In some ways I can’t understand why people want to take jobs when they pay so low but I know some people just want to go in and do a massage and leave but is any place really like that?  You still have to go in and do your best massage and provide customer service and educate clients so they will come back.  In some of the places you have to sell membership or retail items to clients.  If you don’t have any clients you don’t get paid for the most part in many places.  So there you are cleaning the bathrooms and doing laundry for free or minimum wage.  If you do take the initiative you can work to get new clients and get more repeat clients.  I go to a few mid range spas here in the area for my massage and I can say that they are not doing much to get the MT and other skin and nail care people busy.  I would say that a job in a busy clinic where you have a full schedule and are paid $35 an hour or more are rare.  But why do people take low paying jobs?  Do you have to?  Do you think there are not any other options? Is it that hard to start a business?

Starting a massage business isn’t easy but you are really left doing many of the same things to get and keep clients.  There are so many resources out there to help you start a massage business that most anyone can do it.  When I hear the many horror stories online about how people are being treated at massage jobs I just have to wonder what is going on.  It is like the many massage business owners many of who are not massage therapists figured out that massage was a lucrative business model so they are out there hiring the many massage school grads who were told that they could get $100k a year massage jobs.  Now I am not talking about those places who do hire MT and pay them well and also take the MT under their wing to teach them the ropes of running a business and being successful (See Laura Allens Therra-sage).

Why can’t MT stand up and ask for more for themselves and demand higher pay or go out there and create your own job?  I never have been a fan of jobs and the mentality that goes along with it.  People seek jobs out of what it can do for them rather than what they can do for the company or so it sometimes seems.  Find a health care provider that you respect and would go to yourself and talk to them until they create a job for you. No it isn’t easy and it might take a year or even a few and no most probably can’t afford to wait that long so I guess you have to take a low paying job.  Well there is nothing wrong with that at all.

How is it that massage employers have gotten to the point that they take so much advantage of MT? I only think of Dr. Phil’s comment about “You teach people how to treat you”.

I want to be clear hear that I am not bashing people who take jobs in massage and take low paying jobs, but I just wish more for you.  You should be making what you are worth and making a good enough living to pay the bills, save for retirement, take nice vacations, drive a reliable car, not be in debt and be happy.

I wrote the Massage Job Guide to hopefully inspire you and help you to do just that.  It requires that you make a stand for yourself – set your boundaries around the jobs you take and keep working until you get or create your Ideal Massage Job.  You are worth it!

Of course this is all just my ramblings on about massage jobs – my own opinions but I do value yours.  What are you seeing out there in the world of massage jobs?  Is there such a thing as an ideal job? What does that look like or what would it look like?

Related posts:

1. Massage Therapy Jobs
2. The Ideal Massage Therapy Job
3. Massage Therapy Jobs

Here are some references to what others are saying about IC vs massage employees so you can start to try to figure out what your status is.  (It is my personal belief that most IC positions should actually be paid employees with full employee benefits and that many employers are taking advantage of massage therapists.)  It is up to the employer to figure out the correct status as it is the employer who will be penalized by the IRS for back taxes and also the state unemployement taxes that would have to be paid.

Felica Brown says this from her article for Massage and Bodywork in 2003:

By definition, an independent contractor is a business (therapist) that works independently of the business, such as a salon, by which it has been contracted. What this means, more or less, is that the contracting business (salon) has a very marginal amount of control over the smaller independent business (therapist). This statement translates into a set of requirements (see box) instituted by the Internal Revenue Service to determine whether to classify workers as employees or independent contractors. For example, supplies, advertising and equipment should be provided by the independent contractor, not the salon. Additionally, uniforms, schedules and rules are not supposed to be required or imposed.

Ken Cassidy who is an advocate for spa professionals and also has a business kit for spa businesses to help them determine their status.  In his article for Massage and Bodywork Magazine” Independent Contractor, Employee, Booth Renter: Which Piece Am I?”

The alarming truth is 90 percent of all businesses in the beauty and wellness professions are operating incorrectly under the wrong classification, which can lead to trouble for both the owner and the renter when facing taxes, not to mention unemployment and/or disability.

