Massage Therapy Job Outlook – A career in massage therapy gives you the power to relieve pain and promote health while earning a good income. Nationally, the field is expected to continue growing at an accelerate rate through the year 2024.
For massage therapy Seattle and its tech-heavy culture make a perfect match. If you are thinking about a career in massage therapy Seattle is one of the best places in the country.
Washington State Requirements
Massage therapists are regulated by the Washington State Department of Health, Board of Massage. To maintain an active license, therapists must meet the following requirements.
Applicants must complete an approved training program that includes:
- 130 hours anatomy and physiology
- 40 hours kinesiology instruction
- 50 hours pathology
- 265 hours theory and practice, including technique
- 55 hours clinical and business practices
- Red Cross first aid certification
- CPR certification
- 4 hours HIV/AIDS discussion
Those who received training out-of-state or who are licensed in another location may not meet Washington state education requirements. To verify previous experience, a verification form must be completed by the jurisdiction or school where your credentials were gained.
All applicants must successfully complete the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) or Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) examination.
After completing the training program and testing, therapists must submit all necessary paperwork to the Board of Massage, along with any applicable fees. Once your application information is verified, you will receive your Washington state massage therapy license.
Massage therapy licenses expire on the holder’s birthday every year. They can be renewed up to 90 days in advance.
Every two years, practitioners must complete 24 hours of continuing education credits. These must include:
- 8+ hours direct massage skills training
- 4+ hours professional ethics, communication, or review of state laws and regulations
- 2 hours review of professional roles and boundaries
Massage Therapy Seattle Area Employment Outlook
For those practicing massage therapy Seattle has a variety of job opportunities in different industries.
- Personal care services, such as in-home aid
- Working with other health practitioners as part of a team
- Amusement and recreation, such as spas and high-end hotels
- Hospitals and long-term rehabilitation care
Massage Therapy Job Outlook for Washington is great in general. For a successful career in massage therapy Seattle is a great place to set up a freelance operation. For mobile massage therapy Seattle is the perfect place to create your own career by making office visits.
- When it comes to pay for those practicing massage therapy Seattle is one of the best paying locations in the country. Seattle area therapists command an impressive hourly mean wage of $26.89, well above the national average of $19.17.
- Washington has the 4th highest demand for massage therapists in the country. The state also consistently posts high employment rates for those in the field.
- Massage therapy positions in Washington are expected to increase by 41.3% in the next 8 years. The demand for new massage talent will soon cause a shortage of qualified applicants. This could drive wages up in the future, making the area even more attractive for knowledgeable bodywork professionals.
When practicing massage therapy Seattle offers opportunity and variety. Enjoy a fulfilling and profitable career as a respected health professional. When it comes to massage therapy Seattle is the best place in the country to learn, practice, and live.
For questions relating to the Massage Therapy Job Outlook in Washington State contact our admission department today!
Our Massage School Graduates Are Prepared To…
Massage therapy is more than just a trend in the United States, it is now a medically and culturally accepted path to general well-being and quality of life. To make things sweeter, as a massage therapist you would not only be helping others, you’d also be helping yourself. Massage therapy comes with the inherent benefit of conscientious human contact, which can improve the practitioner’s personability and sensitivity. There is an art to massage therapy, but also a science, which forms the foundation of massage therapy curricula at massage schools. The Northwest Academy for the Healing Arts is a small personalized massage school in Seattle with the kind of in-depth coursework that can enable you to graduate ready to succeed in a career in massage therapy. Graduates usually begin work as one of the following:
Licensed Massage Therapists
One hundred percent of the academy’s massage program graduates pass the National Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBlex) With completion of this program you are virtually guaranteed to start your career in massage therapy off on the right foot. Massage program graduates pass the exam and go on to:
- Attain Licensure from the state of Washington.
- Work in a variety of environments from cruise ships and casinos to medical offices and sports facilities.
- Communicate Effectively with people both in a commercial environment, and also personally over an extended period of time such as a private practitioner or rehabilitation specialist.
- Continue to Grow and build upon a solid foundation of human anatomy and physiology, pathology, kinesiology and massage theory.
- Manage a variety of massage therapy business from the development of a proposal to the execution of a physical space and the creation of policy.
Massage Therapy and Bodywork Instructors
Graduates from the Massage Instructor Certification program emerge ready to tackle the educational environment. After successful completion of this course you would be a certified massage therapy and bodywork instructor. Your skills set would enable you to:
- Develop Curricula for classes of different sizes and programs of varying lengths.
- Manage and Supervise a classroom both under academic and hand-on environments.
- Keep Accurate Records of student’s progress and be able to gauge the effectiveness of different teaching and learning methods.
- Help Progress the ethics and practices of massage therapy through the constant critical analysis involved in teaching the craft.
The Northwest Academy for the Healing Arts isn’t just another massage school in Seattle, it is the best massage school in Seattle. With additional campuses in Bellingham, and Tacoma, Washington it is the best massage school in the region. Once you finish the massage program opportunities for continuing education are also available, such as, advanced orthopedic assessments and massage techniques, as well as advanced work in the academy’s massage therapy clinic. Northwest Academy graduates are prepared to succeed, but more importantly to enjoy a career of kindness and respect.
