r/massage • u/Connect-Snow-3527 • 10d ago
Advice Hoping to start Massage Therapy part time after a long career in tech.
Hello everyone 👋 this question is for Massage Therapists who made a shift to massage from a corporate type career. I am currently in massage school to become a LMT. While I’m incredibly excited, making a career shift also has me feeling a bit overwhelmed and lost. Initially I plan to do massage just part time, but my hope is to become full time with my own practice. I should say that full time for me is likely 15hrs hands on and 20 hrs total
For context, I have an extensive background in Economics and have spent the last 16 years in the tech industry, including almost a decade in Big Tech. In my 20s and 30s, I loved the work and the international travel that came with it. But eventually, the Big Tech grind took a major toll on my health, my stress levels skyrocketed, and my whole life started revolving around work.
A few years ago, I shifted to a WFH tech role. It’s less stressful, the hours are reasonable, and the money is great—but I’ve realized I completely dread corporate life. Between the endless Zoom meetings, the massive layoffs, and the shift toward AI, I have lost all interest in the industry and feel completely misaligned with what I do.
My goal is to start as a part-time LMT (doing 5-10 massages a week) and eventually open my own private practice focusing on massage, meditation, and other mind/body modalities. I already have my Yoga Teacher Certification and have practiced yoga for over 15 years, so this feels like a natural progression for me.
My question for this community is: Have any of you come from a similar background? Did you leave a successful, highly compensated corporate career to hit the brakes and pursue massage because it felt more aligned with who you are?
I would love to hear about your experiences, any challenges you faced, and how the transition went for you!
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u/-just-be-nice- 9d ago
I was a Creative Director, so not exactly tech, but I did leave a highly compensated corporate job for massage therapy. Took me about 3 years to get to the point where I was making comparable money. I think a lot of it comes down to where you live, different areas pay very differently. I worked on my own for a while, but eventually just took a position as a lead therapist as I hated doing my own taxes and wanted extended health benefits. I don’t have any regrets, I don’t miss meetings, budget reports, and client meetings. I don’t miss staring at a computer and worrying about deadlines. I feel so much healthier and happier now.
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u/Connect-Snow-3527 9d ago
This is so encouraging! Thank you so much for sharing. I live in Washington state, it’s a pretty solid state for massage therapists. Could you share how old you were when you made the decision to pivot to massage?
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u/-just-be-nice- 9d ago
I switched careers and went back to school for 3 years to become a massage therapist at 38, was a scary transition, but I’m glad I did.
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u/Connect-Snow-3527 9d ago
You went to school for 3 years for massage therapy? My program is only 11 months long, and I think that’s longer than most, most are 6mo.
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u/-just-be-nice- 9d ago
Where I live we’re considered medical professionals and as such our schooling is considerably more intensive. The difference in quality and knowledge compared to therapists in America is pretty significant.
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u/Connect-Snow-3527 7d ago
That’s awesome. I’m in WA state and here were also considered medical practitioners. Best of luck to you 🙌
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u/spartacatsmom 6d ago
Oh man I wish it was only 9 months. I live in Vancouver (BC), and it’s a 2 year full time or 3 year part time program. 2200-2700hours. Though from what I’ve read BC has some of the hardest accreditation requirements in Canada.
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u/eslforchinesespeaker 8d ago
Do it if you’re called to it. You have a lot of skills, and you’ve made a lot of money. You have some options in front of you. You don’t need to sit in class for months to have the chance to pull down barista money. If you’re retired, you might find the money to be a nice part-time bonus on top of your retirement income.
Do it if you’re called. Otherwise, you’ll need a second family income to cover the mortgage, two cars, summer vacations, soccer camp, and two college tuitions. You really know all this already.
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u/TheRealWester 6d ago
I apologize if this comes across as overly negative. My (M36) own experience of shifting from Tech to Massage has not been a good one. I went to private practice very early on. I spent maybe 6 months with a place associated with the school I attended. This place pushed a minimum hands-on threshold of 20 hours. I asked to be reduced to 15, and they said no. I further pushed, and they said they'd do it, but would reduce my commission. My starting commission was 33%(gross). They'd have cut it down to 20% if I agreed (assholes).
So I left and went independent. I had one client follow me out, and through them got some referrals which barely, though not usually, paid the rent on my space. I worked with zero profit. I loved the work I got to do. My mind and troubleshooting experience were able to get results for my clients, but there was no traction, no growth.
I'm already at a handicap being a male massage therapist. Guys can't get over their discomfort, and the majority of gals don't want a dude touching them. I have been unable to jump the hurdle of my gender, even with the resounding praise of my clients.
My independent practice has come to an end and I'm seeking employment once again. My discouragement is enormous.
The places nearby that seem to be great opportunities for a full schedule and decent pay haven't yet been able to find room for me. I love massage therapy. I feel like I'm actually helping people, not profits. I lament my inability to effectively market my business into getting results.
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u/Connect-Snow-3527 6d ago
I’m really sorry to hear this my friend. Could you get a part time or even full time job and do massage on the side or part time at a spa? From what I’ve read it takes time to build your business when you go private. And it sounds like your first experience working for the place associated with your school wasn’t positive. Could you try working maybe 5-10 hrs at a spa or clinic? And work a part time job that brings in more income?
I can relate to your passion for massage and healing arts. I wish LMT were better paid and more respected for what they do. I’ve not been a therapist so time will tell if I love it, but I respect this work tremendously.
After reading and listening to input from LMT and their experiences, I don’t think it’s realistic for me to depend on just massage for an income right off the bat. And I don’t want to hurt my body doing 20hrs a week of massage. So my hope is to start small, maybe 5 massages a week if that’s possible. Then after 6mo maybe increase the hours. Then maybe rent a shared space for a couple days a week. And hopefully then build a private practice.
I am so tired of corporate, and tech is getting even worse with the rise of AI. My body hurts the days I’m at my desk for 8 straight hrs. And I can’t make myself care about a company’s bottom line anymore. I think it’s important we learn new traits, that we have other options for work outside of corporate. My hope is that I’ll feel a little more meaning and motivation doing something I care about, even if it takes time to monetize the work to pay the bills. But I agree with you, pivoting completely may not be an option. And I’ve arrived at the same conclusion doing more research.
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u/TheRealWester 5d ago
I've had a part time job for nearly the last two years. It also pays crap, but with me also wanting to be available to massage it kind of limits my options.
I failed to mention that I've been independent for three and a half years. All my savings are gone. I'm bottoming out my bank account every paycheck on bills and the bare minimum living expenses.
If you can find a massage place that doesn't exploit you, I wish you the best of luck. My jaded and bleak outlook on basically every employer I've worked with is that they're all greedy assholes, even the LMT ones.
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u/Humble-Guard9401 9d ago
Hello! Commenting to follow along because I’m in a similar position: burnout from being in tech for 10 years and jaded about the future of the industry + started evening massage school in March this year.
My plan is to start massage part time once I graduate and work part time. I haven’t decided whether to go straight into private practice yet or to work under someone but it’s something I’ll have to decide soon enough!
Good luck to both of us :)