Wealthier Clients Are Said to Book Massages Far More Often Than Everyone Else

A 2026 market report on the spa services industry repeats a widely circulated 2023 claim that Americans earning six figures are more than twice as likely to get a massage as those earning around fifty thousand. This includes practices like yours.

Whole-practice growth for wellness practices. Rooted in Wiltshire, UK, working worldwide.

Spa and massage practices chasing volume over value might be aiming their marketing at the wrong crowd entirely.

Original ResearchA market report figure suggesting high earners book massages far more often than lower earners
Sourcehttps://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/spa-services-market-103490
OverviewFortune Business Insights, a private market research firm, includes this figure inside a broader commercial report on global spa industry growth.
Year2026
PublisherBrand, Fortune Business Insights
Relevance to WellbeingFor spa and massage practices, this points to a real pattern in premium wellness spending, though the specific figures aren't independently attributed to any named survey or method on the source page itself.
Our VerdictToo early to tell the direction feels plausible, but the number itself has no named source or method behind it.
Our Summary
  • Confirms what most spa owners already suspect, that people with more money spend more of it on themselves.
  • Supports premium pricing as a way to reach committed clients rather than repel casual ones.
  • The core figure has no named survey, sample size, or method attached to it anywhere on the page.
  • Even the quoted AMTA attribution can't be verified from the source itself.
Our Geo ViewUS consumer spending data. Income brackets and massage habits may not transfer directly to other countries.
Abstract of wellbeing niches and revenue flow
Recognise how this might impact your practice

Why this might matter to you

  • Coaching: this matters because clients who already pay for massage are usually already primed to pay for other self-improvement work too.
  • Therapy: this matters because higher earners appear to treat wellbeing as a normal budget line, not an indulgence, which makes fee conversations easier.
  • Training: this matters because the sort of client who books regular massage often looks a lot like the client who'll pay for premium personal training.
  • Alternative Healing: this matters because the same "spend on myself" logic seems to extend well beyond standard spa treatments.
  • Clinical: this matters because clinical wellness offerings aimed at higher earners may find premium fees easier to justify than expected.
  • Retreat/Centre: this matters because pricing built to fill rooms cheaply might be missing the higher spending guest entirely.

Where this came from

A commercial market research report on the global spa services industry, which mentions a widely repeated stat linking income to massage habits.

Fortune Business Insights, Spa Services Market report, dated 2026. The relevant page could not be directly retrieved, so this figure is treated as secondary sourced.

Methodology not disclosed. Sample size not disclosed. Publisher type: private market research firm selling industry reports.

How we scored this

A relevance score out of 100, built from three things: how well it fits the six practice types, how recent it is, and how solid the methodology behind it is.

41%
Practice fit, 50How new, 70How solid, 0

This one's marked down mainly on how solid the method is, since practice fit is decent and the underlying data isn't too old, but the complete lack of attribution drags overall confidence right down.

Faces of satisfied clients
It's worth considering changes to your marketing practices

What this means for your marketing

  • Put your price list somewhere clients who value convenience over discounts can actually find it.
  • Say plainly that your treatments are priced for people who prioritise their wellbeing, not for bargain hunters.
  • Brief your front desk never to apologise for a premium price when asked about it.
  • Trial a slightly higher price on one service and see who actually books it.
  • Feature testimonials that talk about value received, not money saved.

Who this is most useful for

Practice typeRelevanceRecommended action
CoachingMediumUse pricing confidence in messaging, not the raw stat.
TherapyMediumReference general premium wellness spend patterns cautiously.
TrainingMediumBorrow the framing for bundling premium training packages.
Alternative HealingMediumUse the "spend on self" logic for premium offerings.
ClinicalLowLimited direct relevance beyond general pricing confidence.
Retreat/CentreHighDirectly relevant, given heavy overlap with spa client base.

Best before

Best before: worth revisiting once a properly sourced version of this stat surfaces, or check with Sunlight Creations for the next verified figure.

What next?

Every spa owner who's quietly wondered whether charging more might sort out the right clients rather than lose them will recognise this one.

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