Massage isn't just for pampering — it's increasingly being recognized as an important component of a healthy life. Business intelligence firm IBISWorld estimates that massage therapy was a $16 billion industry in the U.S. in 2017, and studies have shown massage to be effective in treating conditions ranging from cancer-related fatigue to substance abuse withdrawal, fibromyalgia, headaches, high blood pressure and more.
In a massage therapy training program students can pursue variety of career paths across a wide range of settings, from private practices and luxury hotel spas to health care facilities and backstage at sporting events. Read on to find out what you'll learn in massage therapy school, get some detailed massage therapist salary information and hear the truth about online massage therapy programs.
What Does a Massage Therapist Do?
Massage therapists treat clients by manipulating the muscles and soft tissues of the body. Depending on the approach taken to the therapy, a trained therapist's touch can relieve stress, improve circulation, help heal injuries and contribute to the general wellness of clients. Take a look at this list of specific duties that most massage therapists perform on a regular basis:
- Talking with clients about their goals for the session, as well as any symptoms or relevant medical history
- Manually assessing clients to identify areas of pain or tension
- Using a variety of techniques to manipulate clients' muscles and other soft tissues
- Providing clients with after-care plans that may include stretches, posture exercises and strengthening techniques
Massage Therapist Specializations
Training for massage therapist jobs often includes the option to specialize in a number of specific technical approaches, commonly called modalities in massage therapy programs. It's estimated that today's therapists can choose among more than 350 specific modalities — we'll list just a few of them here:
- Chair massage
- Sport massage
- Myofascial release therapy
- Prenatal massage
- Rolfing
- Acupressure
- Reflexology
- Myotherapy (trigger point)
- Shiatsu
How to Become a Massage Therapist
Massage therapists stand on their feet for several hours a day, and the work requires a certain amount of upper body strength. Your fitness can mean the difference between giving good massages and giving great ones, so strengthening your shoulders, chest and back can help you succeed. You can also begin preparing mentally for a massage therapy career as early as high school, if your school offers anatomy and physiology courses. In general, here's what is typically needed to become a massage therapist:
- Earn a high school diploma or equivalent
- Enroll in a certificate, diploma, or degree program for massage therapy
- Maintain physical fitness to be able to meet the needs of a variety of clientele
- Apply for an apprenticeship or hands-on massage training
Here's a quick list of subjects you're likely to study at a typical massage therapy school:
- Clinical massage
- Relaxation massage
- Sports massage
- Deep tissue massage
- Applied anatomy
- Hydrotherapy
- Practice management
- Ethics and professionalism
Massage Therapy Degree and Certificate Programs
The route to becoming a massage therapist typically follows one of three paths:
- A post-secondary certificate
- Diploma program
- Two-year associate degree
Data from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) shows that nearly 60 percent of practicing therapists in 2017 held post-secondary certificates, while around 30 percent had stopped short of completing a degree or certificate program and likely held a career diploma. Associate degrees are rare in the world of massage therapist education, but they can be a good idea if you're thinking about transferring some credits into a bachelor's degree program at a later date.
Prospective students can pursue education from a variety of providers. Community colleges, technical institutes, vocational schools and dedicated massage therapy academies can all provide the type of training required by most state licensing agencies.
Apprenticeships at Massage Therapy Training Schools
In some states, apprenticeship programs may be available to enhance or substitute for certain elements of massage therapy school training. If you're interested in learning on the job rather than studying in a traditional classroom, check with local massage providers and your state licensing board to find out if such programs exist in your area.
How Long does it takes to become a Massage Therapist?
Programs of varying lengths can be found, but massage therapy schools that are members of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) provide a minimum of 500 hours of in-class, supervised learning.
The general guidelines are all well and good, but how long does it take to become a massage therapist in your state? Many rules and regulations for massage therapists are set at the state level, and some areas of the country may require more massage therapist training than the AMTA guideline suggests. Check with your state licensing authority to find out more.
