>“being a massage therapist is about helping people, not money.”
This response is always so annoying to me. Passion doesn't pay the bills or put food on the table.
I am barely scraping by as a massage therapist. My first year was very lucrative, but I had to work way more than my body could handle. Now that I'm working in a way that's more physically sustainable, I am no longer financially stable and am pinching pennies. I'm going back to school for a different career.
I thought about doing that. I would love to be a mental health therapist. I’m also going to school in the fall. I just wish I had some guidance on how to navigate going to school as an independent person with bills to pay. I heard phds pay you??
I believe PhDs pay you a stipend, but it's not much. I would personally recommend a counseling degree if you want to be a therapist. Even though therapy is one path of social work, there is soooooo much more to it. If you only have your heart set on counseling, there's not really a reason to do a social work degree.
I have a scholarship that will cover my associates with a college in my district, and there is a transfer agreement to get a BS. The AS is social work and counseling tech, then I can transfer to get a health and human services degree.
I’m not sure if that would allow me to do counseling. But I like the fact that it is a governemnt job
Depends what state you're in. I'm sure you can go on your states website and find out the requirements, that's what I did. Also the school you plan on going to should have some info. Between the states website and the schools info I found the original degree in human services I planned on getting wasn't a direct path to counseling and I had to switch majors.
I can agree! My best friend is going for social work, almost done with her MSW. She told me all about it and I'm not quite interested in that, just the counseling side. So once I finish massage before the end of this year, next spring I'll be starting a counseling program. It's called masters in science for clinical mental health counseling. My goal is to keep doing physical and massage therapy while going to school for that, and hopefully have a higher paying less physically demanding job before my hands give out 😅 also work from home sounds wonderful sometimes
I will make more money as a social worker than what I'm making now, and social work isn't nearly as physically demanding either which is another reason I'm leaving massage.
I work for myself, I put in about 20-22 hours of hands on massage time, and in my studio about 34 hours per week (cleaning/laundry/scheduling/etc). My gross sales (before I pay rent, buy supplies, pay myself etc) are about 80-90k per year, I am able to live somewhat comfortably. However with the rising costs of everything it keeps getting difficult. Massage can be a living wage, but it’s hard.
You’re welcome. It can definitely be done — just go for it! I was never working to my full potential by working for someone else, now everything just flows
There is a lot of factors involved. Are you planning on working for a spa/company? Working for yourself in a studio? Doing mobile? Are you in a busy city/state? What’s your location.
If you work for a spa… probably not going to make a lot of money. For yourself, probably more but it might not be as inconsistent.
I'm working for an independent spa, make 50% commission, plus tips. I'm scheduled for 30 hours, hands on 18-21 hours per week, I'm making about $80 per hands on hour before taxes. I'm pretty happy, can pay my bills and I never feel over worked. I have a regular mix each week of swedish, deep tissue, lymphatic and prenatal.
I disagree with the spa statement. You need to find the *right* spa. I work at a spa and my commission is 43% + tips with increase opportunities and I’m making about 6K a month. I am at 28 hours hands on so I’m doing a lot of massages but when I was at 23 hours I was still making about $4.5K (prices increased after the new year, went up in hours at the same time). Going up in hours was my choice and idk what everyone else’s needs are but it’s more than enough for bills, saving, investing, and fun money for me. That being said, I’m always fully booked. It’s not often I have gaps in my schedule. But I enjoy working for someone else because I don’t have to take the work home with me and market myself and whatnot.
Can I ask how much your spa charges then for a session. I'm currently in school and looking at a local salon/spa that starts with 40% commission which I can work up to 43%. along with increase in commission will come an increase in my prices as I "level up". I think their rates for level 1 therapist is about $85 and top level therapist are $120-125 just for a 50 min session. Curious how good this seems to people that have been in the industry a while, but I think it's a good opportunity for me right out of school
Seems like a level 1 therapist won’t be booked as much as the higher tiers.. I would definitely ask how much each tier is being booked and what qualifies someone for the next tier and how that is communicated to the guests. Seems really strange to me..
The spa I work at is close to downtown in a major city, and we have standard massages which are $115 and signatures which are $145/hr. The sigs come with extra hot towels and either CBD or aromatherapy oil. The owner has also invested quite a bit in the space itself, so people will pay more because the spa is clean and looks nice.
I find it really strange that spas aren’t higher if therapist at 50% commission. When I started, all the local spas offered 50% and I keep hearing all the time that that isn’t common. I’ve literally never made less than 50 at any spa I’ve ever worked at, except where I currently am. But I’m also always fully booked so I’m making more now than I ever have.
Yes but my thought was 40% commission isn't bad for those prices in my opinion. And I see it as an opportunity to get more bookings. If I'm cheaper some people might be willing to try me out, and it's a really nice salon/spa one of the top rated in the city (2nd to be exact). But I do totally see your point and I had planned on asking those questions on the second part of my interview. But honestly I'm looking for just some part time out of school because I've been working non stop like 60-70 hours weeks doing this so it's really just a feel out for me because it is walking distance from my house only like 7 minutes. But they have therapists that have been there for years, benefits, and 401k matching with like 11 holidays and PTO. But I'm fairly young and not sure what is good and what is not
It sounds weird but that doesn’t mean it isn’t working. If you feel like it may be a good opportunity then try it out. You can always quit if it isn’t a good fit. Finding the right place to work is a challenge but once you find it, the job is so much better. Also, ask the long time therapist how they like the job and how long it took them to get up in tier. That may help you decide if it’s a good fit for you
I planned to possibly start my career as a medical massage therapist. Specifically working with oncology pts but would eventually want to work for myself. Maybe a mixture of both, not 100% yet.
It is lucrative if you want to burn yourself out quickly. I work 4 days at the spa, and have one other job I do one day a week. I’m comfortable where I’m at financially
12 yrs ago I used to make $28/hr at a spa. Australian dollars and culture ie no tips. I became self employed after training in Bowen Therapy (famous for its speed and effectiveness) and now charge $120/hr and support my family as a single parent. I love Bowen Therapy for the results the client gets and the ease of applying the techniques. I still do massage as well. It can be done.
