Massage therapy is a rapidly growing profession, with the number of massage therapists increasing by 14% in the last decade. The profession is predominantly female, with 86% of practitioners being women. Almost half of massage therapists (46%) have a bachelor's degree or higher. Although massage therapy is becoming increasingly popular, it is rarely the first professional choice for most massage therapists, regardless of the practice environment. To understand the job duties, education, job growth, and salary for massage therapists, it is important to compare them to similar occupations.
The Pay tab typically describes earnings and how workers in the occupation are compensated by annual salaries, hourly wages, commissions, tips, or bonuses. Within each occupation, earnings vary depending on experience, responsibility, performance, ownership and geographic area. The Job Outlook tab describes the factors that affect the growth or decline of employment in the occupation and, in some cases, describes the relationship between the number of job applicants and the number of job offers. When giving a massage to help clients relax, massage therapists generally work in low-light environments and use candles, incense, and calm, relaxing music. Some forms of massage are only given to one type of client; for example, prenatal massage is only given to pregnant women.
As more consumers seek massage as a way to maintain or improve their health, the number of people entering the massage profession has also increased. It is expected that massage will be considered a beneficial option for people suffering from pain, stress or illness, and that it will become an integral part of good health for all. Similarly, demand is likely to increase as more health care providers understand the benefits of massage and include these services in their treatment plans. Consumers are also beginning to see massage not as a luxury item or a complementary element of health care but as a vital and accepted ingredient for overall health and well-being. Massage therapists must listen carefully to clients to understand what they want to achieve through massage sessions. Among these achievements is the recognition of the Accreditation of the Massage Therapy Commission by the U.
S. Massage Therapists must evaluate the needs of each client and recommend the best treatment based on that person's needs. As more people recognize massage therapy as a way to treat pain and improve overall well-being, the demand for massage therapists is expected to increase. Most states regulate massage therapy and require massage therapists to be licensed or certified. Only 16% of consumers mention pampering as the main reason for their last massage, and 30% of consumers received a pampering massage last year. This table shows a list of occupations with responsibilities similar to those of massage therapists:.
