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Massage therapist
Hours
Variable
Starting salary
Variable
If you are enthusiastic about alternative therapies and you want a job working with your hands, you may enjoy this job.
As a massage therapist, you may use your fingers, hands or elbows to stroke, knead and manipulate soft body tissue and bring benefits to clients.
In this job you will need to be comfortable being in close proximity to clients. You'll also need to be able to listen to clients and empathise with their health or emotional issues.
To get into massage therapy, it is suggested you take an in-depth course of at least six months full-time or 12 months part-time. Shorter courses should be seen as an introduction or for general interest only. You may be able to get into this job through an Apprenticeship scheme, if they are run in your area.
WorkDesc
The work
The benefits from massage can be:
- improved muscle and skin tone
- better circulation
- relief from aches and pains associated with muscle tension, such as headaches
- an increased ability to rid the body of toxins.
Your clients could also include those seeking both physical and emotional healing, for example:
- people who are ill or recovering from a period of sickness
- adults who want to manage stress more effectively
- those suffering with anxiety or depression
- people who want to develop their ability to relax.
You could specialise in a particular branch of massage, such as:
- Indian head massage – using particular oils and techniques to relax the neck, shoulders, head and face
- sports massage – treating sports injuries such as sprains, torn ligaments and broken limbs
- baby massage – helping to calm and bond babies with parents
- body massage (also known as Swedish massage) – working on the whole body, especially the limbs and back.
You would usually begin a session by checking the client's medical history, diet and lifestyle. During treatment, you would apply pressure to specific areas to ease tension and you may also use essential oils. After treatment, you may give advice to clients about how to maintain and build upon their general wellbeing.
HoursDesc
Hours
Your hours of work are likely to include evenings and weekends in order to fit in with the needs of your clients.
You could work in a variety of settings such as beauty salons, health spas and fitness centres. You could also work in a healthcare environment, like a hospice or holistic medical centre.
Sessions could take between 15 and 60 minutes, depending on your client's needs. You would carry out treatments in a quiet room, with a massage table. You may also visit clients in their homes or workplaces.
IncomeDesc
Income
- Many massage therapists are self-employed and charge a sessional or hourly rate, which can be between £20 and £60 an hour.
- With experience and skills in a range of therapies, earnings can rise to around £40,000 a year.
You may also receive tips from clients and commission for the sale of beauty products.
Figures are intended as a guideline only.
EntryRequirementsDesc
Entry requirements
To work as a massage therapist, professional bodies (such as the General Council for Massage Therapy (GCMT)) suggest you take an in-depth course of at least six months full-time or 12 months part-time. Shorter courses should be seen as an introduction or for general interest only and are not suitable as a preparation for professional practice.
Qualifications are awarded by exam bodies, including the Vocational Training Charitable Trust (VTCT), International Therapy Examination Council (ITEC) and CIBTAC (internationally recognised). You may not need any qualifications to get on to a course, but it could be useful to have a GCSE in biology or human biology, or a City & Guilds, VTCT or ITEC Certificate in anatomy and physiology; check with course providers for exact details.
Some courses meet the criteria for membership of a professional body, like the Federation of Holistic Therapists, the Massage Institute and the GCMT – you should check this before you enrol.
To specialise in a particular form of massage, such as baby and infant massage or sports massage, you will need to take additional training in that branch. Check the websites of the Guild of Infant and Child Massage, and the Sports Massage Association for details.
You may be able to get into this job through a beauty therapy Apprenticeship scheme. The range of Apprenticeships available in your area will depend on the local jobs market and the types of skills employers need from their workers. To find our more about Apprenticeships, visit the Apprenticeships website.
A driving licence will be useful if you are self-employed.
TrainingAndDevelopmentDesc
Training and development
You will have access to development programmes and networking opportunities (which may benefit your career), if you join a professional body such as:
- the Federation of Holistic Therapists
- the Massage Training Institute
- the Institute for Complementary and Natural Medicine
- the General Council for Massage Therapy (GCMT).
Check their websites for details and membership criteria.