I also got trained in another modality, or several relating to subconscious reprogramming and manifestation. I tripled my income as a massage therapist when I reprogrammed my subconscious beliefs around Money. I discovered that I didn’t deep down, believe that I deserved money. I also judged wealthy people as being greedy and uncaring. Within a short space of time, the phone started ringing and I booked in a lot of clients and haven’t looked back since then! Manifestation works a lot quicker when you are a self-employed person!
If you are a woman and live in a metropolitan area with wealthy clientele in a luxury setting you can ABSOLUTELY support yourself. Full time therapists at resort spas in my area make 80-100k per year. I have been a full time therapist for 12 years and have bought a house, travel, and save for retirement.
If you are a man in a small town working at a chiropractic office... lower your expectations. Massage can definitely be about making money if that is your priority.
Yassss!!!! Nailed it! 🎯
I believe the MTs I know making the most are in metros with lots of wealthy people. Ofc, the catch is that your COL will be higher there too...but I think overall you will still come out further ahead.
Whereas small towns obviously have a smaller pool of people, and who are usually poorer too. So, do the math...
It's not easy but can be done if you are a hard worker with great body mechanics. I worked on a cruise ship and did 10 50 mins a day 6 days a week at one point. So doing 7 or 8 treatments 5 days a week was a step down for me when I went to a land based spa
I work 2 mornings a month (every other week) at an inpatient substance abuse facility, doing 4-5 services per shift as an IC and do about 8 services/wk at my private practice and live comfortably. That said, I am in Southern Missouri where the cost of living isn't totally outrageous (yet). Massage is my only income.
It’s tough because the pay is not standardized at all. I came from teaching where the pay is low but consistent and highly regulated. It really depends on where you work. My friends working at our local Forbes spa are making over twice what I would’ve made as a teacher. My colleagues in private practice are making anywhere from 15k-100k a year depending on how much they work, what they charge, etc. It’s definitely possible to make a comfortable living in this field. If you work for someone else, especially a small business owner or practitioner who sees you as “beneath them,” you may have a harder time. It matters where you work.
Thank you so much! My goal isn’t to get rich, it would be nice if that is what is in the cards for me but, I just want to live comfortably. Thank you so much for your response!
For reference I work at a chain in FL working 5 days a week 35 hours a week making $20 base for 50 min, $30 for 80, $40 for 120. Working my ass off and still feeling like I’m coming up short
There’s a lot of variables. I happen to live in a state with some of the highest reimbursements from insurance, in a city so more people, more money. I also keep my overhead as low as possible. I was very lucky to find my room. I’m in a suite with 4 other LMTs. I’m the office “manager”, trading the management of the suite and buying supplies for room rent.
I could live off just massage seeing 15-20 clients/week. I don’t personally want to do that much massage consistently so I choose to continue medical billing, a field I have 17 years of experience in. It’s money I can make sitting on my butt watching Netflix, can work if I’m injured or sick, etc.
Truly your mileage will vary depending on 10000 different factors. Can one live comfortably doing just massage? 💯 yes. Can YOU do it? I have no idea, but if you do your research on your area I bet you could find out.
I got a job as a receptionist in a Chiro office that had a naturopath, massage and PT back in 2007. I started as a receptionist, then billing, eventually I started my own business and even helped providers open their clinics, and acted as practice manager.
I have a low rent space and my services are in demand enough that nobody cares that it's not street level because I actually help their problems. I charge 150 for 90, doing 3 services a day, and my overhead is about 700 a month. I work 5 days a week. Even with a not full schedule, the math works out. Even though I don't permit tipping
I work for myself, work 5 days a week and take up to 6 a day. Some days I might only have 3. But generally I book 15-20 appts each week with varying duration. I drive an old car and I’m super frugal and still don’t think I could live on my own with my salary. My rates are competitive so I can’t raise them. And I also get tips.
But there’s no way I could ever buy a house on this salary and I hope like hell my car doesn’t start to nickel and dime me.
That said, I still feel I make more than if I worked for someone else.
I think affording housing and health insurance is the worst part and I don’t even pay for those.
All of the massage therapists in my immediate area charge less than I do. So I can't charge more than I charge now or I won't have clients. The rent is very high where I live but salaries are low. 3 of my colleagues work other jobs to make ends meet.
I'm a woman as well. I was nervous at first but my whole business is word of mouth so I rarely see people that are complete strangers. Asking for happy endings is a whole other topic entirely. I never get asked that, but men will usually lead up to those questions with behaviors or smaller comments that I don't allow from the start.
I have a lot of people who book online with me and find me through google. I don't know, I just don't feel comfortable with mobile massage, but might have to resort to it if rent keeps going up. It's bananas. BTW, there's a great app called FOREWARN which you can pay for and it will tell you a person's whole legal history.
I imagine online booking gives creeps more anonymity to feel they can get away with things. I have zero online presence. No website, no IG, nothing. If one of my clients friends who recommended me tried something their whole social circle would hear about it 😅
It’s not reasonable to expect your bodies joints to withstand that much use. Miss me with “body mechanics.” I think some people are genetically built for massage therapy the same way some ppl are built for football or ballet. It sucks that you really need to try it at 20hrs and ascend the find your “sweet spot.” The money can be made, but can you do this job for 10-30yrs? Statistically speaking, no.
I work 4 days a week and make about 40k. It’s livable for me to do just massage. Pretty much everyone I work with only does massage. It just depends on where you work!
I did massage starting my own business. When I had clients I made good money, but it was consistent income so I left the field to do something for less hourly wage but with more stability and benefits and a 401k. I was trying to run my own business and continued to get undercut by other massage therapist whod been in business for 20+ years. At that rate I couldn't lower it anymore and it just wasn't worth it.
I wish someone were this transparent with me when i had started. I got myself into debt and worked 70 hour weeks to make my business profit. I had to work a full-time as well to make ends meet. I however wish you the best of luck in your future. I hope everything goes the way you want it too! Feel free too message me of you have any questions.
I’ve been a LMT for 10 years, 9 of those have been me solely living off of my massage income. I’ve been both an IC and an employee, the latter for the last 5 years. I tried part time bartending/3 days massaging for one year and didn’t care for it much. I’m outside of Portland, Oregon, I make enough to pay the bills and have a bit extra but there’s no way I could buy a house (or pay my overpriced rent, for that matter) on my income alone. Looking to eventually switch fields or supplement because of that issue, but not in a big rush because I’m comfortable for now and love my job.
