Massage Therapist

Job Description:

Massage therapists manipulate clients' muscles and soft tissues, treat sports injuries and give help to people with health issues.

Job Category:
Health Care & Social Assistance

What you will do:

In a typical treatment session you’ll:

  • check the client’s medical history, diet and lifestyle
  • identify the client’s reasons for wanting massage therapy
  • plan a course of treatment
  • apply pressure to areas of the body
  • give advice to clients about their wellbeing
  • refer clients to medical professionals when required
  • create and update client records

Skills:

You’ll need:

  • knowledge of how the human body works (human and musculoskeletal anatomy)
  • knowledge of massage theory
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

As well as:

  • customer service skills
  • sensitivity and understanding
  • excellent oral/verbal and written communication skills
  • active listening skills
  • the ability to work well with your hands
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations (leadership skills)
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail (organisational skills)
Illustration of employee looking at workspace

Entry Requirements:

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship

College

You could take a course at college that will give you some of the skills and knowledge needed for this role.

In the UK for example, relevant courses include:

  • Diploma in Massage
  • Diploma in Sports Massage Therapy
  • Diploma in Complementary Therapies

Apprenticeship

You could gain some of the skills and knowledge for this role through an advanced apprenticeship like a:

  • holistic wellbeing practitioner
  • beauty therapist

Career tips

You can specialise in a particular form of massage like:

  • baby and infant massage
  • Swedish massage
  • deep tissue massage
  • sports massage

You can take extra training to build these specialist skills.

Working Hours and Environment:

A typical week consists of 37-39  hours of work. You could be required to work freelance/be self-employed managing your own hours.

You could work in a therapy clinic, at a health spa or from home. Your working environment may be physically active. You may need to wear a uniform.

Career Path & Progression:

With experience and a caseload or regular clients, you could set up your own business.

You could also take additional training to offer other wellbeing or complementary therapy treatments like aromatherapy, reiki or reflexology.