Online Massage Therapy Schools
Online massage therapy schools may be rare, but the programs do exist for students who can't easily fit a traditional school schedule in with their work and family responsibilities. Massage therapy is a very hands-on discipline, so it might be best to try and find a hybrid program that allows you to work occasionally with experienced therapists.
Online massage therapy programs can also combine well with an in-person apprenticeship, if any organizations near you offer such opportunities.
Massage Therapist Certification and Licensing
A passing score on the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx) is required for massage therapists seeking licensure in most states. The exam is administered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB), and your results can transfer from one state to another without much difficulty.
In addition to meeting industry licensing requirements, massage therapists must also be aware of state-level regulations on massage practice. Many states require licensed massage therapists to complete a certain number of continuing education units (CEUs) each license period in order to renew their license successfully.
Although you may not be able to directly earn your massage therapist certification online, the AMTA and other organizations offer online study guides and practice MBLEx tests to help you make sure you're prepared for the real thing.
Career Advancement Options for Massage Therapists
Growing your business as an independent massage therapist is the most common way that members of the industry advance their careers. Taking some college-level business courses can help you better understand how service markets work, and learning the finer points of customer service can keep your clients coming back time and time again.
Membership in professional associations can also help you grow your business, particularly because of the industry connections you can make with other members. Check out our list of professional associations for massage therapists near the end of the article.
Best Massage Therapy Programs for 2020
In order to find out which accredited two-year colleges across the U.S. could be called the best massage therapy schools, we gathered data from College Scorecard and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and crunched the numbers with our proprietary analysis system. Check out the ten best massage therapy programs below:
No other institution on our list posted higher overall scores in student success categories than Laurel Business Institute. This private school posted a graduation rate that ranks among the four best massage therapy schools in the country, and only one other school on our list could match its retention rate for first-year students.
Massage therapy programs at LBI: The massage therapy program here is structured as an 8-month diploma plan that prepares students to sit for the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx) after graduation. Courses include kinesiology, trigger point therapy, orthopedic massage, deep issue massage and more.
This Indianapolis-based institution hosts the largest student body of any school that made our list, educating more than 72,000 students each term, but that doesn't mean you'll feel like an anonymous face in the crowd. Total enrollment is distributed among nearly 50 campuses and learning centers throughout Indiana.
Massage therapy programs at Ivy Tech: Three levels of training are available to students in Ivy Tech's therapeutic massage program. The basic certificate requires 26 course credits, the technical certificate takes 42 credits to complete and the associate degree plan consists of 60 credits over two years.
Columbus State Community College is another fairly large institution on our list, reporting a student body of more than 27,000 students per semester and maintaining ten locations in the greater Columbus area. Graduate success numbers were strong here — roughly 86 percent of students finished their training and found gainful employment within six years of enrolling.
Massage therapy programs at CSCC: Students here have multiple massage therapy study plans. Options include a general massage therapy certificate and the massage therapy advanced techniques certificate. A combined associate degree in massage therapy and entrepreneurship can help you learn to run your own practice.
Students looking to get some hands-on experience in the profession while they're still in school might want to give extra consideration to Stark State College. This Ohio school features an on-campus massage therapy clinic where therapists in training can work directly with clients from the general public in a faculty-supervised setting.
Massage therapy programs at Stark State: A pair of two-year degree programs are available for dedicated massage therapy students here: an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) and an Associate of Technical Studies (A.T.S.). Two certificates are available as well, one in general massage therapy and one that specializes in sports massage.
Affordability was a very bright spot at Georgia Northwestern Technical College. GNTC's average net price was the lowest of all schools in our top 10 list, and one of the lowest for all 90-plus schools analyzed. The school also ranked well for helping its students get to the finish line, indicated by a higher-than-average graduation rate.
