Will massage therapists be replaced by AI?
Updated
Massage therapists score 20 of 100 for AI exposure. 55% of their task time still needs a person. AI can do 8% today and speed up another 37%.
- 8% AI can do it
- 37% AI helps
- 55% Needs a person
Low exposure
Lower than 79% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 14 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 1 of them today, speeds up 5 and leaves 8 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Maintain treatment records. Treatment notes are text-based; AI scribes can draft them. | 72% AI can do it |
| Develop and propose client treatment plans that specify which types of massage are to be used. AI drafts plans from notes; therapist tailors and approves them. | 55% AI helps |
| Provide clients with guidance and information about techniques for postural improvement and stretching, strengthening, relaxation, and rehabilitative exercises. AI can write exercise handouts; demonstration still needs a person. | 40% AI helps |
| Refer clients to other types of therapists when necessary. Referral decisions need judgement; AI can draft referral letters. | 30% AI helps |
| Consult with other health care professionals, such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, physicians, and psychologists, to develop treatment plans for clients. Coordinating with clinicians is mostly live; AI can summarize records. | 30% AI helps |
| Confer with clients about their medical histories and problems with stress or pain to determine how massage will be most helpful. Live intake needs rapport; AI can prefill health history forms. | 20% AI helps |
| Assess clients' soft tissue condition, joint quality and function, muscle strength, and range of motion. Palpating tissue and testing range of motion needs trained hands. | 8% Needs a person |
| Maintain massage areas by restocking supplies or sanitizing equipment. Restocking and sanitizing are physical; AI only helps reorder supplies. | 5% Needs a person |
| Prepare and blend oils and apply the blends to clients' skin. Mixing and applying oils is hands-on; AI adds little value. | 5% Needs a person |
| Perform other adjunctive therapies or treatment techniques in addition to massage. Adjunctive hands-on techniques depend on physical skill and touch. | 4% Needs a person |
Show the other 4 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Use complementary aids, such as infrared lamps, wet compresses, ice, and whirlpool baths to promote clients' recovery, relaxation, and well-being. Operating heat, ice and whirlpool equipment is physical work. | 4% Needs a person |
| Treat clients in professional settings or travel to clients' offices and homes. Treating clients in person, including home visits, is physical. | 3% Needs a person |
| Massage and knead muscles and soft tissues of the body to provide treatment for medical conditions, injuries, or wellness maintenance. Hands-on kneading of soft tissue requires a physical person. | 2% Needs a person |
| Apply finger and hand pressure to specific points of the body. Applying pressure to body points is purely hands-on work. | 2% Needs a person |
How massage therapists compare
All occupations (923)
Healthcare support (19)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $58,450 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 98,790 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +15.3% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Write and check treatment notes in WinCity Massage SOAP Notes
- Tailor treatment plans in Massage Suite before client sign-off
- Assess range of motion and muscle strength manually
- Hold a current state massage therapy licence
- Teach stretching and rehabilitative exercises in person
- Coordinate plans with physiotherapists and chiropractors
Safer roles nearby
2 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about massage therapists and AI
Will AI replace massage therapists?
Partly. About 2 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly maintaining treatment records and drafting client treatment plans. The hands-on massage, the core of the job, stays with people because kneading soft tissue needs a physical person in the room.
Which tasks is AI taking over for massage therapists?
Maintaining treatment records scores 72 on exposure, because notes are text and AI scribes can draft them. Developing treatment plans scores 55, since AI drafts plans from notes while the therapist tailors and approves them. Giving postural and stretching guidance scores 40, because AI can write exercise handouts.
Which massage therapist tasks stay human?
Massaging muscles and soft tissue scores 2 on exposure, because kneading needs a physical person. Applying pressure to specific body points also scores 2, and treating clients in person or on home visits scores 3, since both are purely physical work.
How can massage therapists stay valuable?
Keep the hands-on work, which scores 2 to 4 on exposure, at the center of each booking. Use AI to draft notes, then check and sign each one in WinCity Massage SOAP Notes. Tailor every AI-drafted plan in Massage Suite to the client's pain history and medical limits. Demonstrate exercises in person, since demonstration stays human.
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