Spa Managers earn a median of $69,770 per year ($33.54/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 6.2% through 2035, with about 2,000 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 11-9179
- Management
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Spa Manager in four numbers
- Median pay
- $69,770a year, or $33.54/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $45KTop 10% $119K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +6.2%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+6.2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +6.2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 2,00025,500 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202525.5K
- Projected 203527.1K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 25.5K Projected 2035 27.1K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Guest Experience Director, Massage Department Manager, Spa Director, Spa Operation Manager, Spa Operations Manager (Spa Ops Manager), Spa Supervisor.
Pay
How much do Spa Managers make?
Every spa manager in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$69,770
Middle half earn $54,130 to $94,440
- 10th
- $44,910
- 25th
- $54,130
- 75th
- $94,440
- 90th
- $118,710
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $44,910 |
| 25th | $54,130 |
| Median | $69,770 |
| 75th | $94,440 |
| 90th | $118,710 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $69,770
- Median hourly wage
- $33.54/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $78,190
- People employed
- 10,450
Versus all US occupations
At $69,770, Spa Managers earn 37% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $18,790 a year.
Versus management occupations
Inside the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060, this is 45% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $118,710 or more while the bottom 10% earn $44,910, a gap of 2.6×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 45% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Wisconsin pays the most at $104,860, and still leads at $111,441 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Spa Managers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Wisconsin | $104,860 | $111,441 | 60 |
| 2Vermont | $99,570 | $101,646 | 30 |
| 3Hawaii | $88,130 | $80,154 | 110 |
| 4Maryland | $83,990 | $80,022 | 510 |
| 5Colorado | $83,080 | $80,619 | 30 |
| 6California | $77,840 | $70,303 | 2,010 |
| 7New Jersey | $77,350 | $71,090 | 170 |
| 8Washington | $75,700 | $70,739 | 50 |
| 9North Carolina | $73,990 | $78,441 | 240 |
| 10Georgia | $73,720 | $76,558 | 140 |
Job outlook
Is Spa Manager a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +6.2% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Spa Managers | +6.2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Spa Managers to change 6.2% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 1,600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 2,000 openings are projected each year, 7.8% of the 25,500 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Spa Manager
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does a Spa Manager do?
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities of a spa facility. Coordinate programs, schedule and direct staff, and oversee financial activities.
Day-to-day tasks
- Respond to customer inquiries or complaints.
- Inform staff of job responsibilities, performance expectations, client service standards, or corporate policies and guidelines.
- Develop staff service or retail goals and guide staff in goal achievement.
- Train staff in the use or sale of products, programs, or activities.
- Schedule guest appointments.
- Assess employee performance and suggest ways to improve work.
- Coordinate facility schedules to maximize usage and efficiency.
- Schedule staff or supervise scheduling.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes are not usually serious.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
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
- Speaking4.0
- Monitoring4.0
- Active Listening3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Active Learning3.6
- Reading Comprehension3.4
- Learning Strategies3.4
- Writing3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.6 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.4 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.4 |
| Writing | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Coordination4.0
- Service Orientation3.9
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9
- Management of Personnel Resources3.9
- Time Management3.8
- Instructing3.6
- Persuasion3.5
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 |
| Coordination | 4.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.9 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.9 |
| Time Management | 3.8 |
| Instructing | 3.6 |
| Persuasion | 3.5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software
- Human resources software
- Instant messaging software
- Internet browser software
- Point of sale POS software
- Video creation and editing 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 a Spa Manager?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Spa Manager |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 1 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 4 |
| Enterprising | 7 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Enterprising7.0
- Conventional4.9
- Social4.2
- Realistic2.5
- Artistic1.8
- Investigative1.3
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 Spa Manager
O*NET related occupations
- Management
- Personal Care and Service
First-Line Supervisor of Personal Service Workers
$48,590median a year
Most earn $34K to $75K
+6.3%High school - Personal Care and Service
- Management
- Personal Care and Service
First-Line Supervisor of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services
$48,560median a year
Most earn $35K to $79K
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More management careers
Median annual pay, with spa managers highlighted
- IT Manager$175,140
- Marketing Manager$166,790
- Financial Manager$166,570
- Human Resources Manager$149,280
- Sales Manager$148,270
- Construction Manager$114,990
- Supply Chain Manager$107,230
- Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager$69,990
- Spa Manager$69,770
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| IT Manager | $175,140 |
| Marketing Manager | $166,790 |
| Financial Manager | $166,570 |
| Human Resources Manager | $149,280 |
| Sales Manager | $148,270 |
| Construction Manager | $114,990 |
| Supply Chain Manager | $107,230 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager | $69,990 |
| Spa Manager | $69,770 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Spa Manager appears on
Questions
Spa Manager: frequently asked questions
How much do Spa Managers make?
Spa Managers earn a median of $69,770 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 37% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $33.54/hr. The middle half earn between $54,130 and $94,440. The top 10% earn $118,710 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Spa Manager?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Spa Managers. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first.
Is Spa Manager a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6.2% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 2,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Spa Manager do?
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities of a spa facility. A core O*NET task: respond to customer inquiries or complaints. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Presentation software.
Which states pay Spa Managers the most?
The highest state medians for Spa Managers are Wisconsin ($104,860), Vermont ($99,570), Hawaii ($88,130) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Spa Manager?
O*NET scores Spa Managers highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Social interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESFJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.