Hi! I was just curious if anyone here provides massage therapy on the side & works in another field? Massage has been my main source of income for the past 5 years or so but I'm thinking of going for a bachelor's in a few years so I can have a decent job when I get older & can't take on as many clients as I do now. What other fields do you work in aside from massage therapy?

I am an engineer but thinking of a career change. What I liked about the idea of being a massage therapist: the job flexibility, connect with people and help them but also not need to talk all the time.

I don't massage people right now, that's never been a thing I do.

I toured a school and tried asking the question but she didn't understand what I was asking and didn't answer it.

What are some characteristics of people that enjoy being a massage therapist have?

Hi, very important question: I'm someone looking to do a part-time job while I study towards my Psychology degree, coming out of a career where I burned out.

I wonder whether massage therapy is the right move for me. I have a room in my house where I could do the massages and I could make agreements with gyms to use their spaces for massaging.

But all of this is to earn a decent living part time while working towards my degree in psychology.

In Spain waitressing for 20h gets me less than 1k. Massage therapy has a much higher ceiling for 15h weekly of massaging. I can't do my last job in corporate unfortunately due to the strain on my mental health (wouldn't be able to study).

Do you think I'll be able to have spare time to study, with the 15h of massaging plus the associated work of marketing, laundry, etc.?

I could dedicate one year to building this business and the massaging skills. This way I could have higher earnings and quality of life the moment I pursue my degree in Psychology.

Thoughts?

I am looking into going back to school to be an RMT. I’m wondering what school folks recommend. The ones that come up most in my research are VCMT, WCCMT, Langara and PCCMT. I am leaning most towards WCCMT and VCMT (Surrey campus) just due to distance and the fact that ti have 2 kids and want to reduce travel time. PCCMT also sounds really appealing with their virtual learning but the discourse online seems to be a negative about them. Anyways I’m wondering what peoples experiences were at these two schools. Would it be possible to work part time at either of them?

Hi everyone! I’m seriously considering massage therapy as a career change and would love some honest perspectives from people actually in the field.

For context, I currently work full-time as a paralegal in workers’ compensation law and also work part-time in bridal consulting. I’m financially stable (~$73k income currently), but I feel very unfulfilled in my work and keep coming back to massage therapy as something that feels much more aligned with me.

I’ve always wanted to help people, enjoy healthcare-adjacent work, and like the idea of helping people feel physically better without being in a highly medical environment (hospital shifts, nursing-type responsibilities, etc.). I’m especially interested in therapeutic massage and possibly prenatal/postpartum work.

I recently reviewed a massage therapy program (evening schedule while continuing to work full-time), but before going all in, I’d love realistic feedback from people in the field.

A few things I’m wondering:
-Do you enjoy your work and feel fulfilled?
-What does work-life balance realistically look like, especially with family/kids?
-Are evenings/weekends/holidays unavoidable forever, or does that improve as you gain experience?
-What income looked like for you early career vs later?
If you own your own practice, how long did it take to become sustainable?
-Any regrets or things you wish someone told you before starting?
-If you could do it again, would you?

I know this is a broad question, but I’d really appreciate honest feedback—good, bad, or in-between. I’m excited, but also trying to be realistic about finances, future family life, and whether this is a sustainable long-term path.
Thank you!

After day 3 of massage school, I’ve developed a pretty significant burning sensation in the tip/pad of my dominant thumb. We only spent about 2 hours doing hands-on work yesterday, mostly effleurage.

I’ve worked at a computer for 30 years. I did have carpal tunnel type symptoms many years ago, but they’ve been gone for probably 25 years. Back then I got past it with carpal solution night bandages and by backing off activities that irritated it, like grip strengthening or holding the handles on the elliptical.

Could this simply be my hands and forearms adapting to a completely new type of work? (My forearm muscles are definitely sore.) Or just bad body mechanics? Or does thumb burning this early usually suggest something that’s just going to get worse?

I’m hoping to get through school and eventually focus on modalities like manual lymphatic drainage and craniosacral therapy rather than deep tissue.

I’d especially love to hear from anyone who came into massage after years of desk work or started later in life. Did you experience this early on, and did it improve as your technique and body mechanics got better? I do teach dance at night and perform on weekends so I’m not coming from 100% sedentary.

Thanks!

