Are you a massage therapist looking to relocate to a new state? Before you make any decisions, take a look into our list of the 25 best states for massage therapists.
There are several factors to consider when researching the perfect place to call home as it relates to your career: employment rates, cost of living, and annual median pay. When asking which state would be the best to live in as a massage therapist, all three of these factors must be carefully considered in relation to each other. It would be a mistake to only consider the potential for the biggest paycheck, as cost of living can detract from raw income, and the employment rate is crucial to how much time you may need to dedicate to looking for a job.

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In order to compare states and come up with our list of best states for massage therapists, we sourced information about employment rates and annual median income from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, while the data on each state’s cost of living index was derived from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. Each state was ranked according to each of the three criterion, and these rankings were then averaged.
If you are interested you may also check 25 Best States For Dental Assistants.
Please continue reading in order to learn more details about the best states for massage therapists.
25. Alaska
Annual median pay: $84,150
Cost of living: 131.6
Employment: 700

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24. Connecticut
Annual median pay: $52,580
Cost of living: 130.7
Employment: 1,210

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23. Wisconsin
Annual median pay: $36,350
Cost of living: 96.9
Employment: 1,750

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22. Arkansas
Annual median pay: $38,790
Cost of living: 88.5
Employment: 260

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21. Maryland
Annual median pay: $49,230
Cost of living: 125
Employment: 1,730

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20. Indiana
Annual median pay: $34,720
Cost of living: 87.9
Employment: 1,040

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19. Ohio
Annual median pay: $35,770
Cost of living: 93
Employment: 2,080

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18. Oklahoma
Annual median pay: $38,440
Cost of living: 88.6
Employment: 440

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17. Virginia
Annual median wage: $38,910
Cost of living: 100.2
Employment: 2,370

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16. California
Annual median wage: $43,330
Cost of living: 134.8
Employment: 14,330
15. Tennessee
Annual median wage: $35,650
Cost of living: 89.8
Employment: 1,340
14. Kentucky
Annual median wage: $39,270
Cost of living: 90.8
Employment: 580
13. Iowa
Annual median wage: $39,640
Cost of living: 91.7
Employment: 820
12. New Jersey
Annual median wage: $44,290
Cost of living: 121
Employment: 3,690
11. Oregon
Annual median wage: $52,630
Cost of living: 115.4
Employment: 1,810
10. Illinois
Annual median pay: $37,460
Cost of living: 95.5
Employment: 3,400
9. Minnesota
Annual median pay: $45,180
Cost of living: 101.1
Employment: 2,530
8. New York
Annual median pay: $62,980
Cost of living: 135.2
Employment: 4,610
7. Colorado
Annual median pay: $44,080
Cost of living: 102.1
Employment: 4,510
6. North Carolina
Annual median pay: $41,920
Cost of living: 94.2
Employment: 2,760
5. Florida
Annual median pay: $42,240
Cost of living: 99
Employment: 7,410
4. Arizona
Annual median pay: $46,850
Cost of living: 98.1
Employment: 3,880

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3. Washington
Annual median pay: $53,780
Cost of living: 107.1
Employment: 4,090
2. Texas
Annual median pay: $38,770
Cost of living: 90.7
Employment: 5,270
1. Michigan
Annual median pay: $45,140
Cost of living: 88.2
Employment: 2,130
If you’re a massage therapist in need of a new home state, we hope the information we have compiled about the best states for massage therapists will help you to make a more educated decision about which state is the right fit for you.