In May 2000, the IRS published an educational pamphlet detailing the differences between an independent contractor, employee and booth renter (Publication 3518, Catalog 73164X). Regardless, many are still unknowingly operating illegally. Let’s take a closer look at the three categories in order to become more familiar with the similarities and differences.

Dixie Wall from Massage Today has this to say

The financial control category of an employee usually is seen as an extension of the employers set business structure. Independent contractors are more likely to have non-reimbursed expenses and an investment in the facilities he or she uses. Moreover, the method of payment from the business to worker is paid as a flat fee, rather than an hourly wage.

Future LMT at Massage Magazine has an outline of 20 things to consider to determine your status.  Massage and Bodywork Magazine has a short list of things to consider.   I have a list that I was given a long time ago in massage school that I posted on my website at www.thebodyworker.com

The IRS Website has a whole section on employees vs independent contractors.  It is further explained on an law office website here in Seattle who work for the AMTA – Pieck and Conniff (pdf).

The best description I have read is in the book “Therapeutic Chair Massage” by Ralph Stephens in which you can read the except at Google Books for free.

So with all of that how can you figure out what status you want and what you want to be paid?  What is a fair amount to make?  Is it legal to pay a percentage to an employer or to be paid a percentage of the massage fee by the employer as in IC?  I have heard so many different stories about different situations that arise.  It gets hard to make a decision when you need a job and money but going with your guts you will also be able to know if you think the offer is appropriate for you.  It is hard to pass up jobs that you have just an inkling that something that isn’t right.  If you have to take these jobs go into them knowing that you will be learning a lot and will have some difficult challenges ahead.  Take the time to figure out what it is that you really want to be getting out of a job or IC position and what you need to make to make a Great living or just get by until you find something better.   Here are some things to consider:

• Who will provide things like the table, massage oils/lotions, pillows, sheets, laundry service, insurance billing?
• Who will be doing what to get clients on the table?
• Who does advertising, marketing and rebooking?
• Who will book the appointments?
• Who will collect the fees?
• Who will do the insurance billing if any?
• Who does the insurance money come to? You or the employer?  Who pays who what and when?
• Who owns the chart notes and client files?
• What do you need to make per hour?  How many hours do you need to work each week?
• Who decides what hours you work?
• Who pays taxes?

So being a massage independent contractor or being a massage employee is no simple answer.  Figure out what you want and then find a situation that you can live with.  I am also curious to hear more stories of different situations out there.  Post them here so others can learn!

It is the massage employers responsibility to actually figure this out as they will be the ones who will be penalized if they don’t have it set up right.  You can use that bit of info to your advantage.

Use this form at the IRS to determine Your status!
SS 8

www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fss8.pdf

Related posts:

1. Sub Contractor vs Employee
2. Independent Contractor vs Employee
3. Employee/Subcontractor – Are we being taken advatage of?

A massage once a month is better than no massage a month but ideally massage I think should really be a weekly event.  I for one have many clients coming once a week and even twice a week.  Personally I prefer the hour and a half session and feel jipped if it is less than that.

I think there could be a way to create a membership program that charges a more reasonable fee and also pays their massage therapists a decent living wage.   Is it only the low cost massage that is appealing?

The feedback from people who get massage at one of these low cost massage franchises is of course varied.  The main focus is relaxation and not therapeutic for the most part.  I don’t know how anyone can do just relaxation because I have yet to meet any client that doesn’t have some kind of pain or problem that needs to be addressed.

I wonder if the franchises are creating an image of what massage should be like and teaching people that is should only be gotten once a month.

How can we make a franchise that promotes getting weekly massage and pay massage therapists decent livings as well as providing top notch services?

