Information Provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook
Employment is expected to grow faster than average over the 2004-2014 period as more people learn about the benefits of massage therapy. Many States require formal training and a national certification in order to practice massage therapy. This occupation contains a large number of part-time and self-employed workers.
On average, Massage Therapists earn $ 16.06 per hour.
Job Opportunities for Massage Therapists are expected to:
Increase faster than average.
The medical benefits of friction were first documented in Western culture by the Greek physician Hippocrates around 400 BC. Today, massage therapy is being used as a means of treating painful ailments, decompressing tired and overworked muscles, reducing stress, rehabilitating sports injuries, and promoting general health. This is done by manipulating the soft tissue muscles of the body in order to improve circulation and remove waste products from the muscles.
Training standards and requirements for massage therapists vary greatly by State and locality. There are roughly 1,500 massage therapy postsecondary schools, college programs, and training programs throughout the country. Massage therapy programs generally cover subjects such as anatomy; physiology, the study of organs and tissues; kinesiology, the study of motion and body mechanics; business; ethics; as well as hands-on practice of massage techniques.
Massage therapists held about 118,000 jobs in 2006. About 64 percent were self-employed. There are many more people who practice massage therapy as a secondary source of income. As a result, some industry sources estimate that more than 200,000 people practice massage therapy in some capacity.
