Community, Commentary and Curriculum
for Massage Therapists

The College of Massage Therapists of Ontario commissioned a study to examine the landscape of the massage therapy industry in Ontario.  In Report on the Massage Therapy Census 2003 – Membership Survey Report,¹ Collis & Reed reported a number of interesting and alarming statistics on the income levels of massage therapists in Ontario. 

Almost 43% of massage therapists polled stated their income did not meet their expectations.  When asked what they expected to earn compared to their actual earnings, the difference was significant ― $20, 377.18.  Furthermore, a third of seasoned therapists seven-plus years in practice reported they were not happy with their income levels. 

According to the survey a full 55% or more of therapists need to work at more than one operation to make ends meet.  Greater than half of therapists earn less than $30,000 annually. 

Collis & Reed estimates a 0.5% increase in utilization of massage therapy per year over the next two decades.  Collis & Reed further observed the utilization “is likely affected by economics, public knowledge, health insurance coverage and recommendations from health care providers.”² 

These findings were echoed in the 2004 Survey of Massage Therapy Providers Across Canada commissioned by the Association of Massage Therapists and Wholistic Practitioners³ where 57% of those surveyed rely exclusively on providing massage therapy to earn a living, while 66% earned a net income of less than $25,000. 

In the 2007 Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals survey, respondents worked on average 14 contact hours/week and supplemented with 25 hours/week by working in an office, massage instruction, other health care (eg: nursing), education or sales/retail and skin care.  Average income from providing massage was $17,750, with an average first year in practice income of $10,053.⁴ 

On top of the challenge to make ends meet, the physical nature of providing massage limits the capacity and longevity of a practitioner.  In a study administered by the Atlantic College of Therapeutic Massage, massage therapists were surveyed across Canada to assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain.  The findings were reported in Massage Therapy Canada, Winter 2006.  More than 60% of respondents reported low back pain and over 80% reported pain in the wrist and thumb.⁵ 

In a 2007 survey of the Florida Board of Massage Therapy and Florida State Massage Therapy Association, one half of all respondents reported some type of injury related to performing massage therapy.  “As for tenure and length of career for massage therapists, high turnover rate remains a lasting, albeit unfortunate, trend in this profession….In addition to injury, burnout, poor business planning and possibly and overestimation of earning potential are other factors contributing to the approximate forty-five thousand therapists who leave the profession every year, fifteen thousand permanently.”⁶

It appears that massage therapy can provide a lucrative part-time living wage, but many practitioners are struggling to make ends meet in what has been strong economic times.  In our next segment, we look at the stability of extended health care benefits, auto insurance and worker's compensation.  dqd

© 2008, Donald Q. Dillon, RMT.  All Rights Reserved.

No part of this article may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

1 Collis & Reed: Report on the Massage Therapy Census 2003 – Membership Survey Report
2 ibid, page 3
3 Hunter, Chorna, MacDougall, Mah, Porcino: 2004 Survey of massage therapy providers across Canada. Association of Massage Therapists and Wholistic Practitioners
4 Osborn, K: Two Decades of Changes Fuel the Massage Profession. Massage & Bodywork. Oct/Nov 2007, pg 17-19
5 http://www.actmonline.com/research.html
6 Osborn, K: Two Decades of Changes Fuel the Massage Profession. Massage & Bodywork. Oct/Nov 2007, pg 22

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