Short answer
Very unlikely. BLS rates massage therapists among the occupations least exposed to AI, and most of the work is the kind current AI tools cannot do.
AI and jobs
Will AI Replace Massage Therapists? (2026)
The Bureau of Labor Statistics places massage therapists in its low AI exposure category, among the occupations least exposed to current AI. BLS projects employment to change by +15.3% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 20,400 openings a year.
- BLS AI exposure
- LowBLS EP supplemental table
- AI-resilience score
- 49/100Higher than 59% of jobs · NueCareer
- Projected change
- +15.3%BLS EP 2025–2035; all jobs 3.5%
- Openings a year
- 20,400BLS EP 2025–2035
The federal measure
How exposed massage therapists are to AI
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes a relative AI exposure category for each occupation it projects, built from five public measures of where AI could be, or already is, used to assist with or complete the work. Massage Therapists land in the low category: among the occupations least exposed to current AI.
Where this job sits on the BLS scale
786 occupations in the NueCareer bank, in BLS's four relative categories; width shows how many fall in each
- Low · this job203 occupations · 26%
- Moderate194 occupations · 25%
- High190 occupations · 24%
- Very high199 occupations · 25%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, AI exposure categories supplemental table.
- Exposure is relative. The categories rank occupations against each other; they are not a probability that a job is automated.
- BLS says exposure does not imply job loss, productivity gains, automation probability or wage effects. A highly exposed job can still grow if AI makes the people in it more productive.
- The classification reflects AI capabilities as the underlying studies measured them. Read the BLS method and limitations.
Inside the work
What AI can and cannot do in this job
O*NET rates how important each work activity is to an occupation and how often each working condition comes up. The ratings below are the ones that move the job's NueCareer AI-resilience score the most: the ones that pull it up, and the ones that pull it down. Only ratings clearly above the midpoint count.
What holds up
Physical, hands-on and person-to-person work
- Performing general physical activities4.6/5O*NET work activity, importance
- Assisting and caring for others4.4/5O*NET work activity, importance
- Face-to-face discussions4.6/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
- Hands-on work with tools and objects4.0/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
What AI reaches first
Routine, repeatable and screen-based work
- Repetitive motions4.4/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
- Documenting/recording information3.6/5O*NET work activity, importance
- Getting information4.3/5O*NET work activity, importance
- Repeating the same tasks3.6/5O*NET work context, frequency or level
The tasks O*NET lists for massage therapists
- Apply finger and hand pressure to specific points of the body.
- Confer with clients about their medical histories and problems with stress or pain to determine how massage will be most helpful.
- Maintain massage areas by restocking supplies or sanitizing equipment.
- Treat clients in professional settings or travel to clients' offices and homes.
- Maintain treatment records.
- Assess clients' soft tissue condition, joint quality and function, muscle strength, and range of motion.
O*NET 31.0 Database task statements, most important first.
The jobs
Will there still be jobs?
Exposure says where AI meets the work. The BLS projection says what the labor market is expected to do over 2025–2035. BLS projects +15.3% change in employment over the decade, against 3.5% across all occupations, and about 20,400 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted. About 98,790 people work in the job today, at a median of $58,450 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Full massage therapist profile: pay by state, entry route and skills
Options
Related careers that are also low-exposure
Careers O*NET lists as related to the work, or in the same field at similar pay, that BLS places in a low exposure category.
Physical Therapist Assistant
Healthcare Support
- Median pay
- $68,380median a year
- Growth
- +23.0%
- Openings / yr
- 18,500
- Education
- Associate's
- Low
- BLS AI exposure
- 60/100
- resilience
Assist physical therapists in providing physical therapy treatments and procedures.
Respiratory Therapist
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Median pay
- $82,280median a year
- Growth
- +8.5%
- Openings / yr
- 8,600
- Education
- Associate's
- Low
- BLS AI exposure
- 56/100
- resilience
Assess, treat, and care for patients with breathing disorders.
Physical Therapist Aide
Healthcare Support
- Median pay
- $35,240median a year
- Growth
- +4.0%
- Openings / yr
- 6,400
- Education
- High school
- Low
- BLS AI exposure
- 55/100
- resilience
Under close supervision of a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant, perform only delegated, selected, or routine tasks in specific situations.
Dental Assistant
Healthcare Support
- Median pay
- $48,070median a year
- Growth
- +7.4%
- Openings / yr
- 53,000
- Education
- Certificate
- Low
- BLS AI exposure
- 53/100
- resilience
Perform limited clinical duties under the direction of a dentist.
Medical Equipment Preparer
Healthcare Support
- Median pay
- $47,700median a year
- Growth
- +10.8%
- Openings / yr
- 10,700
- Education
- High school
- Low
- BLS AI exposure
- 53/100
- resilience
Prepare, sterilize, install, or clean laboratory or healthcare equipment.
Questions
Will AI Replace Massage Therapists? FAQ
Will AI replace massage therapists?
Very unlikely. BLS rates massage therapists among the occupations least exposed to AI, and most of the work is the kind current AI tools cannot do. BLS defines exposure as AI being able to assist with or complete some of the work, and says it does not imply job loss, productivity gains or wage effects. BLS projects employment to change by +15.3% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 20,400 openings a year.
How exposed are massage therapists to AI?
BLS sorts 786 occupations into four relative categories: low, moderate, high and very high. Massage Therapists are in the low category, alongside 202 other occupations. The categories combine five public measures of where AI could be or already is used, and they compare occupations with each other rather than giving an absolute risk.
What parts of a massage therapist's job can AI do?
In O*NET's description of the work, the parts that overlap most with what AI handles well are repetitive motions, documenting/recording information and getting information. The parts that hold up best are performing general physical activities, assisting and caring for others and face-to-face discussions. These come from O*NET ratings of how important each activity is to the job, read through NueCareer's AI-resilience method.
Is being a massage therapist a safe career from AI?
On NueCareer's AI-resilience score, built from O*NET work activities, massage therapists score 49 out of 100, higher than 59% of the occupations we score. The job pays a median of $58,450 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). No job is fully safe from technological change, but the federal exposure category and the projected openings are the two numbers worth weighing.
What careers similar to massage therapists are less exposed to AI?
Physical Therapist Assistant (low exposure, $68,380 median), Respiratory Therapist (low exposure, $82,280 median), Physical Therapist Aide (low exposure, $35,240 median), Dental Assistant (low exposure, $48,070 median). Each is also in the low category, and most are listed by O*NET as related to the work.
The AI exposure category is the Bureau of Labor Statistics'. The AI-resilience score and the activity breakdown are NueCareer's analysis of O*NET 31.0 Database data (method), not a federal figure. More: jobs most exposed to AI, jobs least exposed to AI, or check any job.