American Massage Therapy Association

What American Massage Therapy Association does

The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) is a non-profit professional membership association founded in 1943 and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with 51–100 employees. AMTA serves practicing massage therapists in the United States, acting as the de facto national professional body for the field. Its core activities are organized around three pillars: legislative advocacy for statewide massage therapy licensure, research promotion demonstrating the therapeutic benefits of massage across conditions including athletic recovery, breast cancer survivorship, and prenatal health, and public-facing awareness campaigns positioning massage therapy as part of integrated healthcare.

AMTA's most visible programmatic activity is the massage school grant program, launched in 2022 as a strategic partnership with Massage Envy. Through June 2026, the program has distributed $450,000 across 45 grants to massage therapy schools nationwide, with annual funding increasing to $200,000 and recipient count doubling from 5 to 10 schools per round beginning in 2026. The association is also active at the state level, most recently mobilizing Minnesota therapists in support of HF 362 and SF 1131 to establish statewide licensure. AMTA's technology footprint is minimal — its product overview explicitly states it does not offer technology products or services, has no public API, and discloses no proprietary technology components.

As a non-profit, AMTA's revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed but are typical of U.S. professional trade associations: membership dues, continuing education programs, events, and corporate partnerships (with Massage Envy as the most prominent disclosed sponsor). Its go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on press releases, research dissemination, and legislative mobilization rather than direct sales. It does not serve a conventional paying customer base; instead, its stakeholders are individual practitioner members, massage therapy schools, state legislative bodies, and corporate sponsors.

Name

American Massage Therapy Association

Website

https://wi.wp.amtamassage.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1943

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The American Massage Therapy Association is a non-profit professional membership organization founded in 1943 that advocates for massage therapy licensure, promotes research on therapeutic benefits, and administers grant programs for massage therapy schools in partnership with Massage Envy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (62134), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical/Therapeutic Massage (Rehab/Pain Management) (HSALAEAO)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Massage therapy advocacy
• Professional membership organization
• Healthcare licensure advocacy
• Continuing education grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Massage School Grants Program: AMTA administers grant programs funded by Massage Envy to support massage therapy education. Since 2022, 45 grants totaling $450,000 have been awarded to massage schools nationwide.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

AMTA is a nonprofit professional membership association for massage therapists that delivers member benefits, legislative advocacy for statewide licensure, research promotion on massage therapy benefits, and education initiatives including the Massage School Grants Program administered in partnership with Massage Envy.

Product overview

The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) is a professional membership organization for massage therapists. AMTA does not offer technology products or services; rather, it provides membership benefits, advocacy, research promotion, and education initiatives including massage school grant programs. The association focuses on professional development, legislative advocacy for licensure, and promoting research on massage therapy benefits for various health conditions including athletic recovery, breast cancer recovery, and prenatal health.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Massage School Grants Program A grant program administered by AMTA in partnership with Massage Envy that awards $10,000 grants to massage therapy schools nationwide to strengthen massage therapy education and support the professional pipeline. Since 2022, 45 grants totaling $450,000 have been awarded, with annual funding increasing to $200,000 in 2026 and recipients doubling from 5 to 10 schools per round.
• Statewide Massage Therapy Licensure Advocacy

Quantifiable outcome

• 45 grants totaling $450,000 awarded to massage schools since 2022
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Massage EnvycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 January 2026Seventh round of grants awarded $10,000 each to five massage schools: The Academy of Natural Therapy (Greeley, Colorado), Premier Spa Training Academy (Naperville, Illinois), Delgado Community College Foundation (New Orleans, Louisiana), Missouri Institute of Massage Therapy Bodywork (St. Charles, Missouri), and Urban River Massage Institute (Greenville, South Carolina). Total of $350,000 distributed since program's inception.
• Massage EnvycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022AMTA and Massage Envy have maintained an ongoing strategic collaboration since 2022 to fund massage school grants. The partnership has distributed $450,000 across 45 grants to massage schools nationwide. Beginning in 2026, annual funding increases to $200,000 and doubles recipients from 5 to 10 schools per round. The initiative aims to strengthen the educational pipeline for massage therapy professionals.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• International Spa Association (ISPA): ISPA represents the spa industry, of which massage therapy is a core service. It overlaps with AMTA in advocating for spa-based massage therapists and addressing workforce and education issues in adjacent settings.
• Yoga Alliance: Yoga Alliance is a professional membership organization that sets standards and credentials for yoga teachers, paralleling AMTA's role for massage therapists. It is comparable as a membership-based body serving an adjacent wellness profession.
• Associated Skin Care Professionals (ASCP): ASCP is a membership association for estheticians and skin care professionals, a closely adjacent personal services profession. It is comparable as a peer association offering liability insurance, advocacy, and education to independent practitioners.

Broad incumbents

• American Chiropractic Association (ACA): ACA represents chiropractors, many of whom integrate massage therapy into their practices. It is comparable as a national professional association that includes manual therapy in its scope and pursues similar legislative and research agendas.
• American Physical Therapy Association (APTA): APTA is a large, established professional association for physical therapists who often compete with or refer to massage therapists. It is comparable as a healthcare professional membership organization pursuing licensure and research advocacy.
• American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA): AOTA represents occupational therapists, a related rehabilitation profession that overlaps with massage therapy in functional rehabilitation and healthcare integration. It is comparable as a national professional association with similar advocacy and education missions.

Direct peers

• Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB): FSMTB is a national organization of state massage therapy licensing boards that develops the MBLEx exam and interstate licensure standards. It is directly comparable to AMTA as a governance/regulatory body serving the same profession.
• Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP): ABMP is the largest direct competitor to AMTA, offering professional liability insurance, membership benefits, and advocacy for massage therapists and bodyworkers in the United States. It competes head-to-head for the same practitioner membership base.
• National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB): NCBTMB is a peer organization that provides board certification for massage therapists, serving a closely adjacent role in professional credentialing. It overlaps with AMTA in setting professional standards and supporting licensure efforts.
• Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA): COMTA accredits massage therapy schools and programs nationally, closely aligning with AMTA's mission of strengthening massage therapy education. It serves the same school and professional pipeline that AMTA supports through grants.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/amtamassage

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Massage Therapy Association