco	$76,935	92.55	$83,128
Abilene	$72,874	90.364	$80,645
San Marcos	$65,601	96	$68,334
Round Rock	$64,554	96	$67,244
Austin	$64,106	98.066	$65,370

Adjusted salary = nominal salary × (100 / CoL index). CoL index: 100 = national average. Lower index = lower cost of living.

Salary by Experience Level in Texas

Experience Level	Estimated Annual	Est. Hourly	Description
Entry Level (0-2 years)	$36,785	$17.69	10th percentile, new graduates
Mid Career (3-7 years)	$61,624	$29.63	50th percentile, median salary
Experienced (7+ years)	$109,065	$52.44	90th percentile, top earners

Estimates based on BLS percentile data averaged across Texas metro areas. Individual pay varies by employer, certifications, and specialization.

All 109 Cities in Texas

#	City	Median Salary	Hourly	Entry (P10)	Top (P90)	Employed
1	Waco	$76,935	$36.99	$31,311	$111,851	60
2	Abilene	$72,874	$35.03	$57,998	$107,864	60
3	San Marcos	$65,601	$31.54	$38,049	$101,682	13
4	Round Rock	$64,554	$31.03	$37,441	$100,059	26
5	Austin	$64,106	$30.82	$37,757	$116,092	1,360
6	Houston	$62,717	$30.15	$37,079	$117,736	1,930
7	Dallas	$62,568	$30.08	$37,217	$108,956	2,930
8	Irving	$62,515	$30.06	$36,259	$96,899	51
9	Plano	$62,309	$29.95	$36,139	$96,578	57
10	Fort Worth	$62,160	$29.89	$36,053	$96,348	219
11	Garland	$61,984	$29.81	$35,951	$96,075	43
12	The Woodlands	$61,967	$29.79	$36,205	$96,049	21
13	Pasadena	$61,896	$29.76	$36,304	$95,939	32
14	Frisco	$61,764	$29.70	$35,823	$95,733	38
15	Amarillo	$61,743	$29.69	$35,812	$95,703	52
16	Beaumont	$61,649	$29.64	$35,756	$95,556	18
17	Arlington	$61,304	$29.48	$35,556	$95,022	83
18	Wichita Falls	$61,161	$29.40	$35,473	$94,800	20
19	New Braunfels	$60,823	$29.24	$35,277	$94,276	15
20	Conroe	$60,499	$29.08	$35,090	$93,773	15
21	Laredo	$60,471	$29.07	$35,074	$93,731	48
22	Port Arthur	$60,404	$29.04	$35,034	$93,627	12
23	Richardson	$60,386	$29.03	$35,024	$93,599	24
24	Carrollton	$60,377	$29.03	$35,019	$93,584	20
25	San Antonio	$60,299	$28.99	$37,821	$115,530	790
26	Grand Prairie	$60,275	$28.98	$34,959	$93,426	43
27	Harlingen	$60,102	$28.89	$34,859	$93,158	14
28	Galveston	$59,833	$28.77	$34,703	$92,741	10
29	DeSoto	$59,790	$28.74	$34,678	$92,676	9
30	Missouri City	$59,729	$28.71	$34,643	$92,580	12
31	San Angelo	$59,711	$28.70	$35,419	$92,551	22
32	Tyler	$59,695	$28.70	$48,519	$126,663	90
33	Brownsville	$59,634	$28.67	$35,254	$92,434	34
34	Corpus Christi	$59,599	$28.65	$36,167	$118,891	80
35	Midland	$59,533	$28.62	$34,798	$92,276	27
36	Sugar Land	$59,475	$28.60	$34,914	$92,187	21
37	Allen	$59,470	$28.60	$34,844	$92,178	19
38	League City	$59,417	$28.56	$34,551	$92,097	22
39	Cedar Park	$59,391	$28.55	$34,447	$92,055	12
40	Georgetown	$59,369	$28.54	$34,434	$92,022	12
41	Baytown	$59,346	$28.53	$34,421	$91,986	16
42	Denton	$59,311	$28.51	$34,564	$91,932	33
43	Wylie	$59,304	$28.51	$34,396	$91,921	10
44	Cleburne	$59,295	$28.51	$35,327	$91,908	7
45	Mesquite	$59,287	$28.50	$34,513	$91,894	21
46	Pharr	$59,242	$28.48	$34,360	$91,825	18
47	McKinney	$59,234	$28.48	$34,356	$91,812	44
