How is it like being a massage therapist?

[Brittany R]

thats what i plan to be when im older, but i wanna know more about it, good things, bad things, how much money you guys make and how life is going for you with this occupation what things are you able to do and not do with your life?

 

[i t]

jobless...and when there is one, it's a fat ugly person with a nasty hairy back and weird moles...

 

[csbrownies77]

Be prepared to be treated like a piece of meat. There are a lot of old dirty men who think you're a "masseuse" and double as a call girl. And for male massage therapists will encounter a lot of dirty old women with vivid imaginations that expect you to flirt back when they get going (which inevitably you'll have to if you want a good tip). Also expect bad tips ("Oh, that was the best massage of my life!" /hands over a $5 tip), people of all shapes and sizes (fat hairy people have stiff muscles too), and making a lot of house calls because even if you work at a spa, you'll need to make time for private clients in order to make ends meet.

A plus? You can trade services with your coworkers! If you work at a salon and you make friends with the hair people, you can get a free cut and color/highlights/whatever if you give them a free massage. Likewise, you can trade massages with other massage therapists that you work with. I love that

I really enjoyed being in charge of my own schedule and didn't really answer to anyone but my clientele, but I developed severe carpal tunnel and had to quit the massage therapist job as it would only go downhill if I kept on.