Related posts:

1. Websites
2. Massage Therapy Jobs

Here are some of things to consider:

• May be shorter 1/2 hour or even 15 minute sessions – can you work quickly and efficiently?
• Work with chiropractor on each case or some difficult cases.  You could learn a lot from the right chiropractor.  It could also cause issues if the chiropractor is too controlling and doesn’t understand the full impact that massage has and what massage can do.
• Must be efficient in taking chart notes and writing reports for insurance companies.   Charting will be what can make or break a case especially one that goes to court or arbitration/mediation.  SOAP notes is the most common form.  Learn how to chart quickly and accurately.  Read the information on SOAP notes and functional outcomes at www.thebodyworker.com
• Most work as an independent contractor which can be very confusing to figure out.  As a contractor you should be able to come and go and set your own hours but it is often not the case.  It is up to the chiropractor (employer) to figure out the correct status as they will be paying for the fines if found to be using independent contractors illegally.
• You will be working with conditions like whiplash, head injuries, broken bones and strains/sprains from car accidents.  Get more training in handling these conditions if needed.
• Learn about billing insurance companies even though you most likely won’t have to bill yourself.   Chiropractors seem to be notorious for charging high amounts for sessions done and then turning around and not paying the massage therapist their fair share keeping a higher percentage of the fees for themselves.  While I am all for businesses making money, a massage employee will be much happier and stay longer when paid a decent salary so that they can make a living.  You should be able to make $35-$50 an hour depending on what the chiropractor charges for your services.   If you are doing heat/cold packs they can sometimes add charges for that.  The real problems happen when the client comes in with an insurance case and then later becomes a cash client.  Trying to explain a very large difference in price can be difficult
• Get it all in writing.  Create a employment or subcontractor agreement and write down as many details as you can.  For more on employment contracts see the main site www.thebodyworker.com

Any other suggestions or ideas?

Related posts:

1. Working for a Chiropractor
2. Massage and Chiropractors
3. SOAP Charting

• Dress as a business professional.  Even though you are doing relaxing massage doing massage for a living is about creating and running a business.  Show the employer that you are serious about your work.  Even though massage tends to be a casual dress environment you will be sure to stand out when you dress up and dress more like a business person.
• Turn off your cell phone.
• Come with questions for the interviewer.  Find out if they are a match for you!
• You don’t have to take the first job that is offered to you.  Make sure the job is a fit for you so you don’t waste your time or the managements time.  For more ideas on what to ask see my Massage Job Guide - How to Find or Create Your Ideal Massage Job.
• Be on time!  Be early in fact!  That shows you are serious about your commitments and work.
• Be prepared to do a massage as part of the interview.  Do a full intake as you would with a real client.  Show the interviewer that you know how to work with the conditions that clients bring to the table and know how to address their needs.  Learn how to do an interview that gets you the answers you need to work more efficiently and effectively to get the results that client is expecting.
• Get a professional email address.  Don’t use your stupidradname@yahoo.com or hotsister@hotmail.com address.

What tips to you have for people in a job interview?

No related posts.

Finding a job in massage is in itself a full time job and should be approached seriously. So many start with the idea that they are looking for a job for themselves to provide financial/job security. I am here to tell you that there is no such thing really. Security is only something you can feel on the inside as a result of building your self esteem and self confidence. Even the most elite massage spa or business can not be depended on for financial/job security.

The first thing that many job searcher want to know is ‘How much is the salary?’ You really have to stop asking that question and start figuring out how much you need to make and how you will get them to pay you want you need to make. It is called negotiation. But it begins with telling them what you will do to increase the income and create a professional atmosphere for the massage employer.

To do that you will need to do your research and find out what the massage employers’ business is really like and what they need and what things could be improved upon.

I can tell you some things to look for:

• What kind of marketing they are doing?  Go into the spa and get a massage there yourself.  They will or should be asking for your email address so that they can send you info later.   If it offers other services besides massage like facials or pedicures or whatever- go in and get one of those services.  Full service places should be cross promoting their services and also promoting massage.  You should soon be getting many emails on the benefits of getting regular massage.  If they aren’t sending those out – they aren’t doing a very good job of marketing their services to keep your schedule filled.  You can point that out to them and work with them to create  a  email marketing campaign
• Look for location and visibility of signs directing traffic to the location.  If there isn’t any – suggest some.  One spa I have been to is located next to a Whole Foods Grocery store but they are lost in the strip mall with a teeny sign and the store front just looks like all the others.
• What educational materials do they have to hand out to clients?  Do they have stretching charts, ideas for after the massage care, a list of services to hand out to clients?  Do they let you offer free adons like hot face towels or hand/feet warmers as an extra service (or something like that?)
• Their websites are also another place where many employers are lacking results.  The website should come up at the top of Google when you type in the terms ‘massage, your city’.   It should also have a list of the massage therapists with all of their skills and each massage therapists philosophy on doing massage and why they became a massage therapist.  Their website should be full of information with research, articles on various conditions and stress and what massage can do.   I have all of the information one needs to build a website that does get to the top of the search engines on my main site here.

