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Future Massage Industry growth and Job Outlook

If you are considering any of the massage careers, you will want to know what the future holds for the profession. Here is an overview of just some of the facts and figures available for the industry.

Future Prospects for Massage Careers

The massage industry used to have a bit of a bad press. Anyone who was interested in massage careers would probably have been put off by the idea that ladies offering massages might be providing other services too. Well, that old-fashioned view has certainly been banished! Now is the perfect time to be considering pursuing one of the many massage careers.

There is no doubt that the demand for massage therapists has grown, and will continue to grow. There are plenty of facts to back this up. According to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 2004 National Health Expenditure Projections 2004 – 2014, massage therapy is now a $6- to 11-billion-a-year industry.

Massage careers are going to be part of an even bigger business in the future. The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2004 – 2005 Occupational Outlook Handbook concluded that employment opportunities for massage therapists are likely to increase at a faster-than-average rate when compared to the growth rates of other occupations. In fact, job opportunities are predicted to increase by 21 to 35 percent by 2012 by research into the industry undertaken by the American Massage Therapy Association. Its own membership levels grew four-fold between 1997 and 2002, and they had over 55,000 members in 2006.

Increase in Demand

This rise in the number of jobs in massage careers available is a direct result in the number of Americans who want massages. In the American Massage Therapy Association Consumer Survey, it was estimated that approximately 47 million American adults received a massage between August 2004 and August 2005, which was two million more than in the previous year, and is more than double the amount five years previously. That actually equates to 1 in 5 adults. Women still held the majority in the number of massages, but the number of men who had taken massages had increased from 14% to 17%.

The numbers of people having a massage is also likely to increase even faster, because of the number of people who would recommend a massage to their friends and relatives. This was a huge 73%, nearly three-quarters of those surveyed. This increase in the number of people who have taken massages is because the number of Americans who are recognizing massage as being part of a healthy lifestyle has risen significantly over recent years. Even if it is only having an occasional massage as a treat, or as a complimentary treatment for a health problem, there is much more interest in massage treatments amongst adults today.

As the demand has increased, not only has the number of therapists increased, but so has the variety of treatments available. This has created a far wider range of massage careers for potential therapists to choose their specialty from too. There are literally hundreds of different massage techniques available to those pursuing massage careers today. Many massage therapists choose to offer more than one type, but it would be impossible to become an expert in them all!

Medical Evidence Increases Popularity

By far the greatest impact on the number of Americans that have massage treatments is the recognition that they have been given by the medical profession. According to the American Massage Treatment Association, nine million more Americans discussed massage treatment with their healthcare professionals in 2006, than five years previously. Twice as many medical professionals recommended massage treatment to their patients than five years ago, with physicians recommending the most. 

Massage treatments are agreed by the medical profession to be beneficial for patients with a wide range of conditions, either on their own, or in conjunction with more conventional medical treatment. Many medical facilities are now offering massage as a service. Treatments are often billed to insurance companies at attractive rates which means more job demand and better pay for massage therapists.

Who Has the Highest Number of Massages?

To help give you an idea of which massage careers, in particular, you should be looking at; it is also worth seeing who has the most massages, and where.  According to research carried out by the American Massage Treatment Association in 2006, there are some clear patterns emerging across the country.

Those aged between 55 and 64 have tripled their use of massage treatments since 1996. This increase is reflected in people over 65 too. Older people are certainly having more massage treatments to help them cope with the effects of ageing, and to promote a healthier, and longer life. They are projected to be the fastest growing age group for massage treatments in the future.

However, the main increase in current use of massage treatments is by those aged 18-34. Three times as many believe that massage is a better treatment for pain relief compared to medication. 94% of the same age group believes that it is beneficial to your overall well-being and health although 28% still think that it is only a luxury.

Looking at it on a regional basis over the same 10 year period, the North Central showed an increase from 8% to 19%. However, most regions more than doubled their use of massage treatments.

Whichever way you look at it, you can be reassured that, no matter where you live, or what you specialize in, pursuing any of the available massage careers is going to be a good move.

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