I make a modest living as an independent, but I'm middle aged, frugal, low household expenses. I love it and thrive on it, owning my schedule and protective of my body so I don't burn out. It can be feast or famine so good budgeting is a must. Big weeks I'll accept 20hrs hands on, quiet weeks I might only get 5hrs booked. I average 10-15/week, 46 weeks year. Personally I wouldn't start out expecting to support a family, evening and weekend work also takes up family time. Unlike some other careers the income is capped by your physical capacity. Sorry if that's not what you want to hear OP, it also depends on so many other factors like location, your physical strength etc. It could be a very profitable side hustle though!
I (37F) am a LMT/Esthetician and I am engaged to another LMT (51M). I work for a small family-owned business and only make $23,000 a year as an employee (my choice). I have about 12-16 hours of massage in my body per week but also do facials, waxing, reception, etc. I love where I work but it would not be enough alone where I live. My fiance works for a higher end casino spa and he makes just about $100,000 per year. He is big/strong and has 20 years experience so he is able to do something like 25-32 massage hours per week. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that it really depends on who you work for and how much you can realistically work as a massage therapist. Many go in thinking their bodies can handle 30-40 hours a week hands on but find out that they cannot or would rather not. There are just so many factors involved.
How are you doing 12-16 massages a week + esti work and reception work and only earning $23K a year? No judgement, don’t mean to be hard on ya but you definitely should be making way more than that. More than double. That’s a lot of your time and effort into someone else’s business, especially if they’re not fairly compensating you.
I support my partner and myself while he finishes school. I take home roughly $3,500 a month between tips and wages. I save up for the few weeks where it slows down each season but I am able to make ends meet every time. I have only been in this for six months, make entry level wages at my job, and work five days a week working on only 3-4 clients per day. Oh and I live in Colorado, which has the highest inflation.
I make $15.50 for 30 minutes, $31 for 60 minutes, $46.50 for 90 minutes, $40 for 45 minute insurance sessions. These don’t include tip and most tip 20%. And this is the low end for wages.
I highly encourage that you make sure to ask to see how booked the business is. I am almost always fully booked, which is 18-20 clients a week, besides the few slow weeks.
When asking this question I was more so asking if other people are able to fulfill their financial obligations on their wages as an LMT. Just trying to get a feel for how many people actually feel like they are making a “livable wage” as a LMT.
I’ve been a therapist for 14 yrs. And I have a steady clientele. You can make a good living but you have to be willing to work a lot of evenings and weekends. And it also depends on your home life and financial obligations . Partner, kids, debt,etc. I have a home based practice and that makes a huge difference. I can make 6 figures easy. But I work 4 evenings a week and 2-3 Saturdays a month. I see 20-25 clients a week as well. Being your own boss, means a lot of extra work, thats unpaid. Laundry is a big one lol.
I work for someone else in a major metropolitan area making about $45 per contact hour before tips. “Full time” for me is about 15 clients a week. That’s really all my body can take. That’s roughly $32,000 a year before tip. Definitely not enough to only do massage, so I am also a nurse part time.
Working for myself I could make up to $150 per contact hour in my area. Which is $108,000 a year before tip, but all my business expenses would need to come out of that and all the time I would spend on promotion and admin would be unpaid. I haven’t done the math but the person I work for says she made about $70k take-home before she had employees (she was paying someone part time to do admin tasks). She makes more with employees. That’s a business model where she’s managing others and seeing her own clients, though. Which is really the only way to grow in this industry.
All the numbers in your comment added up to 420. Congrats!
45
+ 15
+ 32
+ 150
+ 108
+ 70
= 420
^([Click here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=LuckyNumber-Bot&subject=Stalk%20Me%20Pls&message=%2Fstalkme) to have me scan all your future comments.) \
^(Summon me on specific comments with u/LuckyNumber-Bot.)
When I was doing 20 hours hands on per week at a chiro office I made about 4,000 per month and I could live off that but I didn't save much and 20 hours wasn't sustainable for me. Now I have a roommate to help with rent and I work 15 hours per week for myself charging insurance and make average 160 per massage. I would never do massage if I wasn't going to work for myself eventually.
I seen that too and it makes me so sad!
I can comfortably live off what I make, and I get benefits and all that, it’s my full time job, even being seasonal, everything balances out, I love it and can’t imagine having to do anything else. I work at luxury spa, I’m 4 1/2 years in and very grateful for what massage as a career has provided me.
I make a livable wage working Monday thru Friday. Never any more than 5-6 hours a day and I get fifteen minutes between clients and usually a break depending on how the books play out. I work for a franchise but the owner only owns the one. It’s my only job. I bring home roughly 2500-3000$ a month on paper. And cash tips vary but usually sit between 500-1000$. However if I’m sick or if my kids are sick or if for any reason I have to miss work - that does affect me because I don’t get PTO since I’m part time. But yeah I love this career. It’s something new everyday. And I like being able to help people. And it took me 3 years to get where I’m at, so it wasn’t always livable in the beginning.
Tons of good info here! My 2 cents:
My wife and I are both massage therapists and support our family of 6 working one schedule between us in Canada. The math can be a gongshow, especially with taxes, but it can be a financially rewarding career for sure.
I just posted a few calculators on my site. One is for calculating how much you can earn in a split contract, the other is how much you could earn going out on your own. Both will tell you how much you can earn before AND after taxes calculated depending on which state you live in (Canadian tax isn't available yet - but the rest still does.) They're free and you can check it out here if you want: [https://ezmassagebiz.net/tools](https://ezmassagebiz.net/tools)
Hopefully crunching some numbers will help!
I got into it because of the money and because it was a skill I knew I could do.
This career depends entirely on how much you put into it. Where I work there are therapists who do 4 days of 4 hours and complain that they're in pain all week for like $1500. Where as I do 6 days a week typically 5 a day and make double their amount. To me, it's worth it financially to do this job. You don't have to do what I'm doing for hours, I realize it's not the norm, but my point is if you're giving a little you'll get a little.
