Massage Therapy Careers - Tips To Get You Started On A Rewarding Career

Massage therapy careers are becoming more and more popular day by day, due to heightened awareness, growing demand and general acceptance that massage therapy treatment is a key part of health management solutions. This in turn has led to increased opportunities for new graduates of massage therapy programs as well as for therapists having experience.

People in the know forecast a bright future for massage therapy careers. The United States Department of Labour, Bureau of Labour Statistics, has said that careers linked to the massage therapy field are set to grow at a faster rate than other careers. This rate of better than average growth is expected to continue till the year 2014. Opportunities in the massage therapy field include both part time and full time jobs. Nearly two -thirds of the massage therapists in the United States are supposed to be self employed, either working as contractors or running their own massage therapy centres.

Massage therapy careers differ according to the settings they are housed in that may be either public or private. Self employed massage therapists may opt for a salary, hourly rate or contractor arrangements. Massage therapists can work in any of a wide range of establishments that includes self-employed positions, salaried, hourly, and contractor arrangements, massage therapists can be found working in any of a wide range of establishments that include spas & health clinics, resorts & salons, offices of physicians and chiropractors, rehabilitation centres, hospitals, gyms & fitness centres, private houses, nursing homes, corporate offices and fitness centers, alternative health centres & yoga studios, airports, mall, universities and basically any place that people need to fix their health.

The nature of jobs linked to massage therapy are those of Physical therapist, a therapist's assistant, sports massage therapist, masseuse, mobile massage therapist, massage therapy instructor or teacher and massage therapist.

A career in the massage therapy field can be quite demanding, both physically as well as in the toll that it takes on personal life. In physical terms, the body of the massage therapist may feel the effects as the job of a therapist involves standing for long hours and exerting physically. Fatigue sets in due to having to stand for a long time. People using an incorrect technique could even sustain physical injuries. Therefore, following the right technique and correct scheduling of appointments, with time gaps between each, can solve these problems.

As the job is physically very strenuous for the therapist, most massage therapists are able to actually perform massages for only about thirty hours each week. The US Department of Labor in fact considers fifteen to thirty hours of therapy per week as a full time job. All the same, the therapist may have to spend additional time to complete related administrative tasks.

The personal toll that the massage therapy profession takes is because the services of massage therapists are asked for mostly in the time that is off from work for people. Evening and weekend appointments are quite common even though once a therapist has built a name for himself or herself, they may be able to schedule client appointments in normal working hours.

While being demanding, a massage therapy career can also be very rewarding. All the same, people who are willing to take up the challenge also get all the rewards.