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Massage therapy develops and becomes more popular as a profession.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the industry can expect more than average growth in the nearest future.
US News & World Report claims that a massage therapist is a career that offers average mobility and more than average flexibility.
The American Massage Therapy Association says that massage therapy is one of the most popular second careers in the country.
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Starting your career in this field, you can look for employment options or start your own business while pursuing another career as well.
Of course, it is a great option as a first career as well.
Starting Off
If massage therapy is your main source of income, it can work as a franchise that is a growing industry.
Speaking of the hourly rate, it isn’t very high but you can get a good income by applying for more working hours.
Just keep in mind that you need to have a certain set of business and professional skills as well as a reputation if you want to have a successful business.
One other point is that there are numerous career alternatives for those who want to work in the massage therapy sphere.
For example, you can get a job on a cruise ship.
It is a great option for those who want to get some experience, a good salary, and the ability to travel around the world.
However, this option won’t provide you with long-lasting employment.
Advancement
After gaining some experience, you can expect some better career options.
You need to know that your decision to provide massage as a treatment of specific conditions or a source of relaxation can have a great impact on your career.
Also, your environment can influence significantly on your career development.
For example, according to the American Massage Therapy Association, working in a spa environment, you can learn various beauty techniques such as wraps and scrubs.
You need to know that your state regulations influence the list of services and procedures you can provide especially if you have no additional training or certification.
There are massage therapists that decide to move to managerial roles while others give preference to starting their own business.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 46% of massage therapists are self-employed.
As a self-employed massage therapist, you can provide services at your home office or travel to other people’s homes.
The last option becomes incredibly popular and is known as a mobile massage.
Also, there is a possibility to enter the corporate world but it can hardly be considered a popular option.
There numerous large corporations that include massage therapy in the list of their benefits.
Among other available options, there are jobs in the healthcare sphere.
Recently, massage is widely included in treatment plans and insurance companies tend to include it in their policies.
Some massage therapists can get a job in integrative care.
The point is that most massage therapists that work in the healthcare system have some previous healthcare experience.
You need to know that it is not a requirement as what you really need is an academic education and training.
If you are going to work in Maryland, you need to have 60 credit hours fo academic coursework.
You can enroll in a degree training program so you can advance your massage therapy career.
Physical therapy is similar to massage therapy but it has much higher education requirements.
You need to know that you need to complete about 3 years of education to get your physical therapy degree but it can be shorter if you already have a degree.
Following Your Passions
As you can see your career option significantly depends on your preferences and education.
There are Eastern and Western massage therapy techniques.
People who are interested in Eastern techniques may apply for training programs in complementary modality such as herbology.
In short, you can advance your massage therapy career if you want to!
If you aren’t sure what a workplace is a perfect option for you, the AMTA workplace quiz can be really helpful for you.