Earning More Doesn’t Have to Hurt

The business of massage therapy can be a study in contradictions. It’s a profession that can require up to two years of training, continuing education, licensing, and insurance, but, for all that, the average annual income is only $26,000.

Massage therapists want to help as many people as possible, but can serve only so many in a day.

The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) reports that massage therapists complete an average of 665 hours of initial training and an additional 21 of continuing ed per year.

In fact, according to the AMTA, 42% of massage therapists would like to work more hours of massage.

Massage therapists are in the business of wellness and body care, yet the rigors of massage can take a toll on their bodies and put a cap on the length of their careers.

The average career in massage therapy is only seven years, according to the AMTA.

Offering massage through a spa, beauty salon, or healthcare provider gives therapists a built-in clientele, administrative support, and help with advertising services. But the $100 the business charges for your massage may net therapists only $17 to $30.

a growing market

There’s good news, though: revenue has increased by around 4% over the last five years, according to AMTA, and nearly one-quarter of Americans have gotten at least one massage in the past year.

And the Bureau for Labor Statistics is even more optimistic. A lot more optimistic: it’s projecting the average growth rate across all occupations at around 7%, but for massage therapy, the growth estimate is 26% by 2026.

So, the potential is there.

And Yomassage, we like to think, is the perfect way to resolve so many of those massage therapist career contradictions.

Most don’t offer sick leave or medical insurance; a massage therapist who is too sick to work may simply be out of a job.

empowering massage therapists

We created Yomassage to empower massage therapists to make more money, be their own bosses, extend their careers, help more people, and take time for their own self care.

Increase earnings: Yomassage allows massage therapists to serve up to 8 clients in a single 90-minute session. Depending on the region, they can charge each client $40 to $70 per session, creating an opportunity to make $320 to $560 per class.

Offer unique appeal: This new combination of two proven therapeutic techniques can help set therapists apart from other massage therapists in the area.

Attract new clients: Offering hands-on massage at a lower price point and adding in the aspect of yoga can also open up doors to a brand new group of clientele—people looking for more from their yoga routine, people who would be uncomfortable in a private massage setting, and people who can’t afford private massage.

Add private clients: At least one client out of every Yomassage session is likely to schedule a private bodywork session—increasing therapist’s private massage business while giving their bodies a lucrative break from it.

The amount of space needed for a Yomassage class is small enough (400 square feet) that some massage therapists can hold them in their offices or homes. Therapists can also rent studio space for between $15-$35/hour or partner with yoga studios to save money on overhead.

“I think a lot of massage therapists and body work practitioners struggle with the whole idea of profiting from helping people,” says Yomassage Co-Founder Tiffany Ryan, PhD, MSW, LMT, RYT200. “But our skills have value, our bodies are worth protecting, and it’s okay to pay attention to our finances so that we can have a longer career dedicated to helping more people.”

If you’d like to learn more about how to become a Yomassage practitioner, please click here.