College Scorecard · field of study · all U.S. colleges

Is a Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services degree worth the debt?

The figures below lead with the Certificate, aggregated across 207 colleges (207 of 207 programs report earnings). Other credential levels are in the table further down.

Median pay · 1 yr after

$19,214

Graduates only, early career.$19,097 two years out.

Median federal debt

$7,885

Federal loans only — not private or Parent PLUS.

Debt vs a year's pay

0.39×

39% of a first year's earnings.

Typical debt is well under a single year's early-career pay.

The college you pick moves this a lot

The middle 50% of Certificate programs in Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services report early-career pay between $17,856 and $21,852 — a spread of $3,996 that depends on the program and who attends it, not the major alone.

25th pct $17,856 median $19,214 75th pct $21,852

By degree level

Each level is a separate decision — more schooling usually means more pay and more debt.

LevelPay · 1yrDebtDebt/pay

Certificate 207 colleges $19,214 $7,885 0.39×

Associate's 13 colleges $22,841 $23,937 1.06×

Where a Certificate in this field reports the highest early-career pay

The 15 programs with the highest reported pay one year after completion. This reflects who enrolls and where they live as much as the program itself — it is not a causal quality ranking.

Saint Paul College MN $28,933 —

Great Bay Community College NH $28,258 —

Gwinnett College GA $27,788 $9,500 debt

The Institute of Beauty and Wellness WI $27,559 $7,917 debt

The Institute of Beauty and Wellness Madison WI $27,559 $7,917 debt

Avenue Five Institute TX $27,296 $5,815 debt

Aveda Arts & Sciences Institute Minneapolis MN $27,028 $6,333 debt

Blue Cliff Career College AL $25,920 —

Indiana Wellness College IN $25,694 $6,932 debt

Elizabeth Grady School of Esthetics and Massage Therapy $25,551 $6,941 debt

Alaska Career College AK $25,498 $9,493 debt

Colorado School of Healing Arts CO $25,005 $7,450 debt

Parker University TX $24,870 $9,500 debt

Universal Spa Training Academy IL $24,840 $6,861 debt

Sage School of Massage & Esthetics $24,750 $7,811 debt

What these numbers are — and are not

Every figure here is a median across college programs in Somatic Bodywork and Related Therapeutic Services, from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. It is not a prediction of what you would earn (your college, effort, and local job market vary enormously — see the spread above), not lifetime earnings (it is measured 1–2 years after completion, early career), not proof the major caused the outcome (who enters a field differs by field — selection, not causation), and not a "best majors" ranking: earnings are one dimension of worth, not the whole of it. Teaching and social work pay far less than the fields at the top of this list and matter enormously. Earnings cover federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report.

Also available: structured data (JSON-LD) · plain text · JSON. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release). · explore this field on the official Scorecard