The thing is that you really have to be passionate about your work and really love what you are doing.  You have to start thinking and acting outside of the box.  Start focusing on what you want to do for the massage employer rather than on what you will get out of it and the chances of you getting what you want and more will significantly increase.

Instead of complaining that  can’t find a job in massage like these people on indeed.com (a job listing site) and blame your lack of finding a job on the economy rather than taking responsibility for your success or lack of success in the massage field will really take you nowhere.   Taking responsibility for your thoughts and actions can be a very difficult and painful process but well worth the effort to get out of the victim trap of blaming your job troubles on the economy.

Additional Resources:  Massage Job Guide : How to find or create your ideal job in massage. (from my other site -www.massagecareerguides.com)

How to interview a massage employer.

Related posts:

1. Massage Therapy Jobs
2. Massage Therapy Job Center
3. Massage Employers – what do they want?

So many people start out with the wrong idea about jobs in general.   People look for jobs and think that they need jobs for financial security.  There is no such thing.    In fact if you are wanting a job the chances of finding financial security are  Zero.   Financial security doesn’t come from a thing or place.  It comes from within you.  It is knowing that whatever you choose you will be able to feel secure and deal with whatever it is that comes up.

Since most massage therapists are self employed the concept of jobs in the massage profession is a fairly new idea.  When I first started 20 years ago there were no jobs in massage.   You could get sub-contractor positions at chiropractors or spas but that meant you were self employed.

The perfect massage job depends on you and what your needs are and what makes you feel most alive.  To discover what this is exactly may require that you take some jobs just to see what you like or don’t like.

Here are some things to consider:

• Do you want to work at a spa that will mainly be relaxation and deep tissue massage or do you want to work for a chiropractor doing injury work?
• Do you have the skills to create repeat massage clients by communicating with clients about their needs and how massage can help?
• What hours do you want?  Spas/franchises will most likely have weekend and evening hours.   Injury massage will be weekdays 9-5 or 6.
• How much do you need to make an hour to be able to live without having to live simply and have the things in life that are fun and rewarding?   While most massage therapist start out thinking that they need to or want to live simply it is also a deeply held unconscious belief that making money in the massage profession will make you look like you value money more than you value people  which is a really common unconscious core belief that can be changed.
• How many hours a week can you physically work without injuring yourself or ending up drained and tired?
• Can you get regular weekly massages yourself at these places for free?
• Do they offer peer supervision support groups and individual supervision (not the regular supervision of people just telling you what to do but clinical supervision which is more about helping you as a helper.)?  This is essential in the massage profession for a massage therapist to be an effective therapist and also be happy and have a very long rewarding career.  Burnout is one of the common reasons for leaving the profession and it can start with taking jobs that the employers lack respect for massage therapists.
• What will you do for them to build their business and create your own success?

Doing your research and figuring out what you need to make and what you want out of a job and what you can give to a job will help you in finding the right job for you.  It is possible to find high paying ($45 an hour and up) in the massage profession when you take the time to plan and create your own massage therapy job opportunity rather than just taking the first thing that comes up.  It does require thinking outside the box and being creative and believing in yourself and your skills.

I will have more information in my ebook that will be released hopefully this week “How to Find Your Ideal Massage Job” that will also come with a workbook guide to take you through the process of doing just that.

What does your perfect massage job look like?  How can you work to create that and hold out to find just that?