Voluntary Self-Regulation
Organisations from a variety of complementary therapies, including massage therapy, have worked to create a single (voluntary) regulatory body, known as the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC). The aim of the CNHC is to protect the public by registering practitioners, setting standards for safe practice and providing a means of redress if things go wrong.
It is anticipated that health professionals and the public will use the CNHC register to check if a therapist is of sufficient standard, so it may help your reputation and business if you are registered.
Massage is one of the first areas to have access to the CNHC register. You can join via your professional body (check with them for details) or directly through the CNHC website.
SkillsAndKnowledgeDesc
Skills and knowledge
To be a massage therapist you should have:
- the confidence to work closely with clients
- a smart appearance and good personal hygiene
- good communication and listening skills
- the ability to develop empathy with clients
- physical stamina for carrying out a number of treatments a day
- practical skills and good manual dexterity
- the ability to recognise when a client needs to be referred to a qualified medical doctor
- commercial skills to run a business
- the ability to keep accurate and up-to-date client records.
MoreInformationDesc
More information
Massage Training Institute 
PO Box 44603
London
N16 0XQ
Tel: 020 7254 7227
www.massagetraining.co.uk
Institute for Complementary Medicine
Can-Mezzanine
32-36 Loman Street
London
SE1 0EH
Tel: 020 7922 7980
www.i-c-m.org.uk
Sports Massage Association (SMA)
1 Woodville Terrace
Lytham
Lancashire
FY8 5QB
Tel: 0870 005 2678
www.thesma.org
Skills for Health
Goldsmiths House
Broad Plain
Bristol
BS2 0JP
Tel: 0117 922 1155
www.skillsforhealth.org.uk
Federation of Holistic Therapists
18 Shakespeare Business Centre
Hathaway Close
Eastleigh
Hampshire
SO50 4SR
Tel: 0870 420 2022
www.fht.org.uk
Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC)
83 Victoria Street
London
SW1H 0HW
Tel: 0203 178 2199
www.cnhc.org.uk
Guild of Sensory Development
Fyfield, Greenhill Park Road
Evesham
Worcestershire
WR11 4NL
Tel: 01889 564 555
www.gicm.org.uk
General Council for Massage Therapy
Tel: 0870 850 4452
www.gcmt.org.uk
OpportunitiesDesc
Opportunities
Interest in massage and other complementary therapies has increased considerably in the last 20 years. Many complementary therapies are now being integrated into traditional healthcare to complement more conventional treatments.
You are likely to find most opportunities as a self-employed massage therapist. To be successful you will need to build up and maintain a sound reputation and client base. You will also need to have the ability to market your business, which may involve working long hours at first until you have established your practice.
With qualifications and experience, you could go on to train and offer other forms of massage or complementary therapies such as aromatherapy, reiki or reflexology.
Jobs can be advertised through local newspapers and in industry press such as Massage World .
Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.
We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.
LMIData
Related industry information
Industry summary
The health sector is represented by Skills for Health Sector Skills Council, which comprises three sub‐sectors:
- National Health Service (NHS)
- Independent Healthcare Sector (such as private and charitable healthcare providers)
- Third Sector (healthcare) (such as small local community and voluntary groups, registered charities, foundations, trusts, social enterprises and co‐operatives)
The health sector is made up of hospitals, doctors’ surgeries, dental practices, the ambulance service, nursing homes, residential care homes, complementary medicine and a huge range of other health related activities, from sight tests in opticians to research in medical laboratories. Most people in the health sector work in the publicly funded National Health Service (NHS), which includes:
- primary care (organisations which the public goes to first) – Doctors/General Practitioners (GPs), NHS Walk in Centres, NHS Direct, Out of Hours Emergency Care
- secondary care (organisations which the public are referred onto) – Ambulance Trusts, NHS Trusts/hospitals, NHS Foundation Trusts/hospitals, Mental Health Trusts, Care Trusts (provide joint health and social care activities)
NHS policy in England is directed from the centre by the Department of Health. Local organisations, known as Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), are in charge of providing and commissioning services, controlling the majority of the budget. PCTs are overseen by 10 regional organisations called Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs).