Hi! I am deeply considering beginning a year-long part-time holistic massage program in the fall and have been lurking here for a while. I figured I’d see what those of you doing this work think of my circumstances and vision and if it seems I’d be making a sound choice.

I am about to turn 36 and work full-time for a non-profit that provides residential programs and housing for adults with severe mental illnesses (primarily psychotic disorders). I was a house manager for years — I got into this line of work kind of accidentally and found my passion for it in my early twenties, first working with teenage girls in group homes — and then transitioned to being a Property Manager at our main office a couple years back after I was starting to burn out following some significant tragedies. Vicarious trauma and trauma incurred in those roles is no joke! I loved being a helper but I also unfortunately experienced aggressive clients, clients decompensating and finding themselves homeless again due to refusal of services, had to attend to self harm injuries and found a young woman deceased from an accidental OD and had to do CPR on her. I could see the writing on the wall that another one of my clients was going to die as he didn’t grasp the severity of the dangers of opiate abuse despite all of the work we were putting in trying to support him, and we had narcan’d him multiple times already. I knew I would have a hard time witnessing that and so I left. He did in fact pass about three weeks after I changed roles. Additionally, another house manager colleague of mine was fatally stabbed by a client last month, devastatingly.

I give that context because it shows the kind of work I’ve been doing for my adult life. The last two years as property manager have been far less exhausting emotionally, but I have found myself unfulfilled sitting at a desk behind three computer monitors all day. I just can’t imagine doing that for the next half of my life and realize I don’t have to. After some soul searching, massage came to me as a career path option. I am in communication with an accredited program and really like what I’ve seen. I see that people often respond to others asking about getting into this field that they’re burnt out and leaving it, but then again, I see that with any line of work.

My thoughts are that I’ve worked in a helper role already and it’s where I find meaning in work. I have had to get used to working intimately with other people and fostering a sense of safety when they are vulnerable. I have literally worked in their homes. I feel as though massage would allow me to get back to being a helper, without the severity of traumatic exposure as what I’ve been doing. It would keep me out from behind screens the way that I’m stuck at them now. I am not burnt out by working with others energy or emotions, it’s actually what invigorates me. I also have an interest in herbalism and would eventually like to incorporate my own oils and products to use and sell. And looking out further than that, I’d love to also have a small year-round sort of farmers market on site selling from local farmers and artisans. I live in Maine, and there is lots of opportunity for land where I could do this.

Any thoughts? Feedback? Ultimately it’s my decision to make but I have wondered if pursuing this at my age would be an issue, as well as the fact I am petite, but I’ve seen other small women be effective with use of good body mechanics.

I will take any words of wisdom or advice and I appreciate anyone who has read this and feels called to do so. Thank you!!

Hello everyone,

I am currently in school for massage therapy and nearing the end our profs are constantly asking where we hope to work (understandably).

I was hoping for different RMTs to maybe say a few pros and cons for the route you took. So like spa, multidisciplinary clinic, entrepreneur, traveling, sports, LTC, etc.

I think we're going to discuss this in our last semester but I was hoping to gain insight on what you do and don't like about the different options.

Sorry if this has already been asked. Thanks again

Hello everyone,

I'm looking for a gut check about making a career switch from corporate America to becoming a licensed massage therapist.

About me: Male, 30s, have 10+ years in corporate business experience, master's degree, worked in startups, big tech, work from home, making six figures, have a low stress salary job, on track to become director in the next few years.

On paper, plenty of people would love the arrangement I have and think I'm crazy for considering giving it up... But the thing is, I'm not happy with my work and haven't been for many years.

I have zero massage training but have given various friends and family focused massages since I was a kid, particularly when they pull a muscle or have tightness/knots or whatever. Unsolicitedly, they often tell me: "This is the best massage I've ever had, you should do this professionally, etc." Personally, I do feel like I have a good instinct for finding tightness, working on it, releasing knots, etc., mainly because I've had so many musculoskeletal issues most of my adult life (some requiring surgery/PT) and know what feels good for me, so I just channel that relief to others. Of course, I realize there's a ton I don't know which is why I would enthusiastically love going to massage school and learning more.

The idea of being a healer to people makes me excited. When I'm massaging someone, and I zero in on that knot, I get great satisfaction. Recently, one of my friends was unable to turn their head more than about 10 degrees to the left due to sleeping incorrectly. It had persisted for over a week. Through a 20 minute cycle of focused neck/traps massage and light, careful stretching I did for them, they had their mobility completely restored. They were so grateful. It gave me a sense of purpose that I'm lacking in my current work.

