Do licensed massage therapists make good money?
It’s an honest living, but not a way to get rich. Working for a spa environment will net a massage therapist up to about 40% of the massage fee. Just for the sake of argument, let’s say that the going rate for massage is $60/hr. (which is about average in my area). That means that by working as an independent contractor for a spa, the MT would make approximately $24 per hour, out of which s/he would still have to pay taxes. AMTA has established 17 – 22 hands on hours of massage per week to be full time. Anything beyond that could be injurious to the massage therapist. So, if you work full time for a spa, you’re bringing in less than $30K per year BEFORE taxes. However, if a MT establishes his/her own practice and charges the same amount per massage, they would bring home about $68K per year, but bear in mind this amount is taxable, so take off 30% for taxes off the top for about $48K annually. However, it requires a great deal more paperwork and self discipline. Personally, I can’t ima
