Provides massage and bodywork to horses to ease muscle tension, support performance and aid recovery, usually alongside the horse's veterinarian and trainer. BLS does not publish separate figures for animal caretakers; it counts them within animal caretaker (SOC 39-2021), whose median pay is $35,360 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
- SOC 39-2021
- Personal Care and Service
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Equine Massage Therapist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $35,360a year, or $17.00/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $27KTop 10% $50K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +12.1%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+12.1%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +12.1% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 62,800365,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025365.3K
- Projected 2035409.4K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 365.3K Projected 2035 409.4K - Typical education
- Certificateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school9.5%
- High school63.6%
- Associate's13.6%
- Bachelor's13.4%
Highest education held by animal caretakers Segment Value Less than high school 9.5% High school 63.6% Associate's 13.6% Bachelor's 13.4%
Also advertised as: Equine Bodyworker, Equine Sports Massage Therapist, Certified Equine Massage Practitioner, Large Animal Massage Therapist.
Pay
How much do Animal Caretakers make?
Every equine massage therapist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$35,360
Middle half earn $29,820 to $40,050
- 10th
- $27,250
- 25th
- $29,820
- 75th
- $40,050
- 90th
- $50,060
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $27,250 |
| 25th | $29,820 |
| Median | $35,360 |
| 75th | $40,050 |
| 90th | $50,060 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $35,360
- Median hourly wage
- $17.00/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $37,300
- People employed
- 266,910
Versus all US occupations
At $35,360, Animal Caretakers earn 31% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $15,620 a year.
Versus personal care and service occupations
Inside the Personal Care and Service group, where the middle occupation pays $38,120, this is 7% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $50,060 or more while the bottom 10% earn $27,250, a gap of 1.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 1% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $44,210, and still leads at $40,227 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Animal Caretakers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $44,210 | $40,227 | 460 |
| 2Washington | $40,570 | $37,911 | 6,620 |
| 3Hawaii | $40,130 | $36,498 | 570 |
| 4Massachusetts | $39,650 | $37,492 | 6,900 |
| 5California | $38,700 | $34,953 | 25,710 |
| 6Arizona | $38,180 | $37,923 | 6,330 |
| 7New York | $37,840 | $35,063 | 12,470 |
| 8Colorado | $37,430 | $36,321 | 6,290 |
| 9Connecticut | $37,310 | $36,010 | 3,000 |
| 10Maine | $37,230 | $38,362 | 1,430 |
Job outlook
Is Equine Massage Therapist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +12.1% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Animal Caretakers | +12.1% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Animal Caretakers to change 12.1% over 2025–2035, roughly 3.5× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 44,100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 62,800 openings are projected each year, 17.2% of the 365,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become an Equine Massage Therapist
Most practitioners complete a dedicated equine massage course at a school of animal massage, often several hundred hours of anatomy, physiology, technique and supervised practice. The National Board of Certification for Animal Acupressure and Massage (NBCAAM) offers a national certification exam for candidates who have completed qualifying training.
Rules vary by state. Some states regulate animal massage under the veterinary practice act and require veterinary referral or supervision, and Washington issues a specific animal massage therapist license. Many therapists come from riding or barn backgrounds, and some are already licensed human massage therapists who add equine training.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Postsecondary nondegree award
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as animal caretakers.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)63.6%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree13.6%
- Bachelor's Degree13.4%
- Less than a High School Diploma9.5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 63.6% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 13.6% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 13.4% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 9.5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does an Equine Massage Therapist do?
Equine massage therapists work on the muscles of performance and pleasure horses. They watch the horse move, palpate for tight or sore areas, and use massage strokes, stretching and pressure techniques to relieve tension in the back, neck, shoulders and hindquarters.
Clients include show jumpers, dressage horses, racehorses, endurance horses and older horses with stiffness. Therapists often work before and after competitions, keep records of each session, and share observations with owners, trainers and veterinarians, since a sore spot can be an early sign of a lameness or saddle-fit problem that needs veterinary attention. Many also teach owners simple stretches to use between sessions.
Day-to-day tasks
- Observe horses' gait and posture before treatment
- Palpate muscles to locate tension and soreness
- Perform massage, stretching and pressure-point techniques
- Provide pre- and post-competition sessions
- Record findings and share them with owners and veterinarians
- Teach owners basic stretching routines
- Market services to barns, trainers and show circuits
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Equine massage therapists travel to barns, show grounds and racetracks, working in stalls, aisles and outdoor areas. The work is physically demanding and involves standing close to large animals for long periods. Most are self-employed and part-time or seasonal at first, with busy weekends during show season.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Monitoring3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Active Listening3.0
- Speaking2.9
- Writing2.8
- Critical Thinking2.8
- Active Learning2.4
- Mathematics2.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 2.9 |
| Writing | 2.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 2.8 |
| Active Learning | 2.4 |
| Mathematics | 2.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Coordination3.0
- Service Orientation3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
- Social Perceptiveness2.8
- Complex Problem Solving2.6
- Time Management2.5
- Instructing2.1
- Systems Analysis2.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.6 |
| Time Management | 2.5 |
| Instructing | 2.1 |
| Systems Analysis | 2.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Equine Massage Therapist?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code RSE) built on O*NET's Animal Caretaker profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Equine Massage Therapist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with teaching, helping and working directly with other people.
- Realistic6.2
- Social4.3
- Conventional3.3
- Investigative2.8
- Enterprising2.5
- Artistic1.6
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Equine Massage Therapist
O*NET related occupations
- Personal Care and Service
- Healthcare Support
Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker
$38,150median a year
Most earn $30K to $49K
+9.1%High school - Personal Care and Service
- Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Protective Service
More personal care and service careers
Median annual pay, with animal caretakers highlighted
- Exercise Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor$47,160
- Concierge$38,950
- Tour Guide and Escort$38,120
- Hairstylist$35,790
- Manicurist and Pedicurist$35,760
- Equine Massage Therapist$35,360
- Nanny$34,980
- Childcare Worker$34,980
- Gambling Dealer$34,320
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Exercise Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor | $47,160 |
| Concierge | $38,950 |
| Tour Guide and Escort | $38,120 |
| Hairstylist | $35,790 |
| Manicurist and Pedicurist | $35,760 |
| Equine Massage Therapist | $35,360 |
| Nanny | $34,980 |
| Childcare Worker | $34,980 |
| Gambling Dealer | $34,320 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Equine Massage Therapist appears on
Questions
Equine Massage Therapist: frequently asked questions
How much do Animal Caretakers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for animal caretakers. It counts them within animal caretaker, whose median pay is $35,360 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $29,820 and $40,050, and the top 10% earn $50,060 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Equine Massage Therapist?
Not a degree, but you do need credentialed training: BLS lists a postsecondary non-degree award (a certificate or license program) as the typical entry route for Animal Caretakers. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 63.6% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Equine Massage Therapist a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 12.1% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 62,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Equine Massage Therapist do?
Equine massage therapists work on the muscles of performance and pleasure horses. A typical task: observe horses' gait and posture before treatment. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Animal Caretakers the most?
The highest state medians for Animal Caretakers are District of Columbia ($44,210), Washington ($40,570), Hawaii ($40,130) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Equine Massage Therapist?
O*NET scores Animal Caretakers highest on the Realistic, Social and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with teaching, helping and working directly with other people. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISFJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.