As we grow up and join adulthood we have to start thinking about what we want to be. The closer summer gets for those seniors in high school this question seems to become magnified greatly. To help with this dilemma we can explore the career path of being a masseuse.
Let us first look at the job itself. When looking into a new career path, I know at least for me, there are certain questions that I want answered. For instance: “How much does it pay?” or “What is the work environment like?” and “What about job stability?” These questions are a great place to begin our research.
Pay
Working in the massage therapy field is similar to any other service careers such as hair stylist, waiter, bar tender, or manicurist. There is a base pay but gratuities are accepted. The average base pay for a therapist as of last year was about $19 per hour or almost $40,000 per year plus tips. Self employed therapists made as much as $40 per hour or about $70,000 per year!
Work Environment
The work environment can be very diverse with therapists working in settings such as a spa or salon to a nursing home or sports therapy facility. The therapist is typically surrounded by soothing music and dim lights when they work. There is also the potential to own a studio or travel to client’s workplace or home as well. The average masseuse works in a variety of places so if you don’t like being stuck in a cubicle all day this might be for you.
Job Stability
Massage therapy can be considered a health care field and as with any health care field it will always be needed. The projected growth of this field according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that this particular field is expected to grow about 19% over the next 10 years. This is the highest growth of any job in the next 10 years!
After answering these questions we can see that working as a masseuse has a lot of potential and the job outlook is very positive. If you are worried about the future and don’t think working in an office typing on a computer all day is for you, then maybe taking a closer look at massage therapy might help you answer one of the biggest question of all; “What do you want to be when you grow up?”