Five Career Options Massage School Can Open

Massage Therapy As A Career

Massage therapy has been growing as a profession for years. Studying to be a massage therapist at Southern California Health Institute (SOCHi) massage school not only prepares you to succeed in this branch of the health and wellness industry, but also places an array of prospective work environments before you.

When you think of massage therapy, you may immediately think of a spa environment. Massage can be used in a variety of environments for a variety of treatments, from promoting healing of injuries to relieving stress and relaxing the body.

The Healing Power of Massage

Massage therapy is often used as a part of rehabilitation programs in hospitals and as an important component of the services offered at rehabilitation centers. Massage therapists are also needed in eldercare facilities, such as assisted living or nursing homes, as well as providing valuable treatment and relaxation to hospice patients.

Sports Massage

Sports massage includes massage therapies used during training to help the muscles recuperate from training and prevent injuries, and is often performed in locker rooms and even on the field in some sports to immediately relieve the tension and stress from injuries sustained during a game or performance. Some sports massage therapists may even work for a specific team exclusively, or for an individual player.

Sports massage is also used in many fitness centers and gyms, providing customers with a means to prevent injuries as they workout and decrease stress.

Traditional Spas

The traditional spa environment, what most people think of when they think of massage, is also a work environment possibility. From simply organic to extravagantly rich, traditional spas offer a wide range of work environments to suit your personal needs. Stand-alone spas offer the chance to be part of a unique spa environment. Resorts, high-end hotels, and cruise ships all need massage therapist on-staff to serve their guests, and these options offer you the chance to use your massage therapy skills in some of the largest and most glamorous locale in the world.

Massage Careers, the Franchise Way

Franchise spas have become extremely popular. Whether you live in a big city or a small town, there is likely a spa franchise within a short distance of you. Offering a variety of massage therapy techniques, as well as skin treatments and even personal training, franchise spas offer you the opportunity to build a local clientele. As a part of a franchise, you also have the option of relocating within the company to other franchise locations, giving you a degree of job security and flexibility at the same time.

Independent Contracting and Self-Employment

As a trained massage therapist, you also have the option of offering your skills and service as an independent contractor. Some spas welcome massage therapists on this basis, offering the space in exchange for a percentage. A successful massage therapist will bring more clients into the spa and if you already have a following, even better!

Finally, you may decide that the best way to go is to carry your own table and work for yourself. Self-employment as a massage therapist can be slow to get started, since you have to build a client base, do your own marketing and money management, as well as handling tax issues and such. However, having your own business can be extremely rewarding, allowing you the freedom to customize your practice to suit your clients’ needs, and your own, of course.

No matter what route you choose to take after graduating from SOCHi’s massage school, you will have a wide variety of possible places to work. Intimate spa environments, luxurious cruise ship spas, team locker rooms, fitness centers, nursing homes, and hospitals – skilled massage therapists are needed everywhere, and you will never be without options for employment in this fast-growing industry.