07/04/2025
I just wanted to share some newish data from 2023. The data gives a clear picture of how many actively licensed massage therapists there are in the United States and also how many in each state. And the data is not good….Not good at all. In the entire United States there were 321,493 active license holders in 2023…..that is not good. In the state of Texas there were 27,470 active license holders in 2023. It’s worth pointing out that just because someone has an active license doesn’t mean that they are working in the field or using their license. So the estimate is that the numbers are actually lower. So when you try to book the same day with a LMT and they are booked 3-4 weeks out, it is not because we are lazy or don’t want to work. It is because we legitimately are fully booked out. We are under immense pressure & the demand is incredibly high. My clients know they need to book 2 months out if they want to stay on my schedule at their preferred spot. Just today I had someone book for the next three months to ensure she was on the schedule.
So please have mercy on your licensed Massage therapist. We are giving everything we have to give to our clients. Often times we are injured and we are battling through our own injuries every single day in order to help people deal with their pain. There are so few of us and the demand is so high. If you have an LMT, let them know that you appreciate them. Let them know how excited you are for your appointment! Pay them well! Hold onto them tight and never let go. If you fall off their schedule, give them grace while you wait to get on the schedule again. We love you so much that we are happy to push through our pain and sacrifice our bodies every day to help you heal yours. 💙
Based on the work conducted for our 2023 process, ABMP estimates the number of massage therapists in the United States at approximately 321,493, which is down from the height of 2019’s estimate of 334,221.