48	Pearland	$59,114	$28.42	$34,286	$91,627	19
49	Burleson	$59,072	$28.41	$34,882	$91,562	11
50	Odessa	$58,998	$28.36	$34,219	$91,448	17
51	Pflugerville	$58,996	$28.36	$34,218	$91,445	16
52	Cedar Hill	$58,971	$28.35	$34,651	$91,404	8
53	Flower Mound	$58,827	$28.28	$36,067	$91,182	12
54	Kyle	$58,788	$28.27	$35,983	$91,122	13
55	Del Rio	$58,720	$28.24	$34,058	$91,017	9
56	Coppell	$58,583	$28.16	$33,978	$90,803	8
57	Forney	$58,489	$28.12	$33,924	$90,659	6
58	Rowlett	$58,430	$28.09	$33,889	$90,567	15
59	The Colony	$58,342	$28.04	$33,838	$90,430	9
60	Anna	$58,319	$28.03	$33,825	$90,394	4
61	Huntsville	$58,254	$28.00	$33,788	$90,294	11
62	Texarkana	$58,174	$27.97	$33,741	$90,170	9
63	Mansfield	$58,071	$27.92	$34,176	$90,009	18
64	Weatherford	$58,059	$27.92	$33,674	$89,991	9
65	Euless	$58,032	$27.90	$34,331	$89,951	14
66	Weslaco	$57,994	$27.89	$33,637	$89,891	9
67	Hurst	$57,967	$27.86	$33,621	$89,849	9
68	Victoria	$57,928	$27.85	$34,048	$89,789	14
69	Grapevine	$57,896	$27.83	$34,036	$89,738	12
70	Leander	$57,882	$27.83	$33,768	$89,717	11
71	Little Elm	$57,879	$27.82	$33,569	$89,712	12
72	Lancaster	$57,828	$27.80	$33,540	$89,632	8
73	North Richland Hills	$57,787	$27.78	$33,802	$89,571	17
74	Duncanville	$57,777	$27.78	$33,511	$89,554	8
75	Longview	$57,765	$27.77	$30,558	$72,991	50
76	Copperas Cove	$57,665	$27.73	$36,494	$89,381	7
77	Friendswood	$57,656	$27.72	$36,229	$89,366	8
78	Lubbock	$57,468	$27.63	$33,081	$92,840	60
79	Seguin	$57,415	$27.60	$35,866	$88,994	7
80	Killeen	$57,383	$27.59	$36,167	$103,570	120
81	Rockwall	$57,337	$27.57	$35,749	$88,872	12
82	Corinth	$57,277	$27.54	$34,956	$88,780	6
83	Schertz	$57,225	$27.51	$33,716	$88,699	6
84	Corsicana	$57,179	$27.49	$34,725	$88,627	6
85	San Juan	$57,139	$27.47	$35,301	$88,565	9
86	Kingsville	$57,133	$27.47	$35,290	$88,556	5
87	Prosper	$57,119	$27.46	$35,259	$88,535	7
88	Sachse	$56,976	$27.39	$34,938	$88,313	5
89	Bastrop	$56,968	$27.39	$34,232	$88,300	6
90	Temple	$56,913	$27.37	$34,493	$88,215	14
91	Socorro	$56,869	$27.35	$34,639	$88,147	5
92	Eagle Pass	$56,763	$27.29	$34,222	$87,983	5
93	Keller	$56,679	$27.25	$34,276	$87,853	7
94	Sherman	$56,675	$27.25	$34,267	$87,847	9
95	Lufkin	$56,615	$27.22	$34,133	$87,753	8
96	Haltom City	$56,610	$27.22	$34,063	$87,746	11
97	Nacogdoches	$56,610	$27.22	$34,063	$87,746	7
98	Benbrook	$56,564	$27.20	$33,296	$87,674	6
99	University Park	$56,510	$27.16	$33,171	$87,590	5
100	Fredericksburg	$56,156	$27.00	$35,396	$87,041	5
101	Stephenville	$55,757	$26.80	$36,200	$86,423	6
102	Horizon City	$55,514	$26.69	$35,573	$86,047	6
103	Murphy	$55,142	$26.51	$34,771	$85,470	5
104	Tomball	$54,703	$26.30	$33,765	$84,790	5
105	College Station	$52,294	$25.14	$33,824	$64,615	60
106	Mission	$50,717	$24.39	$29,416	$78,612	22
107	McAllen	$50,269	$24.16	$30,844	$102,658	140
108	El Paso	$49,643	$23.87	$30,282	$119,506	190
109	Edinburg	$49,060	$23.59	$28,455	$76,044	22

More Texas Salary Data

Hourly Rates

Explore massage therapist hourly pay in Texas cities.

