For adults who are seeking a career change or traditional students who are examining career options for the first time, massage therapy may be exactly what they are seeking. People who enjoy working hands on with others in a health and wellness setting and have the discipline to work autonomously may find the massage therapy field to be an excellent match.
Massage therapy candidates in the State of Florida are required to attend a minimum of 500 hours of a massage therapy course as part of an approved program or complete an approved 12 month apprenticeship. Licensed massage therapists in Florida earn on average more than $38,000 each year (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_fl.htm).
Those who opt for massage therapy coursework should consider certain factors. First, prospective students must ensure that the massage therapy program they would like to attend is recognized by the state and properly accredited in order to fulfill the education requirement for licensing. Cost will also be an important consideration for most prospective students.
Contacting the financial aid advisers at institutions of interest can allow students to gain insight into how much value a program offers for its tuition costs, and the adviser can inform the student about financial aid and help students ascertain how much aid they may be qualified to receive. Nontraditional adult students who work full time and/or have family responsibilities should also research institutions that offer flexible scheduling to accommodate adults with limited availability during traditional school hours.
Potential Career Opportunities
Upon graduating and becoming licensed, massage therapists may pursue a great variety of work environments. Most massage therapists work part time and are self-employed. Self-employed therapists may work from home or secure an outside location to set up a personal massage practice.
There is also a growing trend of massage therapists now traveling to their client's location, which eliminates the need and expense of maintaining a separate location from which to provide services and may be more comfortable than having clients come to the therapist's home. Self-employed massage therapists tend to be required to obtain their own equipment and supplies and are required to perform all administrative tasks like marketing, promotion, and managing client bookings.
Other massage therapists work as staff members who are employed by a larger company. Therapists who work in spas, chiropractic clinics, sports medicine centers, sometimes work as employees and are not self-employed. Working as an employee of a larger business offers the benefit of having assistance with marketing and procuring clients. The business also typically provides work space, materials, and equipment for the massage therapist.
Massage clients are just as varied as the therapists themselves. Depending on a massage therapist's area of specialty, he or she may work with pregnant women to perform very specialized pregnancy massage. Some massage therapists work in hospitals to help encourage the healing process in patients who may suffer from serious injury or chronic illness. Massage therapists who work in gyms and sports medicine settings tend to see athletes and regular people who desire to improve their fitness. Their clients may simply wish to enhance their fitness regimen with massage therapy, or they may need help with rehabilitating an injury or easing chronic tension.
Find Your Massage Therapy School
Those who are seeking a dynamic career in a field that focuses on improving quality of life may find that a career in massage therapy is ideal for them. With Massage Register you can search for massage schools in your area and compare the programs that interest you.
