Maybe you've had a massage or you know a massage therapist, and you've thought to yourself that going into that line of work would be a lot of fun. So how does a person get started in a massage therapy career, anyhow?
The first thing you'll have to do is find out how much training you'll need to get before you can practice; these requirements vary by state. You might be able to get a license after only a few weeks of training, or it might take you a couple years. (The length of a program also depends on how much time you can spend on your studies; you might have to progress slowly if you're working full-time when you're taking classes.) With this information you can find a massage education program near where you live. A good idea is to get all the training you can-that is, surpass the minimum requirements-so you can get a higher-paying position when you're done with your education. Community colleges and special training academies offer courses in massage techniques, so find an accredited program that won't cost you too much in tuition.
It can take a while before you're earning a full-time living at a massage therapy career. If you're working on your own, you have the potential to make more money, so long as you market yourself efficiently. Be sure to take advantage of social media and other online advertising, and treat every customer as best you can so positive word of mouth about your business will spread. If you want to work for someone else, then you can find employment at airports, malls, spas and salons. The good news is that many positions for massage therapists should be opening up soon. Find online bulletin boards for spa and salon employment and post your name and contact information.
Another option is to become a traveling massage therapist. That is, you can visit customers at their homes. The advantage here is you can charge more per hour, and customers are sometimes more relaxed and receptive in their own homes, especially if they have to get undressed. You're also not cooped up in an office all day, which makes the week go by faster for a lot of people. The downside, though, is that you have to be really careful when you go into a stranger's home, and many massage therapists might find this practice to be at least somewhat unsafe.
Salaries for massage therapists vary greatly. Some massage therapists earn six-figure incomes, and other massage therapists barely are able to get by. The average hourly rate for a massage therapy session is about sixty dollars, however, so if you are self-employed and you have a large client base you can do quite well in this career. If you work for someone else, then the average hourly rate is about forty dollars, a sum that includes tips, which is still a healthy level of income.
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