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2. Massage Jobs in a down economy
3. Attracting Perfect Customers

• What did you like about your massage school training?
• Was there anything you felt was lacking in your training or something you would like to have been different?
• Why did you choose massage therapy as your profession?
• What do you like about it?
• Do you get massage regularly yourself?
• What do you do to maintain your own health?
• How many clients do you typically see in a day?
• Is that a good number of people for you to see in a day?
• How long do you work on each person?
• Have you had or do you have a private practice?
• How many private clients do you see each week?
• Why did you leave your various jobs?
• Did you have any difficulty with the management at any of your other jobs? If so, can you describe that for me?
• Can you give me an example of an area in yourself that you think could use some improvement or further development?
• Were you ever fired? If so, why?
• Have you ever been in an uncomfortable situation with a client asking for something inappropriate? If yes, what did you do?
• Do you tend to make friends with your clients?
• What are the pros and cons of making friends with clients?
• If you got upset with me or any of the staff — for example, if you felt you had been spoken to disrespectfully — how might you handle that?
• Have you ever felt attracted to any of your clients? If so, what did you do with those feelings?
• Can you tell me about a time when you had difficulty with a client or an employer and how you handled it?
• How would you handle a client who arrived 20 minutes late for a 50-minute massage?
• Why do you want to work here?
• Did your school offer any classes pertaining to working?

I also have a list of massage therapy job interview questions on my website.

Then there are the obvious things like wear nice clothes, take your piercings out, don’t wear shorts and a tank top.  Also be prepared to do a massage as a part of your interview.

Go in knowing what you want from a job and what you need to make.  Tell them what you need to make an hour.  You can negotiate your salary but you will also need to give them some proof that you are worth it.  What will you do to help them build their buisiness?

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2. Common Sense Massage Job Interview Skills
3. Massage Therapy Job Center

I am not sure how they come up with the salary statistics.

Median wage and salary hourly earnings of massage therapists, including gratuities, were $16.06 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $10.98 and $24.22. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $7.48, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $33.83. Generally, massage therapists earn 15 to 20 percent of their income as gratuities.

I guess after looking at the statistics it looks more accurate.  The highest wage per hour is $33.83 which is way under what I think a massage therapist should be making an hour.

I think it is intereting that massage is the only profession I know of that hires people for two different hourly rates- the rate for when they are actually doing a massage and the rate for when they don’t have a client which is usually minimum wage or nothing at all.  Some places like Massage Envy and other franchises only charge $50 an hour for a massage but even then I can’t imagine that their overhead is $35 an hour when there are usually 10 massage therapists giving clients massages at once.   What really aggravates me is when chiropractors or high end spas charge over $100 an hour and I have heard stories as high as $150 -$200 an hour and still only pay the massage therapist less than $35 an hour.

Part of the problem is that massage therapists are just accepting such low wages even though they know that they can’t do more than 25 massages a week without risking burnout.    I was thinking about this the other day and was wondering why the massage profession and other helping professions seem to attact people who just want to help but don’t want to get paid for it.  It is like that too for psychologists who have much more training and also acupuncturists and Naturopaths.   That’s a whole other section on my website – why we help.

Massage therapists also are just looking for jobs most of the time and don’t think of it as a career or calling.  When people who think of a career in massage as more of a calling and way of life they are more passionate about finding work or creating a job of their own.  Instead of just hitting all of the spas and massage franchises they take their time to find out where they want to work based on how the company will be able to let them expand their work and become part of the healing team.

Instead of just going into a job everyday massage therapists are more motivated when they feel like they are respected and paid what they are worth and can work with their own styles of massage instead of having to do a spa massage that is supposed to feel like everyone eles massage.  (It never does of course anyways.)

So if you are serious about finding or creating your ideal job in massage start thinking about what you can do for the company/business instead of what they can do for you.  What can you do for them in the way of creating repeat and new business?  How will you be able to educate clients more and get them coming in once a week?   How can you work with the staff who answers the phone to let them know what type of massage you do and what type of clients that you work best with?

I wonder what the massage profession will be like if massage therapists ever just stopped taking low paying jobs and started creating thier own higher paying postions based on their unique skills and abilities to work with people?   I guess there is always someone who will take the low job because they don’t think that they can do much better.  That is one of my personal reasons for writing all of my blogs and websites to hopefully help massage therapists build thier confidence and start getting out of their own way onto a path of success and being of service (as opposed to helping).

Related posts:

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2. Massage Jobs – Is there an Ideal Job?
3. Massage Therapy Unions

Related posts:

1. Massage Employers
2. The Ideal Massage Therapy Job
3. Working as a massage employee