Waco →Abilene →San Marcos →

Entry Level

Starting salaries for new massage therapists.

Waco →Abilene →San Marcos →

Senior / Experienced

Top earner salaries for experienced massage therapists.

Waco →Abilene →San Marcos →

Compare Cities in Texas

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View all comparisons →

Explore More Massage Therapist Salary Data

National OverviewMedian salary & full US data Entry-Level SalariesStarting pay & new grad earnings Hourly Pay RatesPer-hour rates & part-time income Highest Paying StatesTop states ranked by salary

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do massage therapists make in Texas in 2026?

The average median massage therapist salary in Texas is $61,624/year across 109 metro areas, based on estimated 2026 (projected from 2025 BLS data). Salaries range from $49,060 in Edinburg to $76,935 in Waco. This makes Texas 0.57% below the national median of $61,975. The state employs approximately 9,673 massage therapists.

What is the highest paying city for massage therapists in Texas?

Waco offers the highest massage therapist salary in Texas at $76,935/year ($36.99/hr), based on estimated 2026 (projected from 2025 BLS data). The top 3 highest-paying cities are Waco ($76,935), Abilene ($72,874), San Marcos ($65,601). Higher pay in these metros is typically driven by cost of living, demand for massage therapy services, and competition among employers for licensed massage therapists.

How does Texas massage therapist pay compare to the national average?

Texas's average massage therapist salary of $61,624 is 0.57% below the national median of $61,975 in 2026. The state employs approximately 9,673 massage therapists across 109 metropolitan areas. When comparing salaries, consider cost-of-living differences — a lower nominal salary in an affordable area may provide better purchasing power than a higher salary in an expensive metro.

What is the entry-level massage therapist salary in Texas?

Entry-level massage therapists (10th percentile) in Texas earn approximately $36,785/year on average, based on estimated 2026 (projected from 2025 BLS data). Starting salaries range from $28,455 in lower-paying areas to $57,998 in the highest-paying metros. New graduates should expect salaries at the lower end and can typically reach the area median within 3–5 years of clinical experience.

How many massage therapists are employed in Texas?

Texas employs approximately 9,673 massage therapists across 109 metropolitan areas, based on the latest BLS data. This makes Texas one of the larger employers of massage therapists nationally. Demand continues to grow as the massage therapy field expands and the population ages.

Which Texas city offers the best value for massage therapists?

When adjusted for cost of living, Waco offers the highest purchasing power for massage therapists in Texas, with an adjusted salary of $83,128 (nominal: $76,935, CoL index: 92.55). This means your dollar goes 8% further compared to the national average, making it an attractive option for maximizing real income.

Written by Jordan Lee, LMT

Career Analyst

Jordan Lee has 10 years of experience in massage therapy. They specialize in sports massage. They work in a wellness center.

Clinically reviewed by Amina Patel, LMTData verified by Carlos Ramirez, LMT

Methodology & Data Source

Statewide salary figures on this page are 2026 projections based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2026 release. A 6.03% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), derived from 6-year national BLS wage trends, was applied to each metro area's reported salary to estimate current 2026 massage therapist compensation across Texas. State averages are employment-weighted across 109 metro areas — larger metro areas with more massage therapistscontribute proportionally more to the average, producing figures that better reflect typical compensation. Individual pay varies by city, employer, certifications, and experience.

Data Sources & Methodology

Source: BLS, OEWS, 7-year dataset (2019–2025). Per-city data from annual BLS metropolitan area surveys.

2026 figures are projected from 2025 BLS data using a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.03%, derived from historical BLS wage trends for massage therapists (SOC 31-9011).

Compiled and verified by Jordan Lee, LMT, a licensed massage therapist with 10+ years of clinical experience. · View source data at BLS.gov

Last verified: June 10, 2026

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