Why Massage therapists quit their jobs?

[Batsukh B]

I am thinking to become a massage therapist. But I heard from several people that people quit their massage therapist job after few years. I wonder what reasons...?
Thank you so much for your replies. I am going to see several schools tomorrow, wish me a good luck on those meetings and decisions pls

 

[Another Massage Therapist]

I have been a massage therapist for over 2 years and I love it!
But that being said, I have definitely noticed the "burnout rate" as it has been called. While massage is a wonderful career, some people simply do not manage massage effectively. Many of them work too many hours, at too low of a pay rate, using techniques that hurt their hands, and backs, and generally they become unhappy with the work.

If you are looking to join this field and stay in it, here are my tips:
Find a place you love to work, whether it's for someone or yourself, being at the office everyday is important and if you don't want to be there.. well it makes it hard.

Learn as much about massage as you can, and find techniques to keep your body healthy. There are many alternative ways to massage without using deep finger pressure! Try thai massage, ashiatsu, zero balancing, cranio sacral, etc!

Make money equivalent to your needs, if you want to make $2000 a month, then you need to figure out how many clients you would need to see, how much retail to sell, and how to get them to rebook an appointment.

Show your clients the value they are receiving, not the price they are paying. I personally never give discounts of price, when I can give an increase of time or information.
For example, if I charged $75 an hour, it is because I have extra training, and I use specialty oils or lotion.
Instead of offering discounts, like $60 for a first time client (instead of $75) I offer the $75 massage for 75 minutes, instead of 60 minutes. The client gets more of my time, and accustomed to a longer massage! I can also use the extra time to explain any issues the client is having, so they know that I physically understand their situation. It helps build client repertoire and they know I am knowledgable and that I care.

 

[PE2008]

Yes, there's about a 50% burnout.

The problem is the patients are too ugly.

 

[Lula Bell Bumpass]

The burnout rate is higher than 50%, more like 90%. Very few therapists keep at it more than 6 years. Its hard manual labor with nowhere to go. It sucks.

 

[Sabeena]

I quit massage 2 months ago after doing it 5 years because it just wasn't a good choice FOR ME. Many practitioners can't stand the fact that massage isn't for everyone and take my opinions as personal attacks. But I will keep on telling my story so people get another viewpoint other than the glowing, rosy stories of bliss and healing. Here's why I quit:

The main reason was I was bored stiff, even with thousands of hours of training in Hanna Somatics, Myoskeletal Alignment and Myokinesthetic to name a few.

My muscles and joints hurt from overuse. I consulted an ergonomics expert who corrected my issues, but correct body mechanics doesn't prevent overuse syndrome. Deep tissue work is sweaty and exhausting. I had no energy for anything else at the end of the day.

I couldn't stand one more nasty old man wanting happy endings. Yuck. I suspect several employees were doing this behind closed doors despite spa policy.

50% of gross receipts are eaten up by expenses & taxes. I made good money but it wasn't worth the hassle.

Basically I was physically & emotionally burned out. I've returned to my previous career of small business systems development and am much happier now.

 

[Scooch]

I'm not sure where people are getting their percentages regarding "burn-out" rates. People leave any profession for many different reasons. Some massage therapists don't even work enough hours to even consider being "burned-out." Maybe they are just bad massage therapists, bad salespeople and all around bad business people. I don't want to think there are too many of these, but I have come across some massage therapists that should find another line of work because of their lack of skills, poor attitude, arrogant naivete and/or poor social skills. If you are looking for a "massage therapy job" where you are making money for someone else, then you will have a higher possibility of getting over-worked and under-paid. If you eventually work for yourself and control all of your income and expenses, you have a better shot at earning a decent living doing massage. It can take a lot of physical and emotional energy to continuing working as a massage therapist, but it can end up paying well if you build your practice and manage it properly. For the first 5-8 years of practice, I wondered if I made the right decision to keep working as a massage therapist. Now, after 14 years, I'm in a position where my family and I can live in a decent part of town with a decent home and decent cars to get us too and from work. Seek out successful massage therapists in your area and begin asking a lot of questions. Best wishes...