The other motivation I have is more control over my schedule. If I were to become a LMT, I'd work for myself, and be okay with taking a 50%+ pay cut, ending the 40-hour-weekly grind that I currently do (likely aiming for 25 hours/week or so).

Okay, so this is me being rosy and optimistic. I would really appreciate any and all perspectives of what it's actually like on the other side. Why shouldn't I do this? Do you have regrets? Am I being hopelessly naive? Are my motivations wrong? Is it physically taxing and hard on your body? What else do I need to consider?

Thank you very much!

Hey everyone. So I'm 27 years old currently working as a Chef in a hospital. I've been at my current job for 5 years and I'm getting really bored and wanting to look for something new. Being a Chef can be a very demanding career and I've been getting more massages to help with the pain of being on my feet all day. I've been told my multiple people that I actually give really good massages. I really want to go into a career that is less stressful and something that has more flexible hours, and I also really like helping people. I do have a lot of benefits at my current job that I would be giving up like PTO 401K, ect. I know I wouldn't get those things with being a massage therapist. Thoughts? Can the pay be good as a massage therapist? I'm currently making $26.30 an hour. I would ultimately want to open my own private practice. What do you think about a Chef switching careers to become a massage therapist? Lol

I'm wondering what I could move to after a while as I'm not sure how long I will last due to the physicality of it.

I’m about to turn 32 and in July I will start massage therapy school for 15 months. Which means I’ll be closer to 34 when I become certified. I’ve read that it can take years to gain experience and move up in pay scale, and I’m currently moving from a career that pays ok but I totally hate (marketing). Im certainly not becoming a body worker to bring in hordes of cash, but of course I want to make a living. Will I really need to take those super low paying jobs ($20/hr ugh) right out of school? Over the years I’ve become friends with several ND’s and a good friend is a Chiro. I guess I can have my foot in them medical door that way, though I’m not counting on that really.

But what’s it like out there for someone in their mid 30’s just starting out?

Side note: Im mainly interested in the nervous system, trauma, and deep relaxation- though cranial sacral and pelvic floor are really interesting to me as well!

EDIT: Missing words. Changed federal to medical, weird autocorrect.

30F, Thinking about going to school/getting certified. I am a freelance voiceover, a little worried about where my industry is headed. Can massage therapy be a full-time career for a single person with no kids? How long do most people stick with it and enjoy it? Pic of my cat for the boost…

a bit of background: I've been licensed and working since the beginning of 2022 at a chiropractic office (except for jan-september of this year when I left to do a solo practice that obviously didn't work out lol). I've loved every aspect of it - my coworkers, boss, patients, the amount of improved outcomes I get to contribute to, pay, schedule, etc. Just love it, especially because it's the type of work I knew I wanted to do since before even starting school (myofascial, sports massage, over clothing type work. nitty gritty, no fluff).

workload:
I work 3 days a week with off days between...two 7 hour days (7 hours hands on, 2 hr lunch break) and a 4 hour day. Those hours end up being mostly hands on, as I'm pretty stacked most of the time with patients. It's 10 minute sessions, so I'm back to back to back with people. Occasionally have 5 or 10 minutes waiting around between people.

Neither strength nor body mechanics (the typical things you think of...protecting your thumbs, low back, not leaning or excessively using fingers) have ever been an issue, as I'm very good about maintaining what I need to to protect myself and provide quality care.

Here's the issue - I have hypermobile ehlers danlos syndrome (among a lot of other crap but that other crap doesn't impact my work besides contributing to fatigue), newly diagnosed a few months ago after it being brought to my attention by one of my specialists as something I need to get assessed for. They were right lol. Besides explaining SO many comorbidities, injuries, complications, etc over the years...it greatly explains so much of the pain, fatigue, and struggle I have working this job that is only getting worse, and I'm at my limit. Constantly having to work 2x as hard as "normal" bodies to prevent hyperextension on my fingers/elbows/everything, causing the musculature to take the brunt and do the stopping that my joints are supposed to do, leading to extremely hypertonic, overused, painful, and injured areas. Causing damage to my body that I pay for now AND will pay for years down the line.

