A majority of people can say that they have experienced some sort of a massage – a casual back rub, a foot massage from their partner or a professional full body massage at a spa. Those who have experienced any methodic pressure on their muscles can personally attest to it ‘feeling good.’ Since most enjoy the feeling, massages have become a popular method of relaxation, making a career in massage therapy a promising one.
What makes it so promising? Being a massage therapist opens up an array of benefits such as:
1. An Encouraging Job Outlook
There are a number of reasons (that we will soon discover) why massage therapists are predicted to be in a higher than average demand in the United States in the coming years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics posts an occupation growth of 23% for massage therapists during 2012 – 2022.
2. High Yearly Income
The median pay for massage therapists in May of 2012 was $35,970 (bls.gov). This means that if you’re part of the 50% that earn more than that, you could be earning more than $70,140 annually.
If the potential monetary gain is not convincing enough, consider the other rewarding benefits of being a massage therapist.
3. Working on Your Own Terms
As a licensed massage therapist, you have the freedom to run your own business by:
o Servicing clients in their homes instead of in an establishment
o Deciding your own rates
o Making only as man
The opportunity to work on your own terms allows you to make your job as easy on yourself as you can. Many massage therapists eventually face burnout because of hours of being on their feet. They have even been known to develop carpal tunnel syndrome because of the constant wrist movement. Working unaffiliated will enable you to pace yourself and your career.
4. Quick, Specialized Training
Massage therapy training courses such as the one provided at Marinello School of Beauty will qualify you to become a licensed massage therapist in less than 2 years.
o At that time you will gain hours of hands on experience that prepare any aspiring student to work in a variety of capacities including a physical therapist, acupuncturist and fitness instructor.
o With both training and an official license in such a short time, getting a head start as a massage therapist is a simple matter of finding your first client.
5. Exciting Work Environment
As a massage therapist, your place of work could be in any one of these stimulating locations:
o Private clinic
o 5-star hotel
o A spa holiday destination such as Bora Bora
o On a cruise ship
o A prepared space in your home
Anywhere you work will be a soothing environment that is stress free for not just your client, but also for you.
6. Job Satisfaction
Massage therapy has recently become an accepted form of therapy to treat various medical conditions like muscular dystrophy, arthritis and even depression or anxiety. Its one purpose is to soothe the body and massage therapists do this to help a wide variety of clientele. A career in massage therapy will have you working with those suffering from:
o Chronic muscle pain
o Nerve/circulation related conditions
o Fatigue
o Stress
Using your skills as a massage therapist you will help to ease both physical and emotional pain in your clients.
People are willing to pay to retreat to a safe environment if only for an hour to be pampered. Getting massaged frequently provides a number of physical and mental benefits that clients highly value – the driving reason behind why a career as a massage therapist will be more rewarding in many more ways than one.