Massage therapy programs at GNTC: This Georgia school can teach you the finer points of an under-the-radar practice specialty. The diploma and A.A.S. programs in neuromuscular therapy at GNTC take 56-65 credits to complete and include training in anatomy, neural science and more.
Associate degree students who want the flexibility to complete some of their general education courses online may be able to design their schedule through this option at Southwestern Community College. This institution in western North Carolina reported that nearly 48 percent of learners take at least some of their credits online.
Massage therapy programs at SCC: Students in massage therapy here can choose between a 40-credit diploma program and a 72-credit associate degree program. Student discounts are available at the on-campus massage clinic, for those who want a release from the tension of college life or a chance to pick up some practice tips from the client's perspective.
Graduate success and affordability both stood out in the analysis of this Chicago-area school. No other school on our list featured a higher percentage of former students who found and kept gainful employment within six years of enrolling, and the average net price figure here landed among the top ten most affordable schools nationwide.
Massage therapy programs at CLC: Students here must complete a small set of prerequisite courses before they can officially enroll in the massage therapy certificate program. Courses feature class sizes of no more than 20 students, and some classes are available during evening hours.
The four campuses of San Jacinto College, located throughout the Houston metro area, work together to educate more than 32,000 students each semester. The numbers show that those students tend to stay engaged in their programs — no other school on our list posted a higher retention rate for first-year students than this Texas institution.
Massage therapy programs at San Jac: The occupational certificate in massage therapy program at this Texas institution teaches a variety of massage therapy techniques alongside business practices, professional ethics and hygiene and sanitation. The 23-credit curriculum is designed to help students get trained, licensed and working in one year or less.
Also known as IBC Institute, this private school in Puerto Rico might be a great destination for anyone who wants to study massage therapy with a large peer group of fellow students. No other school we surveyed in the entire U.S. featured a higher number of massage therapy graduates than the more than 180 reported at IBC.
Massage therapy programs at IBC: The 36-credit massage therapy curriculum at IBC teaches kinesiology, reflexology, sports massage, hydrotherapy, business management and more. The program includes conferences with professionals and off-campus trips to working clinics and other sites within the industry.
Illinois Valley Community College made a strong showing in the graduate success category, reporting that more than 87 percent of its student body of roughly 3,000 students completed their programs and found jobs in six years or less after enrolling in their first class. The student-faculty ratio here is a comfortable 14:1.
Massage therapy programs at IVCC: The therapeutic massage certificate at IVCC consists of 34 credit hours that can either be completed in three full-time semesters or spread out over five terms for part-time students. The A.A.S. plan requires 66 credits of study. Both programs feature a set of three prerequisite courses.
Skills and Abilities for Massage Therapists
According to the Occupational Information Network (O*NET), there are certain skills, traits and abilities that most top massage therapists possess. Here's a quick rundown of some of the most important items on the list published by O*NET:
- Active listening
- Oral comprehension
- Manual dexterity
- Dynamic strength
- Multilimb coordination
- Stamina
- Critical thinking
Massage Therapist Average Salary and Employment Outlook
We've established that massage therapy is a rewarding, flexible career with great growth potential, but how much do massage therapists make? The answer to that isn't simple — massage therapist average salary can depend on a range of factors, including experience, industry and geographic location — but national averages can give you an idea of the payscale you can expect.
Here's a quick breakdown of massage therapist average salary and job outlook figures from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS):
Career | Total Employment | Average Salary | Projected Job Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massage Therapists | 107,240 | $47,180 | 22.2% |
Professional Associations for Massage Therapists
Massage therapy work lies at the intersection of health care, hospitality/recreation and the skilled trades, which can be a difficult arena in which to find your niche. Professional associations like these can help you learn what you need to know about making your way in the world of massage:
- American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA)
- Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP)
- Reflexology Association of America (RAA)
- American Medical Massage Association (AMMA)
- American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia (AOBTA)
Each association has its own guidelines for applicants. Some may allow you to join while you're still a student, allowing you to start making use of the benefits before you're practicing officially.