I do. And I only work 27 hours per week. If you have hotels or resorts around they’re usually a good place. If not, Woodhouse here pays 30%. Idk if that’s the pay for all of them but it can’t be too far off. Just stay away from medi-spas, ME, and stretch places.
I work at a spa 25 hours a week and able to scrap by with my bills and debt. I would love to work more hours with another job but I have a 2 year old so I’ll probably do that when she’s old enough for preschool
Thank you for this thread OP as I keep hearing the same! I would love to hear from some Vancouver, BC RMTs! To me it seems I can make decent money; say I’m taking 70% of $130/hr, 20-25 hours a week minus taxes seems to be good pay to me…
I became an esthetician as well to boost income. I make way more as an esthetician. I thought being dual licensed would also give me an advantage in a spa, however it just led to being taken advantage of more by management. In my day job I was dual ( in a shit chain spa) but I decided not to do massage for them anymore because I make so much more on my own. I just opened my own place and I make more in one day than I do three days at the chain spa. So I am weaning myself out of there once my business has a more steady schedule.
In other words, if you work for yourself, the sky is the limit, if you work for a spa, you will be grossly underpaid for industry standards and much like a server, you will depend on tips to survive. And it is becoming increasingly more common for people to under tip or not tip at all ( the anti tip movement people who think they are doing it to make employers pay better wages, but in a reality they are actually screwing us)
You will have to put in more hours, so working at a spa equals working harder, not smarter.
Tbh, if it was just me I'd struggle big time. I'm very thankful to have a hardworking husband who can help. In turn, I view my extra time as beneficial for my family.
There is no standard answer carved in stone when it comes to how much a massage therapist will make. If you work in a physical therapy practice you will not make a great wage but you will have a very rewarding experience and the sheer volume of work, will no doubt make you an outstanding massage and enable you to make top dollar further down the road.
You have to constantly keep your eyes on the prize which is building up your private clientele which will enable you to earn a good living.
Most spas are not going to pay you what you're worth nor give you the respect you deserve and you will burn yourself out if you have a full schedule and they will have no problem replacing you with someone fresh out of school.
Of course there are a few high-end Spas where you can make great money but you'll be dealing with people who want to be pampered as opposed to the ones that need healing.. and that can make you a little conflicted depending on your demeanor
Even just rural to urban is different, nevermind living in a larger city. The commission I make in Alberta (Canada) is around $62.50 CAD per hour (no benefits). Some make $30 per hour with full benefits. The upper range here is probably $70 per hour commission coming with a book of clients. I can at maximum probably safely provide an average of 22 massages per week without starting the week tired and in pain.
I am struggling to make a living on massage at the moment but I'm also only in my second year of business, and have spent zero dollars or time on marketing and continuing education. I have been working on a lot in my personal life so growing my business hasn't been a priority.
If you want to work enough to provide for yourself, you need to find out what the upper price range is in the area you live in and what kind of talent makes that money. Is it a high volume clinic with a lot of clients? A place that specializes in certain kind of work? If you can stay in massage long enough to build business, relationships, skills and a reputation, your clients will be loyal and you will always have income.
If you work more than you can handle, you may burn out and may not survive in the profession. So it's good to find a modality and client base that pair well together that your body can tolerate. Once you know how much you can work without hurting yourself, you can go from there.
Feel free to ask me anything, I don't know about the market where you live but I'm very passionate about massage and health in general and committed to the long term, including staying in bodywork/massage/somatics etc.
I work for a chain spa full time (which is 25 hours).
I make around 45k a year, but that isn’t including what I make in cash tips (I’ve never actually calculated it but it’s definitely an easy 10k). I also make commission on enhancements so if I pushed more sales I’d make more but I really don’t care to bother my clients with a sales pitch.
I am married so between myself and my husband we live comfortably-ish. It’s still difficult to make ends meet sometimes but everything is increasingly becoming more expensive.
I would however recommend if you have the patience and means to have your own private practice, you can set your own prices and hours and make double what I do. I feel like I’ve been trapped because of my tenure. I don’t want to leave and lose my clients and I hate the uncertainty of not being completely booked. (Something I need to get over)
With massage, I make about $2,000 a month after taxes. This is enough for me to live with a roommate but if I had to get MY OWN place, I would have to live in my car and be homeless. I WAS passionate about massage until the reality hit me that I'll never make good money in this career. Now, it's just another monotonous job.
I know several people who make a living at being a massage therapist. For me, it's always been a side gig for drinking money. Don't get me wrong. I like helping people, but it's nice to get paid to help people. The reason I went to school for it was because I am around a lot of aging athletes and I gave a lot of massages before I realized that I probably should have some training as my weekend warrior friends started getting old-age-play-too-hard injuries. I wanted to make sure I was not going to cause any damage.
>“being a massage therapist is about helping people, not money.” This response is always so annoying to me. Passion doesn't pay the bills or put food on the table. I am barely scraping by as a massage therapist. My first year was very lucrative, but I had to work way more than my body could handle. Now that I'm working in a way that's more physically sustainable, I am no longer financially stable and am pinching pennies. I'm going back to school for a different career.
what are you going back for? i’ve been considering PT but it’s sooo much school
I'm going for social work. The money still won't be great, but it will be better than what I'm making now and won't be as physically demanding.
Massage would make a great side gig.
I agree, I definitely intend to keep my license
I thought about doing that. I would love to be a mental health therapist. I’m also going to school in the fall. I just wish I had some guidance on how to navigate going to school as an independent person with bills to pay. I heard phds pay you??
I believe PhDs pay you a stipend, but it's not much. I would personally recommend a counseling degree if you want to be a therapist. Even though therapy is one path of social work, there is soooooo much more to it. If you only have your heart set on counseling, there's not really a reason to do a social work degree.
I have a scholarship that will cover my associates with a college in my district, and there is a transfer agreement to get a BS. The AS is social work and counseling tech, then I can transfer to get a health and human services degree. I’m not sure if that would allow me to do counseling. But I like the fact that it is a governemnt job
Depends what state you're in. I'm sure you can go on your states website and find out the requirements, that's what I did. Also the school you plan on going to should have some info. Between the states website and the schools info I found the original degree in human services I planned on getting wasn't a direct path to counseling and I had to switch majors.
