Factors Affecting Massage Therapy Salary

July 23rd 2009 Posted at Healthy Tips
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by Janette Lindz

Different people have different reasons for engaging in a career in massage therapy. One reason may be because it is a lucrative field. Before you think of getting into the profession, you should know that there are some factors that may affect your massage therapy salary.

The Averages

Different sites and different organizations may have different estimates and averages for a typical massage therapy salary. It is estimated that the hourly massage therapy salary average is around $15. The estimated annual massage therapy salary is around $50,000 or more. These estimates however are averages and do not necessarily take into consideration the many different factors that can affect an individual practitioner’s business.

Business or Part Time

A major point that can affect your massage therapy salary is whether you own the business or you are working for a senior therapist . Naturally, owning your own business might make you earn more but you have to remember that as a business owner, you also have to spend for a variety of things including rent, business tax, office maintenance and employees’ salaries among others. As a clinic employee or a part time practitioner, you may own a fixed rate or you may earn only when your boss has clients.

Expertise

A massage therapy salary is directly affected by how good you are in what you do. You might begin with just a reasonable income but you can build your income if your present clients think you are good enough to tell others about. The better you are, the more clients you’ll get. Naturally, you can also charge higher.

Geographic Location

Another important factor affecting your career and salary as a therapist is your clinic’s strategic location. Your income may be affected by the number of people in your area who can afford massages, the competition and the salary guidelines in your state.

Marketing

More income and higher salary can also come from well-planned advertising scheme. Good strategic advertising can get you enough clients to earn a good income.

Time Spent

The number of hours you spend in massaging clients everyday will affect your massage therapy salary. Common sense would tell you that the more hours you spend working, the more you earn. On the average, a massage therapist should have an average daily work time of 4-5 hours a day to earn well.

Pricing Strategy

Clients have varying preferences as to how long they want to be massaged. Some will only come in for a fraction of an hour. Studying the number of clients who only come in for a fraction of an hour and a good pricing plan can help boost your massage therapy salary. If you find that more and more clients prefer 30 minute massages, then you can fix your hourly rate into an amount that would make it a higher but better bargain than separate fraction of an hour massages.

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Learn your options for a massage therapy career. Enroll in a massage therapy class and find out more on massage therapy salary.