Consider becoming a massage therapist if you like assisting others, are looking for a fulfilling profession, and value the stability of your employment. Because of its demand, potential for a respectable income, and the intrinsic benefits it offers, it might very well be the solution to all of your problems.
Is Being a Massage Therapist a Rewarding Profession?
A profession as a massage therapist offers several opportunities for fulfillment. Not only will individuals have a high demand for your expertise, but you will also have a role in assisting others in recovering from injuries, relieving stress, and generally feeling better about themselves. Additionally, there is a good chance of earning money in this sector. If you are considering earning a degree in massage therapy, the following are twenty reasons why you should do so:
1. Possibilities Regarding Pay
When considering potential lines of work, the amount of money certain lines of work might potentially bring in is one of the most important factors to take into account. It doesn't matter how satisfying a job path is if it doesn't allow you to make enough money to provide for your family; you won't feel like you're living up to your potential.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the annual salary for massage therapists is an average of $43,620, which works out to roughly $21 an hour. The massage therapist compensation that is the highest in the industry is over $79,000 per year, and the greatest location to work for those who are interested in earning more is in a chiropractic clinic.
2. Expanding Job Opportunities
It is also essential to locate employment in an area that is in high demand, which is something you will discover with massage therapy. It is anticipated that the number of available jobs would increase by 32% between the years 2020 and 2030, which is much faster than the national average. If you decide to become a massage therapist as a profession, you should know that your services will be in great demand throughout the majority of the United States.
3. Capacity to Perform Services for You
Obtaining a license in massage therapy affords you the possibility, if that is something you would want to do, of going into business for yourself. As long as they have the appropriate degree, massage therapists have the ability to operate freely and even create their own offices. You will be able to create your own customer base and have more freedom with your schedule as a result of this.
4. A Greater Emphasis on the Need for Medical Treatment
When I was younger, most people thought of getting a massage as an indulgent treat. Today, an increasing number of individuals believe that it should be an integral component of medical care. The growing recognition of the positive effects that working on the body may have on one's health makes working in body mechanics an appealing choice for a profession.
5. Capacity to Affect Individuals' Lives
One of the most significant benefits of becoming a massage therapist, according to the majority of those who work in the field, is the opportunity to help customers lead healthier lives. It is frequently possible to provide patients with sufficient flexibility and pain relief so that they are able to recover from significant injuries or illnesses, get out of bed, walk more freely, relieve headaches, and feel better overall. This is made possible via the use of therapeutic massage. When individuals experience less physical discomfort, it typically results in an improvement in their mental health as well.
6. A Variable Number of Working Environments
Massage therapists are employable in a wide variety of settings, including medical facilities, chiropractic offices, their own practices, spas, and gyms. A benefit of pursuing a career in this field is the opportunity to participate in a wide range of different types of work. Because of this flexibility, it will be easy for you to find a new employment if circumstances in your life need you to relocate from where you are now to a different place or if you just want a change.
7. Get in better shape physically.
The practice of massage involves strength, and many people who practice massage therapy report that the need to maintain a healthy level of physical fitness is a benefit of the employment. You will need to take care of your body in order to execute your profession, and this need may quickly turn into an advantage as you continue your career in a healthy and strong state since you have taken care of your body. Another aspect of working in massage therapy is that you won't be sitting down very much. The fact that sitting for long periods of time may have a negative effect on a person's general health and wellbeing is just one more reason why massage therapy is such a good choice for a profession.
8. Establishing New Relationships
As a massage therapist, you will inevitably acquire some long-term customers over the course of your career. These clients may serve as valuable contacts in a variety of different aspects of your life. Even while you should maintain a certain amount of professional distance between yourself and your customers, you will still have the opportunity to form relationships with them as you continue to assist them improve their health and work with them over time.
9. A Shortcut to Earning a Degree
Even though massage therapy is a professional sector that has the potential to be profitable, it is also one that offers a career path that may be licensed in a very short amount of time. The Massage Therapist/Asian Bodywork Certificate program that we offer here at Pacific College of Health and Science may be completed in as few as 690 credit hours and calls for students to complete 36 study modules. This enables you to complete the requirements for your licensure in as little as three terms of study. This implies that you will be able to commence your career in less than two years.