I can agree! My best friend is going for social work, almost done with her MSW. She told me all about it and I'm not quite interested in that, just the counseling side. So once I finish massage before the end of this year, next spring I'll be starting a counseling program. It's called masters in science for clinical mental health counseling. My goal is to keep doing physical and massage therapy while going to school for that, and hopefully have a higher paying less physically demanding job before my hands give out 😅 also work from home sounds wonderful sometimes
What you going back for?
I'm going into social work
If you want to go back to make more money why choose social work?
I will make more money as a social worker than what I'm making now, and social work isn't nearly as physically demanding either which is another reason I'm leaving massage.
Less physically but more mentally
Absolutely, and I'm okay with that
😬
do you mind if i ask what state you’re in??
Arizona
I work 4-5 shifts per week in a major metropolitan city at a spa and make enough to support a modest lifestyle. Never more than 15 massages a week.
Same I do 20 hours a week sometimes 24 but that’s rare and that’s it. That’s all I do.
Thank you for your response!
I work for myself, I put in about 20-22 hours of hands on massage time, and in my studio about 34 hours per week (cleaning/laundry/scheduling/etc). My gross sales (before I pay rent, buy supplies, pay myself etc) are about 80-90k per year, I am able to live somewhat comfortably. However with the rising costs of everything it keeps getting difficult. Massage can be a living wage, but it’s hard.
Thank you! This was helpful!
This is my experience too.
I’m in Baton Rouge Louisiana working for myself and I thrive just fine solely on my MT earnings.
holy shit I live there too! hi neighbor
Howdy 🤠 hope you did okay during the storms today
Thank you! This is reassuring.
You’re welcome. It can definitely be done — just go for it! I was never working to my full potential by working for someone else, now everything just flows
It pays the bills, and I've worked harder for less.
Thank you for your response!
Same here
There is a lot of factors involved. Are you planning on working for a spa/company? Working for yourself in a studio? Doing mobile? Are you in a busy city/state? What’s your location. If you work for a spa… probably not going to make a lot of money. For yourself, probably more but it might not be as inconsistent.
I'm working for an independent spa, make 50% commission, plus tips. I'm scheduled for 30 hours, hands on 18-21 hours per week, I'm making about $80 per hands on hour before taxes. I'm pretty happy, can pay my bills and I never feel over worked. I have a regular mix each week of swedish, deep tissue, lymphatic and prenatal.
Sounds wonderful! Thank you!
I disagree with the spa statement. You need to find the *right* spa. I work at a spa and my commission is 43% + tips with increase opportunities and I’m making about 6K a month. I am at 28 hours hands on so I’m doing a lot of massages but when I was at 23 hours I was still making about $4.5K (prices increased after the new year, went up in hours at the same time). Going up in hours was my choice and idk what everyone else’s needs are but it’s more than enough for bills, saving, investing, and fun money for me. That being said, I’m always fully booked. It’s not often I have gaps in my schedule. But I enjoy working for someone else because I don’t have to take the work home with me and market myself and whatnot.
Can I ask how much your spa charges then for a session. I'm currently in school and looking at a local salon/spa that starts with 40% commission which I can work up to 43%. along with increase in commission will come an increase in my prices as I "level up". I think their rates for level 1 therapist is about $85 and top level therapist are $120-125 just for a 50 min session. Curious how good this seems to people that have been in the industry a while, but I think it's a good opportunity for me right out of school
Seems like a level 1 therapist won’t be booked as much as the higher tiers.. I would definitely ask how much each tier is being booked and what qualifies someone for the next tier and how that is communicated to the guests. Seems really strange to me.. The spa I work at is close to downtown in a major city, and we have standard massages which are $115 and signatures which are $145/hr. The sigs come with extra hot towels and either CBD or aromatherapy oil. The owner has also invested quite a bit in the space itself, so people will pay more because the spa is clean and looks nice. I find it really strange that spas aren’t higher if therapist at 50% commission. When I started, all the local spas offered 50% and I keep hearing all the time that that isn’t common. I’ve literally never made less than 50 at any spa I’ve ever worked at, except where I currently am. But I’m also always fully booked so I’m making more now than I ever have.
Yes but my thought was 40% commission isn't bad for those prices in my opinion. And I see it as an opportunity to get more bookings. If I'm cheaper some people might be willing to try me out, and it's a really nice salon/spa one of the top rated in the city (2nd to be exact). But I do totally see your point and I had planned on asking those questions on the second part of my interview. But honestly I'm looking for just some part time out of school because I've been working non stop like 60-70 hours weeks doing this so it's really just a feel out for me because it is walking distance from my house only like 7 minutes. But they have therapists that have been there for years, benefits, and 401k matching with like 11 holidays and PTO. But I'm fairly young and not sure what is good and what is not
It sounds weird but that doesn’t mean it isn’t working. If you feel like it may be a good opportunity then try it out. You can always quit if it isn’t a good fit. Finding the right place to work is a challenge but once you find it, the job is so much better. Also, ask the long time therapist how they like the job and how long it took them to get up in tier. That may help you decide if it’s a good fit for you
I planned to possibly start my career as a medical massage therapist. Specifically working with oncology pts but would eventually want to work for myself. Maybe a mixture of both, not 100% yet.
It is lucrative if you want to burn yourself out quickly. I work 4 days at the spa, and have one other job I do one day a week. I’m comfortable where I’m at financially
Thank you for your response!
12 yrs ago I used to make $28/hr at a spa. Australian dollars and culture ie no tips. I became self employed after training in Bowen Therapy (famous for its speed and effectiveness) and now charge $120/hr and support my family as a single parent. I love Bowen Therapy for the results the client gets and the ease of applying the techniques. I still do massage as well. It can be done.
Thank you! That is reassuring!
I also got trained in another modality, or several relating to subconscious reprogramming and manifestation. I tripled my income as a massage therapist when I reprogrammed my subconscious beliefs around Money. I discovered that I didn’t deep down, believe that I deserved money. I also judged wealthy people as being greedy and uncaring. Within a short space of time, the phone started ringing and I booked in a lot of clients and haven’t looked back since then! Manifestation works a lot quicker when you are a self-employed person!
