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Massage Therapists

Employment Prospects

Employers

Approximately 147,100 massage therapists are employed in the United States. About 37 percent are self-employed. After graduating from an accredited school of massage therapy, there are a number of possibilities for employment. Doctors' offices, hospitals, hotels, clinics, health clubs, resorts, country clubs, cruise ships, community service organizations, and nursing homes, for example, all employ massage therapists. Some chiropractors have a massage therapist on staff to whom they can refer patients. A number of massage therapists run their own businesses. Most opportunities for work will be in larger, urban areas with population growth, although massage therapy is slowly spreading to more rural areas as well.

Starting Out

There are a number of resources you can use to locate a job. The AMTA provides job listings and career advice at its Web site, https://www.amtamassage.org. Massage therapy schools have career services offices. Employment Web sites and newspapers often list jobs. Some graduates are able to enter the field as self-employed massage therapists, scheduling their own appointments and managing their own offices. Most get their start by working part time and building their client base.

Networking is a valuable tool in maintaining a successful massage therapy enterprise. Many massage therapists get clients through referrals, and often rely on word of mouth to build a solid customer base. Beginning massage therapists might wish to consult businesses about arranging onsite massage sessions for their employees.

Health fairs are also good places to distribute information about massage therapy practices and learn about other services in the industry. Often, organizers of large sporting events will employ massage therapists to give massages to athletes at the finish line. These events may include marathons and runs or bike rides held to raise money for charitable organizations.