| Spa Wellness Articles :: Massage Therapy // Wellness Schools |
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| Costs of a Massage Therapy Degree |
| by Robyn Tellefsen |
True massage therapy involves a great deal more than strong hands on a pair of tense shoulders. To become a professional massage therapist, you must complete a program of instruction in Massage therapy and bodywork. And though your friends may have traded massages for free, professional massage training comes with a price tag.
Rules and regulations
Today, 38 states regulate massage therapy and bodywork, and 32 of those states use or recognize National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (NCBTMB) exams in their regulations for licensure or certification.
To become a nationally certified massage therapist, you must complete a minimum of 500 hours of instruction from a school that is approved to provide massage therapy and bodywork training in the state in which it is located, and you must pass a standardized NCBTMB exam. Some states, like New York and Nebraska, require as many as 1000 hours of instruction.
Count the cost
Massage School tuition costs about $6 to $17 per hour, averaging about $9 or $10 per hour. Therefore, if your state doesn't have massage therapy licensing requirements (California, Pennsylvania, and others) and you want to take a short program, you may be able to get 100 hours of training for under $1,000. But, once your state begins to regulate massage therapy and bodywork, or if you plan to move, you will need to complete the minimum of 500 hours of training. Five hundred hours of training translates into tuition costs of $5,000 to $9,000.
Beyond tuition costs, be sure to incorporate the costs of a massage table, books, uniforms, and other supplies required for your area of massage expertise into your education budget.
Financial assistance
If you attend an accredited massage therapy school, you may be eligible for federal financial assistance. Accreditors recognized by the U.S. Department of Education include the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation, National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences, Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology, Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training, and Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools.
After graduation
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in May 2007, median wage and salary hourly earnings of massage therapists were $16.76, which translates into annual earnings of $34,870. The highest 10 percent of massage therapists earned more than $34.06 per hour, or $70,840 per year. Generally, massage therapists earn 15 to 20 percent of their income as gratuities.
It takes a lot of hard work and a little bit of money to launch a career as a massage therapist. But if you've got healing hands and an entrepreneurial spirit, you've got the potential to make a great living and make a difference in the lives of others, too.
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by David Coleman submitted on Jun 8, 2008