A Guide for Your Career Plans in Massage Therapy
Are you considering a career in massage therapy? Find out about career opportunities and education requirements for this hands-on job.
Massage therapy provides amazing benefits to people. It can improve their physical and emotional health, heal old psychological wounds, reduce stress, enhance athletic ability, ease labor and pregnancy difficulties, and so much more. If you would like to be the tool that provides these benefits to others then perhaps a career in massage therapy is right for you.
What Does it Mean to Study Massage Therapy?
Massage refers to the hands-on healing touch that is used to manipulate the soft-tissue muscles of the body. Massage therapy studies teach you many different methods of touching the body in order to both relax and heal it. Studying massage therapy provides you with the professional skills to heal people in a range of different settings.
General Career Information: Massage Therapy Jobs
A leading reason that people choose massage therapy jobs is because there are so many options available to them within the career field of massage. There are many different types of massage, called modalities, which massage therapists can choose to explore and specialize in. Examples of such specialties include:
- Pre-natal and pregnancy massage therapy
- Massage therapy for athletes
- Acupressure massage therapy
- Massage therapy and energy work for psychological healing
Massage therapists can choose to work in spas, hotels, hospitals and on-site at events. Alternatively, massage therapy studies can lead to self-employment. The BLS reports that nearly 60 percent of massage therapists are self-employed. This allows for flexible scheduling and control over your massage therapy career.
Massage Therapy Careers - Future Outlook
The BLS reports that massage therapy is expected to grow faster than average as a career, increasing by 19% from 2008-2018. However, massage therapists typically only work part-time until they have established themselves in the field. Networking and referrals in the industry are leading ways that massage therapists find work so those who have been in the field for a longer period of time are more likely to find full-time employment. Likewise, people with great people skills and self-marketing abilities may also find it easier to secure full-time massage therapy employment.
General Outlook - Job Openings and Education Requirements
In order to have a career in massage therapy it is necessary to get educational training. Many states require that massage therapists become licensed in the state. In fact, more and more states are requiring licensing, which is leading to increased acceptance of massage therapy as a career. This, in turn, is leading to more jobs in the field. Demand for massage therapy services in increasing among both young adults and the elderly so a lot of jobs are opening up in various settings.
The licensing exam is taken after attending school for massage therapy studies. Educational requirements vary from state to state. However, they generally require the following:
- High school diploma or GED
- 500+ hours of hands-on studies
- Academic studies in areas including anatomy and physiology
- Continuing education courses to maintain license
How to get required education for your Massage Therapy Career
So where should you go for your massage therapy studies? It is important that you choose an accredited institution especially if you will be working in a state that requires a massage therapy license to practice. There are both private and public massage therapy schools. In addition to making sure that your school is accredited, you may want to look at the experience of their teachers and their help with licensing and job placement after graduation.
Kathryn Vercillo
Kathryn Vercillo is a full time freelance writer / blogger with nearly ten years of writing experience. She has authored two books and contributed to many other print publications. Previously Kathryn worked as the editor-in-chief of a small literary arts magazine and as the manager of a writing company that linked businesses with freelancers. Areas she has researched extensively include personal finance, real estate, travel, life-work balance and health and fitness.
Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Massage Therapists • Bureau of Labor Statistics
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