Career Outlook & Trends for Massage Therapists
More and more people are turning to alternative medicine and holistic healing modalities, increasing the demand for outstanding licensed professional massage therapists. In the 21st century, massage therapy is becoming increasingly recognized as a legitimate treatment and prevention for a variety of injuries and chronic health conditions. Salons and spas, physician and chiropractor’s offices, and fitness or recreation centers are just a few of the many industries seeking to hire qualified and competent practitioners.
If you are considering going to school to become a massage therapist, naturally you have one very important question on your mind – “If I follow my passion, will I be able to earn a living?” The answer to that question depends on you. For example, how many hours a week do you plan to work? How much will you charge per hour? Are you looking to own your own business, work as an independent contractor, or get hired as an employee?
Massage Statistics
As quoted by the American Massage Therapy Association*:
- “In 2009, the average annual income for a massage therapist (including tips) who provides 16 hours of massage per week was $37,123, compared to incomes in 2006 of $28,170 for full-time health care support workers; $27,190 for full-time medical assistants and $23,290 for occupational therapist aides.”
- “In 2005, massage therapy was projected to be a $6 to $11 billion a year industry,” and, “In 2009, massage therapy was a $16 to $20 billion a year industry.”
- “It is estimated that there are 280,000 to 320,000 massage therapists and massage school students in the United States.” [in 2010] “According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment for massage therapists is expected to increase 20 percent from 2006 to 2016, faster than average for all occupations.”
- “Between July 2008 and July 2009, roughly 48 million adult Americans (22 percent) had a massage at least once.”
- Today’s massage therapists “charge an average of $63 for one hour of massage” and [see] “an average of 44 clients per month.”
- In addition, “84 percent of massage therapists provide Swedish massage, followed by 77 percent who provide deep tissue massage, 49 percent trigger point, and 45 percent sports massage.”
- “Of the people who had at least one massage in the past five years, 31 percent report they did so for health conditions such as pain management, injury rehabilitation, migraine control, or overall wellness. Eighty-six (86) percent agree that massage can be effective in reducing pain, and 85 percent agree that massage can be beneficial to health and wellness.”
- “More than [three-fourths] of massage therapists (76 percent) indicate they receive referrals from health-care professionals, averaging 1.5 referrals per month.”
- “More than half of adult Americans (59 percent) would like to see their insurance cover massage therapy.”
- “Recent research has shown the effectiveness of massage for the following conditions: cancer-related fatigue; low back pain; osteoarthritis of the knee; reducing post-operative pain; boosting the body’s immune system functioning; decreasing the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome; lowering blood pressure; reducing headache frequency; easing alcohol withdrawal symptoms; [and] decreasing pain in cancer patients.”
*The American Massage Therapy Association® (AMTA®) is the largest non-profit, professional association serving massage therapists, massage students and massage schools. The association is directed by volunteer leadership and fosters ongoing, direct member-involvement through its 51 chapters. AMTA works to advance the profession through ethics and standards, the promotion of fair and consistent licensing of massage therapists in all states, and public education on the benefits of massage. Please visit www.amtamassage.org.
