Massage Therapist Pay in the Southeastern U.S.

Data recently published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates that, as of May 2020, there were over 85,000 massage therapists working in the United States.  Almost 20,000 of those employed as massage therapists lived in the twelve-state Southeastern region of the U.S.  An examination of the BLS data reveals the Southeastern U.S. to be a very weak one for massage therapist pay, with Kentucky being the only state in the region with an average massage therapist annual mean wage level that topped the national average.  Moreover, the region was home to five of the ten worst states in the U.S. for massage therapist annual mean wages.  A deeper look at BLS data from May 2020 reveals the following about massage therapist pay in the Southeastern U.S.:

Massage Therapist Pay in the Southeastern U.S.

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
AL	410	$36,020	44th
AR	390	$46,020	25th
FL	6,450	$40,530	40th
GA	2,740	$33,850	46th
KY	740	$48,450	18th
LA	500	$31,470	49th
MS	180	$33,700	47th
NC	2,380	$42,750	33rd
SC	1,600	$36,910	43rd
TN	2,000	$45,430	28th
VA	2,450	$42,510	34th
WV	150	$44,640	31st
U.S.	85,040	$47,350	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on June 5, 2021