Is the Salary of a Masseuse Good Enough?

If you are out of work and looking for a stable source of income, being a masseuse might be one of those things you are considering right now. Masseuses, otherwise known as massage therapists (or "masseurs" for male therapists) are rarely out of work because of the ever-growing demand for their service. Life is becoming more and more stressful, and people are finding massage therapy one of the best, if not the best, ways to relieve life stresses. After all, who doesn't want to have a massage after all of the day's work?

The only question is, is being a masseuse worth the time, money and effort you're going to put into it? There's no better way perhaps, to answer this question than to take a look at the average masseuse salary. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tells us that, on the average, masseuses earned a little more than $39,000 in 2009. Not bad for a job in which the actual work input averages only between 15 and 25 hours per week. As you might have guessed it, masseuses don't do massages for 8 hours a day straight, otherwise they'll burn out and leave the profession alone after only a couple of days.

The income of a full-time masseuse is expected to rise steeply in the coming years as the aging American population fuels more demand for massage services. Nowadays you'll often see massage centers charging their clients $80 for an hour of massage. If a person wants only 10 minutes of massage you can charge him $10. It's only a matter of time before the average cost of a massage climbs to $100 per hour. There are actually many massage spas and home service businesses that set their rates to that amount already. You can check out massage ads if you want to see for yourself.

The job of a masseuse is physically demanding, so naturally we ask, is that kind of income good enough? This is a matter of concern considering that in most states, a massage therapist will have to spend months of training and thousands of dollars in a massage school before being licensed to practice. Such a license also requires passing an examination.

To answer the question straight out, I would say that the salary of a masseuse is good given the fact that the hourly pay is quite high. Compared to other jobs requiring physical effort, being a massage therapist pays better. (Concerning the physical exertion, actually you would seldom hear a masseuse complain about the physicality of their work because there are techniques that one can use to lessen the amount of effort and fatigue involved.) The income of a masseuse can even be made much higher if she decides in time to be self-employed. Imagine if you can work for just 15 hours a week but take 100% of the money paid by the clients. You can do the math yourself. It's even better if you love the work that you do and have a passion for it. If that's the case you don't even have to work a single day of your life.

If you have any further questions about massage therapist salary, you should explore the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics' data on massage therapist salary.