| Michelle S. "Through different techniques, my goal is to balance your body while simultaneously calming your mind." |
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Education
Required License(s)
In order to be a massage therapist or skin care specialist (esthetician), required schooling and licensing test must be completed before obtaining your license. Requirements vary by state. |
Required Degree(s)
Usually to apply for a massage or esthetics school, a high school diploma is the only education required. |
Importance of GPA
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What do you need to do to maintain your license(s)?
Both massage and skin care require continuing education in order to renew your license every 2 years. Requirements vary by state.
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Michelle's Highest Degree: Bachelor's degree (Bachelor of Arts)
Michelle's College Major: Psychology
Michelle's College GPA: 3.6-3.9
Salary
Salary range varies greatly, especially depending on if you are an independent therapist or an employee.
An individual therapist may may approximately $20,000 per year, increasing steadily as your practice builds. How much money you make depends on how much you want to work. When employed, pay usually varies, but 60% commission on services is about average.
Getting the Job
How did you get your job?
As a massage therapist and skin care specialist, I have always been a sole-propietor, which means that I own my own small business.
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How important was networking to landing your position?
As a sole-proprietor, networking was not very important to opening my business, but finding a shared location with other therapists that I felt I could work with took a lot of research.
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Life on the Job
What is a typical day (or week) for you like?
I wish I could tell you! Every day is very unpredictable. A fully booked day can easily go kersplat in an hour. A slow day can become booked just as fast. In a perfect day, all 4-5 clients show up for their appointments on time. I book a client every other hour, which is a lot of time in between compared to other therapists.
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How closely does your typical day (or week) match up to the general "job description" for your position?
Because massage therapists and skin care specialists have a distinct scope of practice, a typical day matches the job description.
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Does being a woman affect any aspect of your career?
I think it does and, in this case, it may be a positive thing to be a woman. Women are seen as more nurturing and skin-savvy, which draws the women clientele. Because massage and skin care are so intimate (think laying on the massage table with only a sheet covering you), there are women who may not be comfortable with a male therapist. I've also met men who, for whatever reason, do not want to be massaged by a male.
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What is the best thing about your job?
Seeing the relief and smiles on peoples' faces after their sessions.
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What is the worst thing about your job?
People think you work all. the. time.
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How demanding is your job?
I can be both physically and mentally demanding at times. Sometimes you'll have the client who takes a lot of work physically (needing deep tissue or stretching work, for example) or the client who confides in you about her troubles. And sometimes you'll have the "easy" clients. It is important to schedule enough time in between clients and take days off. In this profession, balance is highly encouraged and I definitely put in effort to practice what I preach!
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Do you have any advancement opportunities?
I would say yes. Advancement can mean specializing in a particular modality or becoming a teacher in a massage or esthetics related field. As of right now, I am not looking to become a teacher. It takes a while to build a practice and moving to a more admin role would mean cutting my private practice hours, which I am not willing to do just yet.
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Advice for You
What are the skills, characteristics, or talents that are most important to be effective in your position?
Massage and facial techniques, as well as the knowledge needed to run a business, can be taught and learned, but what you portray through your touch cannot. Being grounded, showing compassion, and truly caring about your clients has to come from an innate passion for helping people. The combination of knowledge and passion are most important to being effective.
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What advice would you give to someone thinking about pursuing a career like yours?
Massage and skin care are so much more than just "rubbing people" or "making people look good". Be sure it's your passion. Can you imagine spending the rest of your life doing this job? Because you will spend a lot of time and money on this career. If it's your passion, it's totally worth it. And when you do get into this career, take care of yourself and go slowly. It's easy to get caught up in the worries of making enough money, especially in the early days, but it's also easy to get burnt out. Breathe. You'll be fine.
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If you could do it over again, would you still pursue the same career?
Yes!!! I have often wondered what I would do if I couldn't do massage and skin care... and I haven't come up with an answer. I cannot see myself doing anything else. I love it!
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Follow Up
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