Starting Salaries for Massage Therapy

Starting salaries for massage therapy is so controversial with so many variables that it is difficult to give a specific guideline.

I visited the Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov) and found out that 64% of Massage Therapists are self-employed, leaving the remaining 36% working in health spas, salons, medical offices, hotels, cruise ships, and other areas.

Bureau of Labor Statistics and
What They Have to Say About
Starting Salaries for Massage Therapy

In comparison to the U.S. Occupational Employment and Wages Report for 2008, median wage was $15.57 per hour or $32,390 per year for all workers. Taking into account the 2006 Massage Therapist average hourly income mentioned above of $16.06, I would say that the average annual income, for the average working Massage Therapist would currently be more than $33,410 per year.

Here is What Massage Therapy Trends.com
Has to Say about
Starting Salaries for Massage Therapy

Working For a Health Spa, Salon, or Private Party

The numbers that the Bureau of Labor Statistics provide might indicate that you can make $16.00 an hour at a business working for someone else in an employed environment as an employee. In a case like this I envision a massage therapist doing several tasks (folding towels, wiping exercise equipment down, helping customers, etc…) in addition to giving several massages a day. The employer would probably provide all equipment and supplies. This position might even include benefits such as health insurance and paid vacation.

Another scenario might be getting paid per massage in a private setting. You might have to be available for a certain amount of hours per day and get paid for only the massages you actually give. In this case we will assume this is a busy health spa and you give three massages in a five hour period - all one hour each massage. In this case we will say that the health spa charges $65 an hour and your share is $35 for a total of $105 for the five hour work day.

Self Employed Massage Therapist

Let’s be realistic about starting salaries for massage therapy income and base an educated guess on the number of clients you are able to attract and the amount you are planning to charge for your service.

In this particular scenario setting we assume that you own all of your equipment, you have a business location for practicing massage (this includes your home), and you have all needed supplies. What I am saying here is that you have expense and overhead of operating a business. When estimating starting salaries for massage therapy - look at your business as if you were looking at a profit and loss statement.

Again, we will assume that you have some current advertising that customers are responding to and you have a faithful client base that is just starting to develop.

In a typical day with this scenario you might have one scheduled appointment for an hour. Let’s say you charge $60 an hour. Your day would include the one massage, record keeping, changing linens on your table and office clean up in addition to giving your client a full 60 minute massage. A guess for that day would be a total of 2 hours of work time for the one hour massage and $60 income. If you choose to be in your office all day waiting for walk in traffic - divide that $60 by 8 or however long you keep office hours.

Now, let’s say the next day you have two clients scheduled, a walk-in client, and a call from one of your clients that is in great pain and needs a session as soon as possible. You get numerous calls for appointments scheduled for the remainder of the week and that evening you have agreed to attend a sporting event to give chair massage. In this case, your income would be from four massages ($240). You would probably be at the office for the duration of your scheduled open office hours. You would need to do your record keeping, appointment scheduling, clean up, and required tasks for day to day business. Inevitably, on a day like this, right when you go to lock the doors for the close of the business day a walk in client will be at the door pleading for some help with a sore neck. In addition to this hectic day - you still have three hours to go at the sporting event promised for the evening. How much did you make in income for this chaotic day? It is very possible you made over $400 with the chair massage business included that day. That day might have started at 8:00 A.M. and concluded at 10:00 P.M. . .

So many variables need to be taken into account when you are trying to forecast on just exactly how much you can produce in income from your massage therapy business. When estimating starting salaries for massage therapy - everything needs to be considered - a business plan is a good idea in figuring this estimate. Don’t ever think you can schedule an appointment for 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 and so - on a regular basis, because it just does not happen. Maybe with established therapists you might see a steady scheduling pattern - these massage therapists have done the right things in their business and are very lucky to have a steady run of clientele. More than likely, a therapist in this setting has worked years to establish this business and this is the rewards of their efforts.

Starting salaries for massage therapy is directly associated with the number of available clients. An hour worked is not an hour of earned income in the massage therapy profession. It is so important to constantly build your client base.

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