Massage Therapy Careers - Starting Salary & Pay Information
Don't let the price tag fool you! Just because a clinic or spa may charge anywhere from $60.00 to $100 per hour for massage therapy services, it doesn't mean that the massage therapy salary is based on that figure. If you are getting into massage therapy purely for financial gain, I am afraid to say that you would best serve yourself, and the people you would be treating, by doing something else for a living.
Massage Therapy Salary, Wage or Commission?
There are several situations in which a new massage therapist may find him or herself working, and the massage therapy salary, or pay structure, varies greatly throughout the industry. If you choose to practice massage therapy on your own, you will not have a salary (unless you incorporate, but that is another topic). In clinics or spas where you are expected to be present for 40 hours a week whether or not you are providing massage therapy, you will in all likelihood receive a salary.
Let's have a look at what appears to be the most common, at least in Halifax, Canada. You will have to confirm with practicing therapists what is the norm where you'd like to work.
Commission/Split
A massage therapist who works on commission or split typically works in a clinical or medical setting, and will be given, or get to keep, a percentage of the fee that is charged. This percentage can range from a low end of 45%-50%, to a fantastic 75%-80% - it really depends on the situation.
When we are speaking about "splits" we typically say "I have a 70/30 split" - what this means is that the massage therapist gets to keep 70% of the fee, with 30% going to the clinic. Some therapists may have a "cap" or "ceiling" - this refers to the maximum amount they have to pay a clinic every month. In the good old days, I used to make a 70/30 split with a cap of $1400.00; this meant that I paid the clinic 30% of my earnings up to $1400.00 per month, and I got to keep the rest (Sweet).
Splits will typically vary depending on several factors, such as:
Equipment that is provided by the clinic. Clinics that provide tables, linens, oils, and hydrotherapy equipment have made a substantial investment and need to recoup the expense. As well, these expenses would be substantial to a new therapist opening his or her own clinic, and a lower percentage for commission may not be such an issue once you figure in the cost of setting yourself up if you were on your own. If a clinic provides the equipment, a therapist may be really fortunate and get better quality equipment, such as a hi-lo table, which can be invaluable in preventing therapist injury and prolonging a career.
Overhead expenses that are covered by the clinic. The more the clinic provides for the therapists use, the bigger percentage will go to the clinic. Overhead can include things such as laundry service, reception/booking service, stationary/phone/fax service, advertising, report typing, continuing education ...Remember, too, that some of these expenses are considered "variable", and will increase the busier you are. Linen is a great example of this - the more clients you see, the more linens you will use (and the sooner you will need to replace them), and the more time and money will be spent keeping everything sparkling clean.
Other factors that should be taken into consideration is the amount of referrals that a clinic sends to the therapist. Are you expected to do more advertising or promotion? Or does the clinic do it all? Does the clinic funnel clients to you, as is the case in many physiotherapy settings, or are you on your own? The important thing to remember is that the money that you spend on advertising is also benefitting the clinic - just make sure that if this is the case, the clinic is sending a lot of clients your way, and that they are accurately representing your services and strengths.
Location, location, location - the best split in the world will not help you if there is not enough "flow" of clients into your clinic. The busier the clinic is, the busier you should be, so a clinic with a fantastic location (lots of foot traffic and free parking for clients) will have a higher overhead and will need to account for that in determining your commission split.
Does the clinic assume responsibility for accounts receivable? This means that you get paid regardless of whether or not a client has an outstanding account, and is really important if the bulk of your business is, for example, treating clients with insurance claims for motor vehicle accidents. The worst way to start a massage therapy career is to be in a place where you have to pay the clinic rent while you are waiting on receiving possibly thousands of dollars of unpaid accounts. If a clinic assumes responsibility for this, expect your commission to be lower.
Clinics need to be careful, however, as providing too much to the therapist, and controlling the schedule of the therapist can lead to confusion about whether or not the massage therapist is an employee or contractor ...
Wages and Salary
It is not uncommon to see massage therapists getting paid an hourly wage in a spa setting. Wages can run anywhere from $10 per hour on the low end, to $25 on the higher end. Gratuities are fairly common in a spa setting, though there is no guarantee that the therapist will receive tips. In a "wage" setting, the business may or may not pay you for the hours that you are there, and may only pay for the hours which you treat clients. In any case, tax will be deducted from your paycheck, which you should receive biweekly, including vacation pay. If you are paid for the total hours you are there, you will be expected to pitch in with chores and operational tasks (please note, you probably will have to do this anyway, so you might as well get paid to do it).
When a massage therapist is paid a salary, he or she is considered an employee, and is paid a set amount for a pre-determined number of hours per week. In some instances, there may be a base salary, with a commission per client. As a salaried employee, you have the benefit of having taxes deducted by your employer, and everything should be provided. At the very least, a therapist should be able to take 3-4 weeks off per year (probably unpaid, and not necessarily consecutive) as this is vital in preventing injury and burnout. One word of caution: avoid situations where you are expected to treat as many clients as the spa or clinic can squeeze in. In an ideal setting, you would see the following:
a minimum of 15 mintues between clients, with at least 30-60 minutes off for a break halfway through your shift. Even better, if there is an assistant who can help you change your table and get fresh linens, you should be grateful as your life will be so much easier.
a maximum number of clients per day - such as 5 1-hour treatments. This would be a maximum of 25 clients per week, which is plenty for any therapist. Some massage therapists find that they can only treat 10-15 hours per week, it is a very individual preference. Remember, if you are tired, sore or burned out from working too much, you are not going to be any good to your clients, yourself or your family. And, you may just be on the fast track into another career if you're not careful.
continuing education is paid for - it is so fantastic when an employer pays for continuing education, especially since massage therapy continuing education courses are notoriously expensive. Depending on your state or provincial requirements, an employer paying for 1 continuing ed course per year may be enough to fulfill your professional obligations to your governing body. Just make sure that you can, within reason, take what you find interesting and will help build your practice.
There are some clinics who offer a lower "split" but pay the therapist as an employee. This can be a really great situation, as a therapist will not have to pay out of pocket to set up a practice, and will have tax removed up front (unfortunately in a higher tax bracket, but it could be a great trade off).
Final thoughts - for any situation to work, it has to be a win-win situation for both the massage therapist and the business - only then can a therapist focus on what she or he really wants to do, and that is to provide the best possible care to clients.