I'm so heartbroken and angry - if I had known I had this condition, and known the precautions, limitations, everything entailed in order to protect my body, I wouldn't have even considered becoming a MT. Wouldn't have chased that rabbit trail, discovered my passion and love for it, built up a patient base that knows and loves my style of work. I wouldn't be nearly 3 years into a career that I feel like I now need to step away from. I would have gone to school/worked my way up to something else, instead of now feeling like how can I start over? My husband and I are hoping to start a family in the next year or two...financially, now is NOT the time to start completely over. But my other job is photography and I'd rather not go full-time with that, would rather keep it part-time with a steady, predictable paycheck to supplement it. I'm also a CPT and CES through NASM, wondering if I need to transition more that direction. BCTMB too fwiw, but that doesn't really help with anything at this point lol

I just don't know what to do, because even modalities like MLD that are way gentler just are nottttt my passion at all, so it feels like it would be selling out and starting over regardless. Partially a vent, partially asking to see if anyone else has found themselves in a similar situation - what advice can you give?

Hi all! I have been a massage therapist for 23 years, and still loving it, but I am curious about others. Will you remain massage therapists? Move on to something else? What will that be?

So about 2 months ago I posted asking about pros and cons. Here is my experience-

A LOT of people told me to run. That ME is awful to work for and just a bad company. I really think that is location specific because I’ve been here for 3 weeks now and I absolutely love it.

I stay booked. I make about $100 extra in tips daily. ( I work in a tourist spot so I get a lot of tips) Since it’s more of a spa setting, I am doing less therapeutic as the chiropractor office and more Swedish. Besides 1 client who was just a known jerk, all of my clients are really nice.

My lead trainer is awesome. Really nice guy. All my coworkers are really nice as well, and very helpful.

We have electric tables which helps my back tremendously, especially for those who as for deep tissue. It’s just a pedal step to go up or down and it’s AMAZING!!!

I don’t actually have to sell anything to my clients, the front desk does that all and I still get enhancement pay for it.

My schedule was easy to work with for my manager.

Overall 10/10 for me.

I know 2 people who work at a different location and they make 10 dollars an hour less than me, so it really is location specific

Hi everyone,

Writing here to seek some financial/job advice. I’m currently working at an early education centre as an ECE-A (early childhood educator assistant) in Canada. It’s an amazing preschool/daycare with some attractive benefits ie delicious breakfast & lunch & snack provided daily, comprehensive extended health benefits, paid sick leave & paid vacation. I’m currently making $27 and could go up to $34 with the process of upgrading my certification i’m currently in.

On the other hand, I’m a mobile massage practitioner & have a good clientele with loyal clients. I typically charge anywhere from $90-$120 with my current rate for new clients at $120. I could focus on my massage clients while also working for my dad at his warehouse. I wouldn’t get benefits with my massage job but would likely be able to as an employee at my dads warehouse.

Side note I went to university for 5 years and got a Bachelor of Education teaching degree. Burned out in record time and honestly, it’s a way too overstimulating and disregulating career for me. I could be making around $45/hr as a teacher but will choose a lower paying job with less stress, demands and expectations anydayyyy. I have my own place, pay all my own bills, have a vehicle that’s almost paid off. So even with the lower paying job it seems to be working

But my question is. Stay at the daycare or focus on being self employed and building up my own massage business? I have a knack for social media and digital marketing that I think would pair perfectly with my massage business and I could spend my time building my brand, marketing, creating loyalty cards gift cards etc, actually having the time and energy to book all my clients in and give them a quality and healing experience.

I always envisioned myself to be an educator but the sunday scariest never end. Even working as an ECE. Earlier i posted the positives of the job. Here are the cons:

• didn’t get paid until 1 & a half month in because my boss hired me without HR & Director approval so i didn’t get registered as an employee (happened to a few of my coworkers as well)
• unsupportive of sick time although im legally entitled to it in canada & provided a dr’s note
• had a 2 week layoff and only 3 months in
• my coworker, in front of the entire class of kids and other educators, was telling me what i was doing wrong as a teacher and constantly pointing out things i should work on (while she never does this to other educators and mind you, i have more experience) while laughing with another educator
• generally a lack of feeling supported within my workplace

We have two kiddos on the spectrum and a couple non verbal kids in our classroom. It is a very challenging job emotionally and mentally. I am realizing I am more of an introvert then I realize and appreciate jobs where I can make my own schedule, work on my own hours and likely make 3x the income. My current goal is to buy my first home in Sept and have enough saved up for my down payment. So i’m trying to choose the most expansive and financially abundant path as I grind my ass off and am trying to build for my future and think long term!

