Employment Opportunities in Massage Therapy
Learn more about becoming a massage
therapist
Massage Employment opportunities are becoming
more and more available. When I first became a massage
therapist 23 years ago- there were no such things as a job in
massage. Massage jobs are a recent occurrence which
is one of the reasons I think that massage jobs are sometimes
not all they are made out to be.
Entry level massage jobs can be found at the many massage
franchise chains that are cropping up all over the country.
Entry level pay is about $12-$15 an hour. These massage
franchises offer low cost massage (usually less than $40-$50
depending on the area). The reason they pay so low is
because you are supposed to make the rest up in tips.
These entry level jobs can be a good place to start. They
are usually busy places. You will get plenty of hands on
experience.
There is a lot of controversy over the low
paying massage franchises. On one hand people say that
after all of your business expenses that most massage therapists
won't be able to make that much. I don't find that to be
true at all. If you start a massage business and do it
simply and just use a website and create a referral network you
should be able to do quite well and make over $50 + an hour
depending on what you charge. But some people are just not
cut out for starting and running a business.
If
you are looking into a career in massage therapy and wondering what the job
market is like you should start with reading
"The Massage Therapy Career Guide- The truth about becoming a massage therapist"
We are just starting to find places that will hire massage
therapists. Since this is really a new field, most employers don't know
what it takes to find and keep good employees in the field of massage.
Many are just in it for the money which does not make a good fit
for most massage therapists especially since they are the ones
doing the work for a very reduced wage.
Some places that are starting to hire massage
therapists include:
- Spa's
- Hotels and resorts
- Other health care providers : chiropractors,
naturopaths, medical doctors, acupuncturists, dentists
- Large clinics specializing in massage
- Hospitals, hospice facilities, nursing homes
To begin finding a High paying job in massage, you need to create a
vision of your Ideal Massage Job. What do you want in a job?
Something close to home? A certain pay? Benefits such as vacation,
retirement, room for advancement? Getting clear about what you want you
can then make more informed decisions about your career rather than just taking
any job or your first offer. It will help you create a plan for getting a
job and help you understand employers needs first.
There are jobs out there that will pay
$35-$45 or more an hour but getting them takes skill and
patience and confidence in promoting yourself to potential
employers. You have to know how to set yourself apart from
all of the rest.
That is why I have written an ebook on
just that - The Massage Job Guide
will help you in navigating your way
through the maze of job opportunities and finding or creating a
high paying job that will also be very rewarding. Here are
some of the things that it covers in more detail:
Visit the Massage
Therapy Job Center to learn more about resumes, interviews, job details etc.
When preparing for an interview for a job in
massage, be prepared with ideas for marketing and building your practice.
Make a list of what you would like to see in a work environment.
- hourly rates, benefits such as vacation time
and health insurance
- incentives for building a business of repeat
customers (client retention)
- incentives to stay with the company
- is there any support for you in the way of
peer groups or supervision (not just someone telling you what to do - see
the section on supervision.)
Hourly rates can vary depending on the situation
- anywhere from $15 to $50 per hour. What is the company charging the
client? How much work do you do? Do you have 15 minutes in between
each client? Do you get lunch breaks? Are you doing laundry and
answering phones in between clients? Do you get paid whether or not you
have a client or only when you actually are doing massage?
Employers often confuse using sub-contractors
with hiring employees because they don't want to pay the extra taxes and fees
such as labor and industry. Be up front with each employer and don't
hesitate to confront them with your concerns.
The
Massage Job Guide will help you decipher the massage job world and help you
get the job that you desire. Read more about it now on my other site
www.massage-career-guides.com
