Career in Massage and Spa Therapy - Courses, Colleges & Job Opportunities

As life today is becoming busy and hectic day by day, people are looking out for ways to chill and unwind particularly after a long tiring day. Massage centres have massage parlours which provide some solace for the purpose of relaxing and unwinding.

This is also the need of the hour as the stress levels of people are increasing day by day with rising competition in the markets. This trend has given rise to careers in Massage therapies a big boost.

Gone are the days when only by the cream layer of the society had access to such leisure facilities, now  the rules are changing and people of all sections of the society are being fascinated by the utility of this process.

Demand for the fully trained massage and spa therapist professionals has been on the rise over the years, as many clubs and hotels prefer to include massage and spa therapy, for the ultimate customer satisfaction.

Today many professional courses in Massage and Spa Therapies are generating huge popularity among the masses. These courses train students with skills necessary to provide the best in massage and spa therapy by making them aware about the basic physiology and anatomy of the human body.

Eligibility Criteria

There is no specific educational qualification required to enter this profession. Just after a 10+2 qualification, one can aspire to become a professional massage therapist, though it’s suggested that one should ideally be e graduate for this profession.

While opting for a program it is important to assess whether it is affiliated and recognized by the Department of Education. An associate or bachelor's degree in complimentary health care might be an additional advantage in this field.

Personal Skills

This career is not meant for the shy (here you'll come across instances when you would require strangers to take their clothes off and get under a sheet).

Dedication, concentration and zeal to serve customers in the best possible way are some of the essential skills needed by a message therapist. Excellent interpersonal skills also boost one’s prospects in this profession.

Career Scope & Job Prospects

It takes at least a period of six months to a year, along with constant effort and perseverance, to earn a reputation and name in the field of massage and spa therapist's career.

There are a variety of options available for Massage and spa therapist professionals. They can either work as self employed practitioners, independent contractors, salaried or commissioned employees or in private or group offices.

Those with entrepreneurial mindset can launch their own clinics, where the practitioner or the owner of the clinic, can also hire additional practitioners and can even allow them to practice in the same area for an appropriate fee.

They can also team up with other health professionals to start multidisciplinary clinics, where all sorts of alternative health care can be provided.

Remuneration

Remuneration in this profession depends on one’s experience, type of practice, skills and techniques acquired.

As the profession requires lot of emotional and physical skills, hence massage therapists do not work more than 35 hours a week which bring them a monthly salary in the range of 10,000 to 25,000 per month approximately.

Top Colleges/Institutes for Massage & Spa Therapy Courses

Kerala in India also has several schools that offer training in massage and spa therapy.