2011 Massage Therapy Job Outlook

Massage Therapists Job Outlook 2011-2012

Massage therapy is a relatively new and quickly growing career choice. The majority of people use it as a secondary income source. About 57 percent were self-employed. Of those, about 48 percent consider themselves to be part time workers, and 19 percent had variable schedules, adjusting to the needs of their clients from week to week.

2010 Massage Therapy Salary Ranges

How much does a massage therapist earn? When it comes to massage therapist salary range, the average massage therapist earns an average of $19.13 per hour and $39,780 per year. Of course, this also average massage therapist salaries ranges between $7.00 per hour and $35 per hour, depending on the nature of the position. The most financially rewarding massage positions work in conjunction with other industries such as:

• physicians ($19.00 per hour),
• recreation industries ($20.00 per hour)
• hospitals ($26.00)
• or other health practitioners ($21.00)

The highest pay goes to therapists in specialties and hospitals ($26.49) which unfortunately is also the smallest sectors in the massage industry.

Future Massage Job Growth Outlook

In the next ten years, the number of therapists is expected to increase about 19 percent -much faster than the average industry. The total jobs held by massage therapists in 2008 (the most recent available information) was 122,400. By 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects this to grow by another 23,200 more jobs. This is largely because more people are learning the value of the therapy. Including part time massage therapists and students, there are probably 280,000 to 320,000 therapists in the US. About 16,000 massage therapists work within the office of a physician or other healthcare provider. There were about 15,500 spas in the US in 2007.

2011 Massage Industry Outlook

Statistics about the total number of massages are lacking, but in 2004 there were 140 million visits, generating revenue of $12 billion. In 2009, the industry probably generated $18-22 billion. Between June 2008 and 2009, about 25% of adult Americans (about 50 million) received a massage at least once.

Where is the massage therapy industry heading?

In summary, massage therapy is growing very quickly because more consumers are needing massage services. The best paying careers in massage therapy are connected to other industries-especially health services.

One challenge is that increasing numbers of workers are being attracted to massage therapy, which only means that there will be increasing competition for these jobs. The successful candidates will be those who have the best certifications and training. If you are willing to make an investment of time and effort first, massage therapy is an excellent and profitable career to pursue.

How do I become a massage therapist?

Each state has it's own massage licensing requirements. This site contains each state's massage therapy licensing and regulations.
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