Cost Of Massage Therapy
Education Guideline
The cost of massage therapy education continues to increase just like every other education program today. Getting your massage therapy degree and determining the costs involved are as varied as the schools that are available. An estimate for the cost of massage therapy education would be a nice round figure of $8,000. This $8,000 figure includes training for a few modalities that may not be offered in the normal school curriculum. I have seen some schools as low as $5500 and some as high as $20,000. This estimate includes books.
Don’t Forget the Required Equipment
Many Schools will require that you have your own massage table, some linens, face cradle covers, and a bolster. A bolster is used under the legs and certain parts of the clients body to aid in support and comfort while receiving a massage. The following list is just a price estimate. Some schools might include this equipment so you can wait until a later time to purchase.
- Massage Table $400
- Linens $80
- Bolster $30
Add another $500 to $600 to total cost.
Start Up Supplies and Clothing
Supplies might include specified massage oil and/or lotions. Some schools supply these and some require that you purchase your own. For clothing, your school will probably require a professional appearance that includes a medical setting type “massage wear”. Getting a top with pockets on the sides gives you a place to put your lotion bottle while working on your client. A lotion holster is the best for this use. You want to have a couple of available uniforms so you don’t have to wash clothes every day.
Estimate of this expense is $200
Learn Additional Modalities
Some schools will include the cost of learning key modalities right into the total tuition and education cost. Others may charge additional, so you want to plan for this expense ahead of time. I learned Hot Stone Massage while attending massage school and paid an additional $1000 plus the cost of the stones and additional equipment to perform this modality. This was a major expense that I had not planned on prior to entering massage school. I stress the importance of learning these additional modalities to improve the skills you have to offer within your professional career.
Future Needs for Your Education Growth
As you get more involved in your massage therapy course of learning, you will probably want a massage chair, more books for reference, charts, essential oils, table accessories, cold/hot packs and other massage tools. The list can go on and on. The best policy here is to keep your purchases simple and only buy what you need - as you need it. The rule of thumb here is to decide what return you will get on your investment and how much use you will get out of each piece of equipment and supplies you purchase. I am sorry to say that I have bought equipment that I have never used.
Cost of Massage Therapy
Education Overview
Expense of education, equipment and supplies, can be substantial. Careful consideration should be taken on budget for cost of massage therapy education, equipment and supplies. You can get help on some of these costs if you look in the right places. Some areas of financial assistance to research are Federal Pell Grants, Federal Stafford Loans, Federal PLUS Loans, Americorps Grants, Vocational Rehabilitation, Veterans Benefits, and JTPA (Job Training Partnership Act). Scholarships and Grants are also available from numerous agencies and it is well worth your time to look into these and research.
Total cost of a good, solid massage therapy education in a quality school, equipment to start and supplies estimated at $10,000 to $12,000 - although it could be as low as $7500. All expense depends on many variables and this estimate is only an educated guess from my point of view. If you look at the cost of other education programs and degrees available today, dollar for dollar, and the potential to earn $50 an hour, Massage Therapy education is a good choice.
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