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Massage Therapists

Massage Therapists is the O*NET name for people who perform therapeutic massages of soft tissues and joints. The skills rated most useful are active listening, speaking, and social perceptiveness. You may also need to massage and knead muscles and soft tissues of the body to provide treatment for medical conditions, injuries, or wellness maintenance. The strongest interest signal is Social (5.8 of 7), then Realistic (4.8) and Investigative, which gives it the code SRI. Getting in usually takes one or two years of vocational training, an apprenticeship or an associate’s degree, a level O*NET calls medium preparation. People who want helping, teaching or caring for people usually fit better here than those who need leading, persuading and making business decisions.

What they do

Perform therapeutic massages of soft tissues and joints. May assist in the assessment of range of motion and muscle strength, or propose client therapy plans.

Main tasks

  • Massage and knead muscles and soft tissues of the body to provide treatment for medical conditions, injuries, or wellness maintenance.
  • Apply finger and hand pressure to specific points of the body.
  • Confer with clients about their medical histories and problems with stress or pain to determine how massage will be most helpful.
  • Maintain massage areas by restocking supplies or sanitizing equipment.
  • Treat clients in professional settings or travel to clients' offices and homes.
  • Develop and propose client treatment plans that specify which types of massage are to be used.

Skills

  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Service Orientation
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Judgment and Decision Making

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You get energy from helping other people move forward.
  • You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
  • You are willing to put in a year or two of focused training.
  • You are comfortable relying on active listening and speaking.

May not suit you if

  • You find a full day of dealing with people draining.
  • You want to lead people or run the business side. Enterprising rates 2.1 out of 7 here.
  • You need to start within a few months, with no training period.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code SRI takes the three highest, and Social comes first here.

Preparation

Medium preparation. Expect vocational school, an apprenticeship, related experience or an associate’s degree, usually one or two years in total.

Also called

  • BCMT (Board Certified Massage Therapist)
  • Bodywork Therapist
  • Certified Massage Therapist (CMT)
  • Clinical Massage Therapist
  • Licensed Massage Practitioner (LMP)

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.