Choosing To Make A Difference
Massage Therapy is an important part of the health care profession. Consumers are turning to massage therapy for relaxation as well as muscle soreness, pain reduction, injury
rehabilitation, improved circulation, wellness and prevention.
Clinical research reflects that regular massage can be an effective and lasting treatment for a wide range of problems. According to the State University of New York at Syracuse, 54%
of primary care physicians and family practitioners say they would encourage their patients to pursue massage therapy as a complement to medical treatment.
Massage is continuing to grow in popularity and gains more acceptance each year with medical professionals. It is an extremely important part of the alternative health care
community. This is your opportunity to become a productive part of improving people’s quality of life.
Top 150 Jobs
Massage is one of “The 150 best recession proof jobs overall” as rated by time magazine. The best recession-proof jobs are those that are least sensitive to economic downturn, and which
have the highest combined scores for pay, projected workforce growth, and number of openings.
Source: Time Magazine
Expected Employment Increases
Nation wide employment for massage therapists is expected to increase by 14 to 19% from 2008 - 2018. According to O*net online and that number is even higher for Washington state with a 31% increase from 2008 - 2018 according
to careerinfonet.org with average annual Washington state wages ranging from a low of $31,500 to a high of $74,200. Keep in mind
that not all massage therapists work a full 40 hour week. In fact, according to AMTA Consumer Surveys, in 2010, the average annual income for a massage therapist (including tips) who provides
approximately 15 hours of massage per week was estimated to be $31,980.
The AMTA estimates that in 2010 Massage Therapy was a $12-17 billion industry
In 2010 roughly 48 million adult Americans had at least one massage. That is 18% of the population or roughly 2 out of 10 people.
Today's Massage Therapist
According to the AMTA Today’s Massage Therapists Are:
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Most likely to enter the massage therapy profession as a second career.
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Predominantly female (85 percent).
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Most likely to be members of a professional organization.
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Most likely to be sole practitioners.
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Working an average of 20 hours a week providing massage. (excluding time spent on other business tasks)
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Charging an average of $63 for one hour of massage.
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Earning an average wage of $45 an hour (including tips) for all massage related work.
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Likely to provide massage therapy in a number of settings, including their own home, spa/salon, their own office, a health care setting, health club/athletic facility, or massage
therapy only franchise or chain.