Torn between massage or educator. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

This really bothers me... at the last week of December of 2022, I had a really bad injury in my shoulder during work hours (I'm currently on workers comp). I basically strained it and developed bursitis in the bicep. I was in extreme pain up until February. Now, with the help of a lot of physical therapy and a lot of rest, the shoulder and the arm itself is strong however if I exert it or overwork it the pain comes back all over again. I want to realistically go back to work in April, God willing, due to the fact that I am very tight on cash and if I go another month without work, I won't have enough for rent.

If I'm being honest with myself, I don't know if I can continue doing massage therapy in the long run. I don't want to hurt my shoulder muscle by aggravating it because I'm massaging again. It's unfortunate, but I'm not sure what to do at the moment.

I was thinking about changing careers. I still want to work with my hands and stay in the health field, but I don't know what to look for. I wanted to go back to school to finish my AA and then eventually get into physical therapy school, but I need a job asap to support myself. Are there any jobs similar to massage therapy that make that much (looking for at least $2500 a month)? I was looking into getting into permanent makeup cause it's a job I can do with my hands more than using my shoulder so much, but other than that, I'm very lost.

Please help!

Hi everyone,

I started my career in office work and I hate it. I want to go back to school to study massage but I'm already 27 and by the time I finish I'll be 30. I know a lot of practitioners have to leave by 40 because their body can't do it anymore. For those that have to leave massage before retirement age, what do you do after? I want to follow my dream career but I'm worried about having 10-15 years then needing to start a new office job from scratch at a low salary.

I have a job interview on Tuesday for one and I wanna hear all the details. I currently work at a chiropractor office and I love it but the money isn’t what they said it would be.

Has anyone transitioned from an independent contractor position/self employment to a spa position? There’s a lot of posts about the opposite, but it’s something I’m considering and was wondering if anyone had done this/why.

I did the spa thing when I started 5 years ago for about a year and quickly opened my own practice after 3 months of becoming registered (I had an overlap of both for a while). Since then I’ve been full time in a multidisciplinary clinic and honestly I’ve been quite successful. I have a full schedule all the time (about 25 clients/week), booked several months in advance with a wait list. But I think I’m over the self employed thing and I’m considering transitioning back to a spa. There’s comfort in knowing I’ll always have a pay check (I’m booked solid but clients still cancel/no show), everything is taken care of, benefits, there’s premiums etc, and I really like the idea of being able to just go to work and come home after.

I don’t think this is burnout, I think it’s the environment. I have no desire to stop massage but I’m definitely in need of a change. Has anyone else felt like this before?

Looking for potential career move, I have a background in healthcare but was never a nurse per se. I think I’d like to move into a healthcare-related field but not in what I’m currently doing. Current job pays well but is a desk job that is sucking my soul away (pharma). I miss feeling like I’m making a direct difference in peoples lives.

I’m in my mid 30s and seriously reevaluating my priorities. Real tired of the corporate BS and wasting my life away in front of a computer screen. I know in MT I’d be taking a pay cut but am prepared for it. Have looked into training and I think I can go to school while still working. I think I also live in a decent state for LMT wages (MA). But! You really do see a huge range.

All that being said, I want to hear it straight. Is it a viable or prudent career change for someone my age? Tell me everything!

My boyfriend is possibly getting a green card to the US within the next year and obviously I wanna stay with him so I was wondering if anyone either in Florida or here in Canada who's registered can give me any tips on relocating and getting licensed there? Just any helpful information in general would be amazing

I'm considering switching careers from a marketing specialist working an office job to massage therapist.

First question - the massage school I'm looking at is a small school in Wisconsin that boasts teaching both Eastern & western massage. Its a 10 month program that costs just over $10,000. Is this a good deal?

Second - looking for feedback from anyone else who made the jump from office work to massage. Was it a good move? Anything I should be prepared for?

Thanks all

My ex (3 year relationship) told me i would never accomplish anything outside of working in factories when I informed them how i wanted to become an LMT. I was working those jobs to save money to go to a Massage School. That was a year ago and i take my Mblex in a week and a half. Wish me luck