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Massage Therapists vs Nursing Assistants: what changes?

Consider Massage Therapists if you want to perform therapeutic massages of soft tissues and joints. Consider Nursing Assistants if you would rather provide or assist with basic care or support under the direction of onsite licensed nursing staff. Both list postsecondary nondegree award; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Massage Therapists and Nursing Assistants. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences
What this means in practice

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Start with earnings, the route into the job, training, available openings, and a day-to-day reality.

Massage Therapists

National median pay (2025)
$58,450
Route into the job
Postsecondary nondegree award
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate
Confer with clients about their medical histories and problems with stress or pain to determine how massage will be most helpful.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
20,400
Know before you choose

The work routinely happens in close physical proximity to other people; personal space is limited.

See the full Massage Therapists brief

Nursing Assistants

National median pay (2025)
$42,260
Route into the job
Postsecondary nondegree award
Prior related experience
No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing
BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate
Turn or reposition bedridden patients.
Annual openings (2025–2035)
196,200
Know before you choose

Long periods of standing are part of the normal workday.

See the full Nursing Assistants brief
See scores, detailed data, and how the comparison works

How the national numbers differ

1

Massage Therapists has the edge on projected growth

Massage Therapists is at 15.3% projected growth, compared with 2.6% projected growth for Nursing Assistants.

2

Massage Therapists has the edge on median pay

Massage Therapists is at $58,450, compared with $42,260 for Nursing Assistants.

3

Nursing Assistants has the edge on annual openings

Nursing Assistants is at 196,200 annual openings, compared with 20,400 annual openings for Massage Therapists.

68.3/ 100

Massage Therapists

vs
52.5/ 100

Nursing Assistants

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Massage Therapists vs Nursing Assistants

DimensionMassage TherapistsNursing Assistants
Median pay (2025)$58,450$42,260
Pay percentile44.7 percentile13.8 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)15.3%2.6%
Annual openings (2025–2035)20,400196,200
2025 employment155,4001,505,900
How you qualifyPostsecondary nondegree awardPostsecondary nondegree award
O*NET preparation groupJob Zone 3Job Zone 3
Related work experienceNo prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job trainingBLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Massage Therapists briefRead Nursing Assistants brief

Try another comparison

Massage Therapists vs Medical Assistants

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Massage Therapists
$58,450 · 15.3% growth
Medical Assistants
$45,690 · 12.9% growth
Compare careers →

Nursing Assistants vs Dental Assistants

Compare pay, growth, education, and the tradeoffs that affect the decision.

Nursing Assistants
$42,260 · 2.6% growth
Dental Assistants
$48,070 · 7.4% growth
Compare careers →
ChooseField compares fields using public labor-market and professional sources.