Finding a job in massage seems to be getting more difficult in some areas of the country that are harder hit by the economy. I have been getting many emails from massage therapists asking where are all the massage jobs that were promised in massage school. I am not sure what people are expecting but if they have done their research they would find that massage jobs are low paying and you can’t really make a living working at one of the many franchises that are hiring massage therapists. Most entry level jobs start at $15 an hour and you only get that when you are actually working on a client. You get paid minimum wage or somethings nothing at all to sit around and wait for clients to call.
I have also been getting all sorts of stories about very difficult situations in massage jobs – places closing without notice and chiropractors hiring people as independent contractors when they should be employes, high end spas telling massage therapists that they should do work on people that is contraindicated, massage therapists not having any say on who they work on….the stories go on and on – low pay, no pay, no respect. Then there is always talk of a union for massage therapists.
I actually don’t know much about unions except that I don’t think it is the answer. That would create the same level of pay for everyone whether or not they are doing a good job or not. What needs to happen is the massage schools need to start showing people how to create their own jobs instead of thinking that they are stuck having to take what is out there or start telling people what the job market is really like. I guess they won’t do that because then they wouldn’t have any massage students.
What if massage therapists started taking more of an active role in creating jobs for themselves or participating as a team member in a job?  We teach people how to treat us so what if massage therapists stopped taking the low paying jobs and stopped putting up with being taken advantage of?  Would there always be someone out there who would any job and work for the cheaper wages?
What if people started thinking more about having a career in massage and following a vocation rather than just getting a job?  I have been doing some reading on jobs and the idea that jobs are just usually thought of as a way to get a paycheck. James Hollis, a psychologist and author of the book “The Middle Passage” says:
“A vocation is what we are called to do with our life’s energy. It is a requisite part of our individuation to feel that we are productive, and not responding to one’s calling can damage the soul. We do not choose a vocation; rather it chooses us. Our only choice is how we respond”.
Another of my favorite authors -A.H. Alamas in his book Diamond Heart Book One says:
Your career, interests, relationships are very important – but they are only as important insofar as they lead you toward a deeper understanding of yourself. Otherwise they are irrelevant.
So many people do come to the massage profession with a calling like that but end up taking jobs just to eat. I propose that there is another way if we only support each other in following the calling and start really taking the time to create our own “Ideal Massage Therapy Job” rather than taking jobs and complaining every day about it all.  That would involve a process of self discovery and maybe taking a few bad jobs so that you can know more about what you do want. What do you envision for your self in finding a job in massage? What do you desire? What if you could take all the time in the world and didn’t need to make money right away – what kind of job would you really want and take?
See also the massage therapy job center on www.thebodyworker.com
April 23rd, 2009 at 1:15 pm
AMEN! I just had a massage in a spa and it was my first ever massage. I am currently a massage student and I have never had a desire to work in a spa, to pay someone else for the hard work I do. I am planning on starting my own massage business, but I have a plan a that helps plan b till i can just live off plan b.
April 23rd, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Hey Julie! I love your column and have used your website many times as an educator. I have long advocated that massage is a calling vs. a job as it has so many demands on body, mind and spirit. I think I got out of massage education because the whole focus is on numbers, dollars and sense. I identified many students not suited for this work because they lacked the basic maturity or skill levels in communication needed to prosper in the field. When I brought my concerns to my administration, they said that everyone has the right to fail. My problem was that I did not want some of these folks representing the field out there and our teaching. Some don’t have the ability to create a business, especially as competition increases and walmart Tyope chains of massage proliferate. I think as older therapists have to tread water while they pay new kids 14/hr and charge less for each hour, we will have a tough time. Will a union be the solution? No. The state of Illinois just passed a law that chiropractors can train unlicensed persons to do massage even though we spent years getting licensing on the books. And this is where our national association is located.
April 26th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
i agree so much, you know i started @ massage envy because of the good things ive heard in school but the environment is totally different than i expected and im starting to feel uncomfortable because the leadtherapist seems to want to push his ego of knowlede on me in a demeening way he had come in to have me give him a massage as a client and told me first to shut the dam music off that hes sick of listening to it all week then proceeded to quiz me on where this bone is conected to that bone and do i know where the attachment point for the proximal end of the hamstrings because this is where he was sore and i could go on but other employees warned me of him and i complained to the manager and she told the owner to listen to what i was saying his thing to say was perty much was you just sound mad because he caught you off gaurd and as far as him not tipping he said he forgot probaly and just tell him next time you are doing the best you can oh well you ll have alot more complaints in the future! i was enbarrassed to have even said anything at all though judging from the managers expression i dont think she agreed, and i cant help it but all my clients love there msssages i give them and im tipped very nicely what do you suggest i do ?
April 26th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Robinl: Wow! Massage schools say that people have the right to fail!! It is worse than I thought out there!
Desiree: Is he getting a massage from you for his own health or as part of the job to help you learn? It sounds like just for his own benefit since he didn’t tip you. Next time he starts to quiz you tell him that this is a massage and you already passed your test. Get him to focus on his own body – not you. Just ask him to point to where he is sore. Talk to him directly before talking to the manager again. Getting him in trouble will probably make him mad. I couldn’t tell you where anything is attached. It doesn’t really matter as long as you know what you are doing.
Working at a spa can be a good way to start but you have to start standing up for yourself and ask for what you want but first tell them what you will do for them to improve their business.
August 17th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
One of the good things about having a longer training time (I’m a massage therapy student in Canada where training is 2200 hours) is that (at least at my school) we get 9 months of business training before we graduate. The focus is on learning the basics of running a business, and helping us build a business plan (which is essential for making any business successful, as well as for getting loans and grants, etc). My school is also really good about encouraging us to view our (future) RMT designations with pride, and not to downplay our worth.
I believe that, so long as a therapist works in an educated and ethical manner, s/he can still do good work, but in order for his or her practice to thrive, I do believe you need to be passionate about it! Clients CAN tell the difference, and they will go to a good, passionate therapist once they find one!
I know that there are schools that are just in it for the money, but in the end, the reputation of the school suffers. After doing a lot of research, in several different provinces, I believe that my school (Atlantic College of Therapeutic Massage) is one of the better ones in the country. They have the reputation to show for it, too! Many different people who I massage in the student clinic remark on the difference between the ACTM students and other therapists they’ve had. They are also one of the only MT schools in the country who’s program counts for a full 2 years towards a kinesiology degree!
As for me – if I won the lottery, would I still do this? YES!!! Will I give away massage to help build my business, yes! Will I believe I am worth the $75/hr (common rate here) – ABSOLUTELY!!!