10. A Degree Program That Is Reasonably Priced
You will discover that the cost of massage therapy training is reasonable in addition to being a quick and easy way to get a degree. In spite of the fact that every school is going to be different, it is possible to get your foot in the door of the massage therapy field for a lot less money than it would take to complete a full bachelor's degree program. It is possible that you will be able to locate choices that let you to work while you are earning your credentials, and this may contribute to the overall cost-effectiveness of the program.
11. A Job Opportunity With Less Noise
Massage therapy is an excellent career choice for persons who are not well-suited to hectic and fast-paced working environments. You won't be working in a noisy office where people are constantly coming and going like other employees do; instead, you'll meet with patients in a peaceful area where you'll have uninterrupted one-on-one time with them. Because of this, massage therapy is an excellent choice of profession for those who are naturally introverted. Naturally, if you are more outgoing, you may still get your fill of "people time" when you have your customers to chat to every day. This is especially true if you work in customer service.
12. A workplace that is less hazardous to employees
Many individuals in today's society have issues that arise as a result of chemical sensitivity to fragrances and cleaning products. It's possible that you'll be less exposed to potentially harmful substances if you get massage treatment. You will not have to compete with the odors brought into the workplace by a large number of workers, so you will have more freedom in selecting the cleaning solutions you use.
13. The Barest Minimum of Paperwork
If you believe that working in a healthcare environment is a good match for your skill set and if you have a love for helping people feel their best, then massage therapy could be a good fit for you. However, if you don't want to be burdened with heaps of paperwork, then it might not be a good fit for you. Even while you will want to keep client files so that you can offer the best possible treatment to each individual client, you are not required to record and document patient information in the same way that a nurse or doctor would. This will result in much less paperwork.
14. Your Own Efforts Will Determine Your Level of Success
In many fields of work, your achievement will be the result of a collaborative effort with other people. In spite of the fact that this strategy is effective for a large number of individuals and kinds of work, the success you get in massage treatment is entirely dependent on you. This is a significant advantage of working in this industry, particularly for those who have an entrepreneurial mindset.
15. Opportunities for Ongoing Education and Training
As a professional in the field of massage therapy, you will discover an increasing number of possibilities to broaden your expertise as your career progresses. Not only may adding massage specialty like shiatsu or massage for certain sorts of injuries help you increase your own expertise in the area, but it can also help you build your business and offer services that pay higher rates. Because you will need to earn credits in continuing education in order to keep your license current, professional development will be an inherent part of your work.
16. Find a Job in a Profession That Has a Rich Past
Work done on the body is one of the earliest known methods of treating illness and promoting health. The practices that are used in contemporary medicine have a long and illustrious history, and they have shown to be effective in the treatment of a wide variety of illnesses. Massage has a long and illustrious history, which is one reason why so many doctors in the present day are beginning to recognize its benefits and even suggest it to their own patients.
It Is Not Necessary to Manage the People
There are certain people who are not cut out for the management field as a profession. Managing people requires a certain set of skills, but a massage therapist does not need to have such skills in order to practice their profession. A career in massage therapy can be an excellent option for you if you can't see yourself succeeding in management.
18. Make a Profession Out of Being Able to Assist Others
One of the most compelling arguments in favor of pursuing a profession in massage therapy is the opportunity it presents to do meaningful work that involves assisting others. Because of this, there is a significant amount of internal satisfaction, and as a result, it is a gift to have to wake up and go to work every day.
19. A Fun and Rewarding Profession
The majority of massage therapists express a high degree of contentment with their jobs and the work that they perform. According to the results of the study conducted by U.S. News in 2021 on the greatest careers, massage treatment was listed among the top options. You may experience a high level of job satisfaction while also working toward a degree, which is a win-win situation.
20. Abilities That Are Adaptable to Be Used in Other Industries
You wouldn't get a massage degree without intending to work as a massage therapist, but life has a tendency of surprising you with unexpected turns of events. Learning massage treatment can provide you with abilities that are useful in a variety of contexts, making it a good choice for those times when you decide to switch gears in their professional lives. If you ever change your mind about what you want to do with your life, having understanding of the human body, kinesiology, physiology, and anatomy may help you transition into other fields of work.