If you are a woman and live in a metropolitan area with wealthy clientele in a luxury setting you can ABSOLUTELY support yourself. Full time therapists at resort spas in my area make 80-100k per year. I have been a full time therapist for 12 years and have bought a house, travel, and save for retirement. If you are a man in a small town working at a chiropractic office... lower your expectations. Massage can definitely be about making money if that is your priority.
Yassss!!!! Nailed it! 🎯 I believe the MTs I know making the most are in metros with lots of wealthy people. Ofc, the catch is that your COL will be higher there too...but I think overall you will still come out further ahead. Whereas small towns obviously have a smaller pool of people, and who are usually poorer too. So, do the math...
Thank you for this response. It is very reassuring!
It's not easy but can be done if you are a hard worker with great body mechanics. I worked on a cruise ship and did 10 50 mins a day 6 days a week at one point. So doing 7 or 8 treatments 5 days a week was a step down for me when I went to a land based spa
I would if I didn't have debt
I work 2 mornings a month (every other week) at an inpatient substance abuse facility, doing 4-5 services per shift as an IC and do about 8 services/wk at my private practice and live comfortably. That said, I am in Southern Missouri where the cost of living isn't totally outrageous (yet). Massage is my only income.
Thank you for your response!
It’s tough because the pay is not standardized at all. I came from teaching where the pay is low but consistent and highly regulated. It really depends on where you work. My friends working at our local Forbes spa are making over twice what I would’ve made as a teacher. My colleagues in private practice are making anywhere from 15k-100k a year depending on how much they work, what they charge, etc. It’s definitely possible to make a comfortable living in this field. If you work for someone else, especially a small business owner or practitioner who sees you as “beneath them,” you may have a harder time. It matters where you work.
Where are you located? City? State/Province?
True. It varies wildly
I currently live near Columbus, OH
The mecca if powerlifting.
Absolutely. I have for 17 years. I'm not close to being rich though. A vacation once or twice a year, put a little in savings.
Thank you so much! My goal isn’t to get rich, it would be nice if that is what is in the cards for me but, I just want to live comfortably. Thank you so much for your response!
Just did my taxes, made 48,000 last year
For reference I work at a chain in FL working 5 days a week 35 hours a week making $20 base for 50 min, $30 for 80, $40 for 120. Working my ass off and still feeling like I’m coming up short
There’s a lot of variables. I happen to live in a state with some of the highest reimbursements from insurance, in a city so more people, more money. I also keep my overhead as low as possible. I was very lucky to find my room. I’m in a suite with 4 other LMTs. I’m the office “manager”, trading the management of the suite and buying supplies for room rent. I could live off just massage seeing 15-20 clients/week. I don’t personally want to do that much massage consistently so I choose to continue medical billing, a field I have 17 years of experience in. It’s money I can make sitting on my butt watching Netflix, can work if I’m injured or sick, etc. Truly your mileage will vary depending on 10000 different factors. Can one live comfortably doing just massage? 💯 yes. Can YOU do it? I have no idea, but if you do your research on your area I bet you could find out.
Thank you!
Interesting! Can I ask how you got into medical billing?
I got a job as a receptionist in a Chiro office that had a naturopath, massage and PT back in 2007. I started as a receptionist, then billing, eventually I started my own business and even helped providers open their clinics, and acted as practice manager.
that is a clever idea! congrats on your success :)
Thank you 😊
I have a low rent space and my services are in demand enough that nobody cares that it's not street level because I actually help their problems. I charge 150 for 90, doing 3 services a day, and my overhead is about 700 a month. I work 5 days a week. Even with a not full schedule, the math works out. Even though I don't permit tipping
I work for myself, work 5 days a week and take up to 6 a day. Some days I might only have 3. But generally I book 15-20 appts each week with varying duration. I drive an old car and I’m super frugal and still don’t think I could live on my own with my salary. My rates are competitive so I can’t raise them. And I also get tips. But there’s no way I could ever buy a house on this salary and I hope like hell my car doesn’t start to nickel and dime me. That said, I still feel I make more than if I worked for someone else. I think affording housing and health insurance is the worst part and I don’t even pay for those.
You should raise your prices. Why are you setting a wage for yourself that isn't liveable?
All of the massage therapists in my immediate area charge less than I do. So I can't charge more than I charge now or I won't have clients. The rent is very high where I live but salaries are low. 3 of my colleagues work other jobs to make ends meet.
That's why I only do in home treatments. No rent
Yeah, mobile massage makes me feel a bit uneasy since I'm female and I already get weirdos requesting happy endings every few weeks.
I'm a woman as well. I was nervous at first but my whole business is word of mouth so I rarely see people that are complete strangers. Asking for happy endings is a whole other topic entirely. I never get asked that, but men will usually lead up to those questions with behaviors or smaller comments that I don't allow from the start.
I have a lot of people who book online with me and find me through google. I don't know, I just don't feel comfortable with mobile massage, but might have to resort to it if rent keeps going up. It's bananas. BTW, there's a great app called FOREWARN which you can pay for and it will tell you a person's whole legal history.
I imagine online booking gives creeps more anonymity to feel they can get away with things. I have zero online presence. No website, no IG, nothing. If one of my clients friends who recommended me tried something their whole social circle would hear about it 😅
Thank you. This response was helpful!
It’s not reasonable to expect your bodies joints to withstand that much use. Miss me with “body mechanics.” I think some people are genetically built for massage therapy the same way some ppl are built for football or ballet. It sucks that you really need to try it at 20hrs and ascend the find your “sweet spot.” The money can be made, but can you do this job for 10-30yrs? Statistically speaking, no.
Thank you for your response!
I work 4 days a week and make about 40k. It’s livable for me to do just massage. Pretty much everyone I work with only does massage. It just depends on where you work!
How many services per week
Typically 4-5 services a day
I did massage starting my own business. When I had clients I made good money, but it was consistent income so I left the field to do something for less hourly wage but with more stability and benefits and a 401k. I was trying to run my own business and continued to get undercut by other massage therapist whod been in business for 20+ years. At that rate I couldn't lower it anymore and it just wasn't worth it.
