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questions about career of massage therapy?

Hi I have been wanting to go into massage therapy for quite sometime now and have some questions about it and few other things pertaining to it. I know that when massage therapists graduate from school most go and work for either chiropractors or spas because I have heard that is the best route to go after just getting out of school. Right now though, I have in a very interesting situation and have a very big and important decision to make for this fall which will affect my future greatly depending on whichever way I end up going. I got accepted into a university for this fall and what my major there will be (if I still yet go there) is psychology and minor is criminal justice. Now I know from what I heard that it will take ALOT of money to pay for going there because financial aide only pays for $3500 of it and if you take 4 classes your left to pay 500 yourself on top of books and all other good stuff that comes with going to college. However, there is the other option where I can go and do massage therapy instead this fall only takes 2 semesters and all of it would be paid for by community college that I would be going too that does it. And the plan was when I got done there I would just go on to the university next fall 2012 stead of 2011 and just work as a massage therapist and go and take classes there. Some people say though that I don't need too do all that going and doing massage therapy and w/e cause I'll burn out on it and that you don't do that well in it anyway no matter who you work for because you have to build your business up and what not. I have heard others say that you will do well regardless cause spas and chiropractors offices have LOTS of clients and you will make plenty of money to make it by. I also however have a CNA certificate and in order to do well from that you have to work bout 5 days a week at least say 2-10 or 3-11 and if I'm doing all this while going to university and say taking 4 classes I just don't know if it would be a good idea cause I just think may be taking bit more on than I want too cause massage therapists I also hear don't have to work that many hours in a week to make a decent income. Most I hear work anywhere from 10-25 hours a week or something and I keep hearing how well they do and still have all this time to do stuff yet still make enough to be successful. So I am asking is it worth my time and effort to go into this career like I have always wanted too? And would it really help me that greatly if I do it through college having more time to study and not having to work that much all while making a decent income on top of it all? I talked to a massage therapist and she said that she works for spa and chiropractor and said that your not going to get 100% of what you make unless you work for yourself which I already figured that. But most I know that do it earn anywhere between $15-30 dollars an hour and I know some who make 50-70 an hour and the state I live in by the way is Illinois case this matters and can cause a difference to occur due to some states being different than others. Anyhow, I really would appreciate anyone's help, advice, or opinions on what they think about any of this and what they think would be good for me to do or least give their input on what they would do if they wanted do all this or w/e. Look forward to hearing from someone and getting some good feedback from people. I am wanting to do it as a long term thing not just bridge the gap for how long it would take too do this. The CNA thing would require very long hours and I am unsure of if I would make enough. And I also would not just be in it for money either I really do want to make something with it. My goal is too do it on the side with psychology and I am just trying to learn some answers here basically. And I heard chiropractors paid well actually shocking they wouldn't pay you that good. And spa's way your making it sound pay better than chiropractors do??!! lol.

Public Comments

1. You don't go into massage to get rich. I've been an LMT for four years. Prior to that, I was an RN. I make a very decent income now, but it's taken me four years to build my business to that point. You have to remember that massage therapy is very taxing on your body and hands. You can't do 40 hours of massage per week; it's more like 20-25. But in most places, you only get paid for the hours you're doing massage. So, while $20 per hour might be a good salary at a regular 40-hour-per-week job, it's not in massage. Spas will pay you a commission, usually 35-50% of what they charged for the massage. I never worked in a spa, because I just don't like that environment, but the wage can be decent. Chiropractors pay terribly: Usually $10 per hour of massage, and most people don't tip at a chiro office. You'll work your hands off to try to live on that. Chain stores (like Massage Envy) will pay you about $15 per hour of massage. This is crap, but they tend to bully your clients out of big tips to make up the difference for you. Private practice can be the most lucrative, but it's hard work and it takes time to build it up. I only do 25 hours per week of massage, but I work more than 40 hours per week. When I'm not hands-on, I'm out networking and working to get new clients, continuing my education, or cleaning and maintaining my practice. You can't just sit back and wait for the clients to roll in. It's much harder than working for someone else, but you can build it into great business. I think you need to sit down and figure out how much money you need to live on. Can you attend college while working part-time as a CNA? Do you want to make a long-term career out of massage therapy, or is it just a bridge to a career in criminal justice? If it's just a short-term thing, I think you'd be better off to go to college and work as a CNA, since the financial perks of being an LMT are not immediate.
2. I started my massage therapy career late in life after retiring from a completely different field, so my situation is not the same as yours. However, when in school, I was in class with people from all ages and walks of life. After graduating, you'll have many avenues from which to choose. Spas differ in their approaches--some expect you to be on call and ready for a client within 15 minutes. Sometimes you're busy, and sometimes you're not. You usually have to do additional services such as scrubs, wraps, hot stones, etc. Working with chiropractors can be long and arduous hours depending on how busy they are. When you move on to a 4-year degree, you could post notices on the college bulletin boards and pick up extra money by doing chair massages (or even full body massages if permissible). The difficulty with establishments is that they sometimes aren't flexible enough for your varying schedule from semester to semester, although many are willing to work with you in that regard. Be prepared for aches and pains of your own, even when using proper body mechanics and good techniques...massage can be very hard on the practitioner. Having said all that, there are many, many people who have worked hard hours while going to school, myself included during my younger years. Kudos to you for seeking ways to get where you want to be. Good Luck and Best Wishes!
3. Please squash the notion of working for a chiropractor. I tried that twice with the same exact results. It was made known early on, that my main function in both offices was to promote their business. Most chiropractors use what is known as scripted dialog with their patients. For an example: Mrs. Jones comes in for her umpteen treatment. "How are we feeling today Mrs. Jones? (1) Not so good,well we will just have to get you in here more often starting next week,how would 3 days a week be? (2) Feeling better,great, we will start you on a maintenance program starting next week. (3) Lousy,you are going to go to a different Dr? Well I doubt if you will find one that cares about you as much as I do,but I guess that is your choice. Now my point is, every patient I saw, I was told to say " either yes or no their muscles felt better(being honest)but you still need to see the chiropractor because you still have those stubborn "subluxations" going on. What a scam! I asked both of these "doctors" what a subluxation felt like and all I got was a shoulder shrug and a sheepish grin. Plus they don't pay diddly,