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Massage Jobs

Therapeutic massage is a young, growing industry. Because of this, the jobs available are different from many other fields. Check out our readers tips below on the various massage employment types.

Understand the Massage Employment Types

There are three basic kinds of massage jobs – direct employment, subcontracting, and private practices. Each of these has its own unique set of advantages and disadvantages. When the time comes for you to look for employment in massage therapy, it's important that you know about all of your options. This will enable you to choose the best massage job for you, and avoid some of the pitfalls of the job market.

Massage Employment

Direct employment is the most familiar kind of massage job to most of us. This is when the massage therapist is employed by a spa, salon, cruise, or other organization, for an hourly rate, per client fee, or salary. Direct employment by a spa gives a massage therapist the most security, guaranteeing a steady supply of clients and fairly conventional working hours.

Massage therapists who find jobs with this kind of organization may also have other duties. They are also more likely to have strictures put on their work, such as a certain length of time between appointments, or specific amounts of time for breaks. You'll have less latitude to rearrange your schedule if you work directly for a spa. Massage therapy in a direct employment context is usually at the entry level, and unless you're working for a very prestigious company, pays on the low end of the range – about $15 an hour. However, these kinds of massage jobs are also helpful to new massage therapy program graduates who haven't had a chance to make a name for themselves. If you're employed directly, you don't have to worry about marketing yourself or booking clients. This is usually done for you.

Massage Subcontracting

Massage Contracts or subcontracting is another common practice in massage therapy employment. This is somewhere between direct employment and working entirely for yourself. In contracting, you're technically self-employed, but most of your jobs come through a specific company. This helps you get clients while you're still not as well known, but you can usually set your own hours and appointments.

One of the advantages of contracting is that you're in charge of your own schedule. On the downside, you're your own employer and pay taxes accordingly. Contractors will have to file as self-employed workers, which entails extra paperwork with the IRS, and possibly higher taxes. Also, be careful of spas and gyms that are trying to save money by hiring contractors instead of employing massage therapists directly. If the rate you are to be paid as a contractor in a massage job is very low, it might not cover your expenses.

When you're self-employed, it's very important to make sure you read all the fine print! If you're hired as a contractor, the payer of your fees has only the right to control the result of your work. They cannot dictate how or when you do it. Make sure you have a clear, written contract to define the exact parameters of your massage job.

Private Massage Practice

Opening an independent practice and working entirely for yourself is a dream that many massage therapists have. Once you've been working in the industry for a while and have a large stock of clients who keep coming back, it might be worth your while to go into independent practice. You'll have the latitude to dictate your own rates, your own schedule, and anything else you choose. However, the full weight of regulations, taxes, and the other problems of running a business fall directly onto you.

If you don't already have a stable client base, or aren't sure if you can manage a business of your own, you might be better off with one of the other kinds of massage jobs. If, on the other hand, you feel like you're ready to start on your own, opening your own practice can be both exciting and rewarding. How much you'll make will depend on the rates you set, and your expenses. Generally, however, massage therapists in private practice massage jobs are able to charge more than contractors or those who are directly employed.

Choosing the Best Employment Type

Most massage therapists start out with direct employment or contracting. Until a client base is built and word of your skills get around, it's hard to find enough work to support a private practice. Massage therapy jobs through a spa or other company can help you find the business you'll need to go off on your own eventually.

Once you've built up some experience and clientele, you'll be able to open your own practice and support it effectively. Which kind of massage job is best for you at this time depends on your experience, training, and the kind of clients you're able to attract. Regardless of what you choose, massage therapy is a rewarding and flexible career, and rapidly expanding!

What is the Best Massage Employment Type

What do you think is the best employment type: employee, subcontractor, home or mobile practice, or your own store front?

See what other massage therapists are saying about the best massage employment types.

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