Where can I find a great Massage Therapy job?

Knowing your job options BEFORE you embark on a massage therapy career can help you better decide if this is the profession for you.

Start your own practice – this is a great option for those who are entrepreneurial minded. It means you can call all of the shots, but be forewarned, if you don’t already have entrepreneurial experience, you have quite a learning curve. You’ll have to know when to take off your therapist’s hat and put on your business one, and keep it separate. It can be done, many therapists successfully own their own clinic.

Join a clinic that hosts a variety of treatment modalities. This could be anything from physiotherapy, chiropractic and massage therapy to a naturopathic or holistic clinic or doctor’s office. It’s a wonderful thing to be surrounded by people who are passionate about integrated health care. You will have the benefit of working with other professionals who are highly trained, and you will participate in the care of patients with a variety of conditions, from common injuries to extensive rehabilitation.

Start a mobile massage service – if you don’t like the idea of being stuck in a small room all day, and like to get out and about, this could be great for you. The key is to be organized – time management is really important in this business, and it is even more so when you are mobile.

Go corporate! Many large companies provide employee benefits that include massage therapy, and the coverage is usually great. Corporations provide these benefits because they realize that employees who use stress management tools such as massage therapy miss less time and are more productive. Even better if the therapist is on site, then employees miss less time going to and from appointments.

Health or Fitness facility – massage therapy is a great adjunct to fitness, so many club owners are wising up to having a massage therapist available. They realize that having qualified therapists on hand enhances their professional image by providing an additional service to clients seeking optimal fitness performance.

Sports teams or facilities – this is a little more intense than your average health club. This is where you will find budding stars with huge performance goals – as a result, you, too, will have to be at the top of your game whenever you are needed. Unless you have a sports medicine background or contacts in the business already, you probably won’t get into this right out of school, but that’s not saying it’s not a possibility. Work hard, get your sports massage certification (there are different programs available in Canada and the United States), volunteer, and it could just happen. What a great way to combine a love of sports with a passion for health.

Spa – not all spas employ licensed, certified or registered massage therapists, but many do, and the number is growing. If esthetics and hydrotherapy interest you, a spa could be a great place to start learning in that capacity. Medical spas are also growing in number, with treatments being a little more therapeutic in nature – let’s think lymphatic drainage after cosmetic procedures. Either way, a bonus is that you may get discounted or even free esthetic services, which is really great. Pedicure, anyone?

A resort or cruise ship – Depending on the location of the resort or cruise line, either one may give you the opportunity to rub elbows with a high end clientele. Your accommodation may be provided, and will definitely be part of the plan when you are on a ship. In the case of working for a cruise ship, while the hours are long and the pay is not so great, tips can be fantastic, everything is provided for you, and if you have a bit of wanderlust, working for a cruise ship could be your ticket to the world.

Hospitals or palliative care. It takes a special type of person to work in these environments, but if you have “the stuff” to do it, then it can be a very rewarding career path. Whether the service you provide is in a rehabilitative capacity with a physiotherapist or bed side with palliative care patients, you will be providing human contact to people who may be touch deprived. You may not be able to make a living per se, but you can improve the quality of life for someone, even if (in the case of palliative care) it is only for a brief period of time.

Senior’s centres – with a growing aging population, the need for extended health care grows as well. Your clients can range from a vibrant “80 years young” to a senior with a few more health concerns. Once again, a lot of times it’s about providing company and human contact to the elderly more so than the massage itself, which is a very compassionate way to enhance the quality of life for someone.

Any way you look at it, there is a ton of potential with a massage therapy career. It is Ok to change course as well, and you may find that you like to try your hands in different capacities until you find the perfect one for you.

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