What Is A Realistic Massage Therapist Salary?

Whatever the salary is for a massage therapist, it's not enough. Seriously, you couldn't pay me enough to rub on somebody for extended periods of time... anybody. It's just not in me. And then there's the schooling involved before you can legally obtain a permit. It just seems more trouble than it's worth. Fortunately however, there are people out there that have plodded through the schooling, hands on training and are finally certified massage therapists. So what is the reward for their diligence?

Massage salary ranges in 2010

So what are the rewards? How much of the green stuff do you think a massage therapist takes home? A massage therapist earned a common standard amount of $39,780 per year or $19.13 hourly. But there are also average salary ranges from $7.00 hourly up to $35 per hour, determined by the disposition of the situation. The highest paid massage positions labor hand in hand with other industries, some of which are:

• Recreation industries ($20 per hour)
• Hospitals ($26 per hour)
• Physicians ($19 per hour),
• Other assorted health practices ($21 per hour)

The highest pay goes to therapists in hospitals ($26.49) and specialties which, sadly is the smallest division in the massage industry as well.

How is the job outlook for 2011-2012?

Massage therapy is a quickly growing and relatively new career option. Most people use it not as a main source of income but as a secondary income source. Approximately 57% were self-employed. Of that 57%, approximately 48% look upon themselves as part timers, while 19% had changeable schedules, modifying their schedules to fit the week to week needs of their clients.

What is the outlook for future massage therapists?

In the following decade, the amount of therapists is anticipated to raise about 19%-a lot quicker than the standard industry. The entire number of positions occupied by massage therapists in the year 2008 was stated to be approximately 122,400. And by 2018, that number is expected this to rise by 23,200 more positions. This is mostly because a larger number of people are discovering the importance of therapy. Counting part timers and students, an estimated 280,000 to 320,000 massage therapists are working or learning in the US. Somewhere around 16,000 of them are employed in a doctor's office or other healthcare source. In 2007, there were roughly 15,500 spas offering massage therapy in just the US alone.

How does the massage industry look for 2011?

Specific information regarding the full amount of massages aren't available as of yet, however as of 2004, a revenue of approximately $12,000,000,000 was reached by way of 140 million visits. In the year 2009, the massage therapy business more likely than not was responsible for $18,000,000,000 up to $22,000,000,000. From June 2008 to June of 2009, approximately 25% of grown Americans used a massage therapist at least one time. (That's about 50 million!)

Overall, massage therapy is quickly gaining popularity due to more consumers needing services offered by massage therapists. The biggest moneymaking careers in massage therapy are associated with other industries- particularly health services.