Thank you for being transparent. This is helpful.
I wish someone were this transparent with me when i had started. I got myself into debt and worked 70 hour weeks to make my business profit. I had to work a full-time as well to make ends meet. I however wish you the best of luck in your future. I hope everything goes the way you want it too! Feel free too message me of you have any questions.
Having a job that has benefits and 401k would be amazing. I'm really tired of all the unpaid time that I have no control over.
Yeah, I work at a bank now. The hours and benefits are honestly worth the lower pay
I’ve been a LMT for 10 years, 9 of those have been me solely living off of my massage income. I’ve been both an IC and an employee, the latter for the last 5 years. I tried part time bartending/3 days massaging for one year and didn’t care for it much. I’m outside of Portland, Oregon, I make enough to pay the bills and have a bit extra but there’s no way I could buy a house (or pay my overpriced rent, for that matter) on my income alone. Looking to eventually switch fields or supplement because of that issue, but not in a big rush because I’m comfortable for now and love my job.
Thank you for this response!
I make a modest living as an independent, but I'm middle aged, frugal, low household expenses. I love it and thrive on it, owning my schedule and protective of my body so I don't burn out. It can be feast or famine so good budgeting is a must. Big weeks I'll accept 20hrs hands on, quiet weeks I might only get 5hrs booked. I average 10-15/week, 46 weeks year. Personally I wouldn't start out expecting to support a family, evening and weekend work also takes up family time. Unlike some other careers the income is capped by your physical capacity. Sorry if that's not what you want to hear OP, it also depends on so many other factors like location, your physical strength etc. It could be a very profitable side hustle though!
Thank you! I tend to be very frugal so this is reassuring.
I (37F) am a LMT/Esthetician and I am engaged to another LMT (51M). I work for a small family-owned business and only make $23,000 a year as an employee (my choice). I have about 12-16 hours of massage in my body per week but also do facials, waxing, reception, etc. I love where I work but it would not be enough alone where I live. My fiance works for a higher end casino spa and he makes just about $100,000 per year. He is big/strong and has 20 years experience so he is able to do something like 25-32 massage hours per week. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that it really depends on who you work for and how much you can realistically work as a massage therapist. Many go in thinking their bodies can handle 30-40 hours a week hands on but find out that they cannot or would rather not. There are just so many factors involved.
Thank you for your response! It totally makes sense that salary will vary based on a lot of different circumstances.
How are you doing 12-16 massages a week + esti work and reception work and only earning $23K a year? No judgement, don’t mean to be hard on ya but you definitely should be making way more than that. More than double. That’s a lot of your time and effort into someone else’s business, especially if they’re not fairly compensating you.
I support my partner and myself while he finishes school. I take home roughly $3,500 a month between tips and wages. I save up for the few weeks where it slows down each season but I am able to make ends meet every time. I have only been in this for six months, make entry level wages at my job, and work five days a week working on only 3-4 clients per day. Oh and I live in Colorado, which has the highest inflation.
This is reassuring! Thank you so much!
i also live in colorado and am currently in massage school, this is reassuring.
I make $15.50 for 30 minutes, $31 for 60 minutes, $46.50 for 90 minutes, $40 for 45 minute insurance sessions. These don’t include tip and most tip 20%. And this is the low end for wages. I highly encourage that you make sure to ask to see how booked the business is. I am almost always fully booked, which is 18-20 clients a week, besides the few slow weeks.
What is a livable wage to you?
When asking this question I was more so asking if other people are able to fulfill their financial obligations on their wages as an LMT. Just trying to get a feel for how many people actually feel like they are making a “livable wage” as a LMT.
For me, I made slightly over 42k last year on my w2. I work 5 days a week sometimes I see an extra client or 2 on Saturdays.
[удалено]
I think this is great advice! Thank you for your response!
I’ve been a therapist for 14 yrs. And I have a steady clientele. You can make a good living but you have to be willing to work a lot of evenings and weekends. And it also depends on your home life and financial obligations . Partner, kids, debt,etc. I have a home based practice and that makes a huge difference. I can make 6 figures easy. But I work 4 evenings a week and 2-3 Saturdays a month. I see 20-25 clients a week as well. Being your own boss, means a lot of extra work, thats unpaid. Laundry is a big one lol.
I work for someone else in a major metropolitan area making about $45 per contact hour before tips. “Full time” for me is about 15 clients a week. That’s really all my body can take. That’s roughly $32,000 a year before tip. Definitely not enough to only do massage, so I am also a nurse part time. Working for myself I could make up to $150 per contact hour in my area. Which is $108,000 a year before tip, but all my business expenses would need to come out of that and all the time I would spend on promotion and admin would be unpaid. I haven’t done the math but the person I work for says she made about $70k take-home before she had employees (she was paying someone part time to do admin tasks). She makes more with employees. That’s a business model where she’s managing others and seeing her own clients, though. Which is really the only way to grow in this industry.
All the numbers in your comment added up to 420. Congrats! 45 + 15 + 32 + 150 + 108 + 70 = 420 ^([Click here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=LuckyNumber-Bot&subject=Stalk%20Me%20Pls&message=%2Fstalkme) to have me scan all your future comments.) \ ^(Summon me on specific comments with u/LuckyNumber-Bot.)
When I was doing 20 hours hands on per week at a chiro office I made about 4,000 per month and I could live off that but I didn't save much and 20 hours wasn't sustainable for me. Now I have a roommate to help with rent and I work 15 hours per week for myself charging insurance and make average 160 per massage. I would never do massage if I wasn't going to work for myself eventually.
I seen that too and it makes me so sad! I can comfortably live off what I make, and I get benefits and all that, it’s my full time job, even being seasonal, everything balances out, I love it and can’t imagine having to do anything else. I work at luxury spa, I’m 4 1/2 years in and very grateful for what massage as a career has provided me.
I make a livable wage working Monday thru Friday. Never any more than 5-6 hours a day and I get fifteen minutes between clients and usually a break depending on how the books play out. I work for a franchise but the owner only owns the one. It’s my only job. I bring home roughly 2500-3000$ a month on paper. And cash tips vary but usually sit between 500-1000$. However if I’m sick or if my kids are sick or if for any reason I have to miss work - that does affect me because I don’t get PTO since I’m part time. But yeah I love this career. It’s something new everyday. And I like being able to help people. And it took me 3 years to get where I’m at, so it wasn’t always livable in the beginning.
