Opens in a new tab

Massage Therapists

Massage Therapists perform therapeutic massage and administer body treatments for health, fitness and remedial purposes.

HealthANZSCO 4116
19kPeople employed
+22% ▲Growth to 2035
27%Work full time
49Median age
Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 4116.More about our sources: How we check our facts

What they do

The main tasks of this occupation, from the national occupation standard.

massaging the soft tissues of the body, such as muscles, tendons and ligaments, to assist healingutilising a range of massage techniques to enhance sports performance and prevent injuryadministering treatments to promote relaxation, improve circulation and relieve muscle tensionassessing and treating specific soft tissue dysfunction and providing rehabilitation adviceemploying other techniques, such as acupressure or shiatsu, and complementary aids, such as infra-red lamps, wet compresses, ice, essential oils and herbal and mineral therapies, to assist recoveryassessing client's physical condition and case history and advising on stretching exercises and relaxation techniques
Source: JSA occupation profileTask list from the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile for ANZSCO 4116 (ANZSCO task statements).More about our sources: How we check our facts

The outlook

Room for 4,200 more people in massage therapists by 2035 ▲

The field grew 0.6% in the year to February 2026, adding about 100 workers. Most of the jobs are in NSW and VIC, with QLD third.

Source: JSA · ABS, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 4116.More about our sources: How we check our facts
19.5k2025
21.5k2030 PROJ.
23.7k2035 PROJ.

Getting in

Most massage therapists came through a certificate or diploma. 56% did.

A university degree is rare here: 26% hold one. The trade qualification is the standard way in. These are the nationally recognised courses mapped to this occupation, with the number of registered training providers that offer each one.

Source: JSA · training.gov.auEducation split: JSA (Jobs and Skills Australia) occupation profile, using ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Census data, ANZSCO 4116. Qualification mapping and provider counts: training.gov.au, the national register of vocational education, October 2026. Listed providers are current registered training providers (private providers and TAFE institutes).More about our sources: How we check our facts

Nationally recognised training · most offered first

HLT52021Diploma

Diploma of Remedial Massage

Health.

See 49 providers
HLT42021Certificate IV

Certificate IV in Massage Therapy

Health.

See 28 providers
HLT52115Diploma

Diploma of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Remedial Massage

Health.

See 3 providers
See all 4 mapped courses
HLT52021Diploma of Remedial Massage · 49 providers
HLT42021Certificate IV in Massage Therapy · 28 providers
HLT52115Diploma of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Remedial Massage · 3 providers
HLT52215Diploma of Shiatsu and Oriental Therapies · 2 providers

Providers are shown in A-Z order on each course page. A listing is not a recommendation.

Jobs open right now

19k Australians do this work. See who is hiring this month.

Search job ads by state

Each link opens seek.com.au in a new tab, showing ads posted in the last month. SEEK is a job site; we link there because that is where most Australian jobs are advertised. We have no commercial relationship with SEEK.

Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26State chart shows people employed, not current job ads. ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 4116.More about our sources: How we check our facts

People employed by state, 2025-26

NSW6.6k
VIC5k
QLD4.6k
WA1.7k
SA1.3k
TAS0.3k
ACT0.2k
NT0.1k