Massage Therapists
Official O*NET title: Massage Therapists (31-9011.00)
Also called: bcmt, bodywork therapist, certified massage therapist, clinical massage therapist, licensed massage practitioner
Do you do this at work?
Answer each card — it takes about a minute.
Do you do this at work?
Talk with clients about their medical histories and problems with stress or pain to determine how massage will be most helpful
Swipe right for yes, left for not me. On a keyboard: → yes, ← not me, Z undo. +2 XP per answer.
How AI is changing massage therapists work
5 of 12 measurable main tasks for this job show up in real AI-use data, so we rate it Amber (some AI use) — 42%. 1 newer task is not in the data yet and left out.
This shows where people already use AI, not whether the job will disappear. How we measure this.
Tasks in this job and recorded AI use
- Talk with clients about their medical histories and problems with stress or pain to determine how massage will be most helpful (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Provide clients with guidance and information about techniques for postural improvement and stretching, strengthening, relaxation, and rehabilitative exercises (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Apply finger and hand pressure to specific points of the body (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Perform other adjunctive therapies or treatment techniques in addition to massage (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Maintain treatment records (main task) — some recorded AI use
- Massage and knead muscles and soft tissues of the body to provide treatment for medical conditions, injuries, or wellness maintenance (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Maintain massage areas by restocking supplies or sanitizing equipment (main task) — too new for the AI data
- Treat clients in professional settings or travel to clients' offices and homes (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Develop and propose client treatment plans that specify which types of massage are to be used (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Assess clients' soft tissue condition, joint quality and function, muscle strength, and range of motion (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Refer clients to other types of therapists when necessary (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Consult with other health care professionals (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Prepare and blend oils and apply the blends to clients' skin (main task) — no recorded AI use
- Use complementary aids — no recorded AI use
Tasks: O*NET 31.0. AI use: Anthropic Economic Index (exact or close text match).
Your first steps (guidance)
- Week 1: Open a free AI assistant and say hello. Follow our “Getting started with AI” guide. Ask it one simple question about your work.
- Week 2: Use AI on one task you do often. Try the prompt for: “Talk with clients about their medical histories and problems with stress or pain to determine how massage will be most helpful”. Try the prompt for: “Provide clients with guidance and information about techniques for postural improvement and stretching, strengthening, relaxation, and rehabilitative exercises”.
Tick your own tasks above to get a plan based on what you really do. The first 2 weeks are free; Premium (coming soon) adds weeks 3–12. New to AI? Read our beginner’s guide.
Questions about AI and massage therapists
Will AI replace massage therapists?
Our data can’t predict job losses, and we don’t try to. What it does show: 5 of the 13 main tasks for this job match tasks people already use AI for (Anthropic Economic Index), giving a Amber rating (some AI use). Using AI on a task is not the same as AI doing the whole job, and 8 of the 14 listed tasks show no recorded AI use yet.
Which massage therapist tasks is AI used for most?
In the data, the most AI use among this job’s tasks is for: talk with clients about their medical histories and problems with stress or pain to determine how massage will be most helpful; provide clients with guidance and information about techniques for postural improvement and stretching, strengthening, relaxation, and rehabilitative exercises; apply finger and hand pressure to specific points of the body.
Which massage therapist tasks show little or no AI use?
For example: massage and knead muscles and soft tissues of the body to provide treatment for medical conditions, injuries, or wellness maintenance; treat clients in professional settings or travel to clients' offices and homes; develop and propose client treatment plans that specify which types of massage are to be used. These are good places to keep building your own skills.
How does this job compare to others?
In Microsoft Research’s “Working with AI” study, this job’s AI applicability score is equal to or higher than 3% of the occupations they scored. That measures overlap with AI chat use, not risk of job loss.
How can a massage therapist start learning AI?
Start small: open a free AI assistant, try it on one task you do often, and always check facts and numbers yourself. The plan on this page is guidance, not professional advice.
See how this job ranks
Massage Therapists ranks #178 of 572 jobs for the share of main tasks with AI use (#1 = most), and #15 of 80 in Healthcare.
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