Massage therapy: salary and education information

Massage therapy is a career with promising job prospects, since the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the employment of massage therapists is predicted to grow by about 19 percent between 2008 and 2018. The job is also appealing to those interested in flexible or part-time work, since approximately 48 percent of massage therapists worked part-time in 2008.

Massage therapy salary and education

Students wondering about the average massage therapy salary should consider the fact that many therapists are self-employed and work part-time. Thanks to the time involved in setting up, billing and performing other procedures between clients, massage therapists who practice massage between 15 and 30 hours per week can be considered full-time. Consider the following facts about massage therapy salary:

• The American Massage Therapy Association reports that massage therapists earned an average annual income of $37,123 in 2009 for therapists providing massage about 16 hours per week.
• The BLS reports that the mean massage therapy salary as of May 2009 was $39,780 annually, or $19.13 per hour.
• The top-paying states for therapists in 2009 were Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Delaware and New York.

Most states regulate massage therapy, so those interested should look into their state's training and licensure requirements. Most states with regulations require massage therapists to be licensed, which involves graduating from a training program--typically about 500 hours or more of study--and passing a state or national exam. Licensure renewal and continuing education are other important aspects of this job.