The independent sector includes companies and charities that offer hospital and specialist services usually after referral from a doctor. Operations and other work are carried out in private hospitals, independent treatment centres, mental health units and hospices.
Key facts:
- The health sector is the largest employer in the UK, representing 5.5% of the working age population of the UK and 7.3% of the working age population that are currently in employment.
- It is estimated that the sector employs over 2 million people, including:
- over 1.5 million people in the NHS (72%)
- over 0.5 million people in the Independent Healthcare sector (26%)
- almost 40,000 in the voluntary sector (2%)
- 56% of the workforce has a higher education qualification (or equivalent).
- The age profile for the sector shows an older than average workforce, which is due in part to the fact that it takes some professions a long time to train and can mean that people enter the sector later.
There is a varied list of jobs in the sector ranging from a diverse number of clinical roles, to support and infrastructure staff, for instance: Allied Health Professionals (AHPs); Ambulance Staff; Dental Staff; Doctors/Medical staff; Nursing staff; Midwifery Staff; Healthcare Scientists; Health Informatics Staff; Management; Wider Healthcare Team; Complementary Therapists.
National and regional data
High proportions of the health sector workforce are located in:
- London
- South East
- North West
East Midlands - The health sector employs 131,515 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East Midlands employs 8% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 29% of all employment across the sector or 41,200 employees.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
East of England - The health sector employs 164,720 people, which accounts for 7% of all employment in the region.
- The East of England employs 9.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 52,300 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 14% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 103,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
London - The health sector employs over 249,524 people, which accounts for 6% of all the employment in the region.
- London employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 33% of all employment across the sector or 78,500 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 146,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North East - The health sector employs 89,201 people, which accounts for 8.7% of all employment in the region.
- The North East employs 5.3 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 23,800 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be almost 46,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
North West - The health sector employs 251,960 people, which accounts for 8% of all employment in the region.
- The North West employs 15% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 133,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South East - The health sector employs 264,071 people, which accounts for 7.1% of all employment in the region.
- The South East employs 15.7% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 23.5% of all employment across the sector or 59,200 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 164,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
South West - The health sector employs 182,187 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- The South West employs 10.8 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 30% of all employment across the sector or 60,700 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 12% of all Industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 105,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
West Midlands - The health sector employs 168,746 people, which accounts for 7.2% of all employment in the region.
- The West Midlands employs 10% of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 25% of all employment across the sector or 43,000 employees.
- Vacancies in the health and social work sector account for 9% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 108,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Yorkshire and the Humber - The health sector employs 182,848 people, which accounts for 8.2% of all employment in the region.
- Yorkshire and the Humber employ 10.9 % of the total health sector workforce for England.
- The private sector accounts for 24% of the total health care workforce or 42,000 employees.
- Vacancies in health and social work account for 11% of all industry vacancies.
- Between 2007 and 2017, the total requirement for workforce will be approximately 97,000 people. This is the total of the predicted expansion plus replacement demand.
Northern Ireland - The health sector employs 61,300 people.
- Northern Ireland employs 3% of the total health sector workforce.
- 81% of the workforce is female.
- 26% of the workforce is aged 35‐44 years.
- 96% of the workforce is white.
- 10% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 48% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Scotland - The health sector employs 201,500 people.
- Scotland employs 10% of the total health sector workforce.
- 78% of the workforce is female.
- 30% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 95% of the workforce is white.
- 14% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 39% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 23% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
Wales - The health sector employs 114,900 people.
- Wales employs 6% of the total health sector workforce.
- 74% of the workforce is female.
- 34% of the workforce is aged 45‐54 years.
- 94% of the workforce is white.
- 18% of the workforce reports a disability.
- 40% of the workforce is in Associate Professional and Technical occupations.
- 27% of organisations in the health and social work sector report vacancies.
[N.B. Data derived from Labour Force Survey, 2008‐2009, Annual Business Inquiry, 2007, and Northern Ireland Census of Employment, 2007]
Career paths
Further sources
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