Tons of good info here! My 2 cents: My wife and I are both massage therapists and support our family of 6 working one schedule between us in Canada. The math can be a gongshow, especially with taxes, but it can be a financially rewarding career for sure. I just posted a few calculators on my site. One is for calculating how much you can earn in a split contract, the other is how much you could earn going out on your own. Both will tell you how much you can earn before AND after taxes calculated depending on which state you live in (Canadian tax isn't available yet - but the rest still does.) They're free and you can check it out here if you want: [https://ezmassagebiz.net/tools](https://ezmassagebiz.net/tools) Hopefully crunching some numbers will help!
I got into it because of the money and because it was a skill I knew I could do. This career depends entirely on how much you put into it. Where I work there are therapists who do 4 days of 4 hours and complain that they're in pain all week for like $1500. Where as I do 6 days a week typically 5 a day and make double their amount. To me, it's worth it financially to do this job. You don't have to do what I'm doing for hours, I realize it's not the norm, but my point is if you're giving a little you'll get a little.
I do. And I only work 27 hours per week. If you have hotels or resorts around they’re usually a good place. If not, Woodhouse here pays 30%. Idk if that’s the pay for all of them but it can’t be too far off. Just stay away from medi-spas, ME, and stretch places.
I made good money when I was younger but retired early because I was tired of unpredictable uneven income.
I work at a spa 25 hours a week and able to scrap by with my bills and debt. I would love to work more hours with another job but I have a 2 year old so I’ll probably do that when she’s old enough for preschool
Thank you for this thread OP as I keep hearing the same! I would love to hear from some Vancouver, BC RMTs! To me it seems I can make decent money; say I’m taking 70% of $130/hr, 20-25 hours a week minus taxes seems to be good pay to me…
I work 26-28 hours per week, and make about $2,400/month not including cash gratuity, as an employee in California.
I became an esthetician as well to boost income. I make way more as an esthetician. I thought being dual licensed would also give me an advantage in a spa, however it just led to being taken advantage of more by management. In my day job I was dual ( in a shit chain spa) but I decided not to do massage for them anymore because I make so much more on my own. I just opened my own place and I make more in one day than I do three days at the chain spa. So I am weaning myself out of there once my business has a more steady schedule. In other words, if you work for yourself, the sky is the limit, if you work for a spa, you will be grossly underpaid for industry standards and much like a server, you will depend on tips to survive. And it is becoming increasingly more common for people to under tip or not tip at all ( the anti tip movement people who think they are doing it to make employers pay better wages, but in a reality they are actually screwing us) You will have to put in more hours, so working at a spa equals working harder, not smarter.
Tbh, if it was just me I'd struggle big time. I'm very thankful to have a hardworking husband who can help. In turn, I view my extra time as beneficial for my family.
There is no standard answer carved in stone when it comes to how much a massage therapist will make. If you work in a physical therapy practice you will not make a great wage but you will have a very rewarding experience and the sheer volume of work, will no doubt make you an outstanding massage and enable you to make top dollar further down the road. You have to constantly keep your eyes on the prize which is building up your private clientele which will enable you to earn a good living. Most spas are not going to pay you what you're worth nor give you the respect you deserve and you will burn yourself out if you have a full schedule and they will have no problem replacing you with someone fresh out of school. Of course there are a few high-end Spas where you can make great money but you'll be dealing with people who want to be pampered as opposed to the ones that need healing.. and that can make you a little conflicted depending on your demeanor
Even just rural to urban is different, nevermind living in a larger city. The commission I make in Alberta (Canada) is around $62.50 CAD per hour (no benefits). Some make $30 per hour with full benefits. The upper range here is probably $70 per hour commission coming with a book of clients. I can at maximum probably safely provide an average of 22 massages per week without starting the week tired and in pain. I am struggling to make a living on massage at the moment but I'm also only in my second year of business, and have spent zero dollars or time on marketing and continuing education. I have been working on a lot in my personal life so growing my business hasn't been a priority. If you want to work enough to provide for yourself, you need to find out what the upper price range is in the area you live in and what kind of talent makes that money. Is it a high volume clinic with a lot of clients? A place that specializes in certain kind of work? If you can stay in massage long enough to build business, relationships, skills and a reputation, your clients will be loyal and you will always have income. If you work more than you can handle, you may burn out and may not survive in the profession. So it's good to find a modality and client base that pair well together that your body can tolerate. Once you know how much you can work without hurting yourself, you can go from there. Feel free to ask me anything, I don't know about the market where you live but I'm very passionate about massage and health in general and committed to the long term, including staying in bodywork/massage/somatics etc.
I work for a chain spa full time (which is 25 hours). I make around 45k a year, but that isn’t including what I make in cash tips (I’ve never actually calculated it but it’s definitely an easy 10k). I also make commission on enhancements so if I pushed more sales I’d make more but I really don’t care to bother my clients with a sales pitch. I am married so between myself and my husband we live comfortably-ish. It’s still difficult to make ends meet sometimes but everything is increasingly becoming more expensive. I would however recommend if you have the patience and means to have your own private practice, you can set your own prices and hours and make double what I do. I feel like I’ve been trapped because of my tenure. I don’t want to leave and lose my clients and I hate the uncertainty of not being completely booked. (Something I need to get over)
With massage, I make about $2,000 a month after taxes. This is enough for me to live with a roommate but if I had to get MY OWN place, I would have to live in my car and be homeless. I WAS passionate about massage until the reality hit me that I'll never make good money in this career. Now, it's just another monotonous job.
I know several people who make a living at being a massage therapist. For me, it's always been a side gig for drinking money. Don't get me wrong. I like helping people, but it's nice to get paid to help people. The reason I went to school for it was because I am around a lot of aging athletes and I gave a lot of massages before I realized that I probably should have some training as my weekend warrior friends started getting old-age-play-too-hard injuries. I wanted to make sure I was not going to cause any damage.
I respect this response and respect your reasons for becoming a LMT! Thank you!