Sunday, May 3, 2009

Qualities to Look for in Massage Therapy Schools

By Bart Icles

Massage therapy has never been so important before, but during these trying and stressful times, a lot of massage therapy centers and spas offering massage therapy as one of their services are sprouting up like mushrooms. This is because people from all walks of life seek refuge in a good massage to combat stress and to feel rejuvenated after a hard day's work or even to just relax and to think clearly. Because of this, the need for licensed or certified massage therapists are also rising up.

According to the data compiled by the Center for Medicare & Medical Services in 2004, massage therapy has been projected to be a six- to 11-billion dollars per annum industry. According to the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) in a study it compiled in 2005, more or less, there are around 300,000 massage school students and massage therapists in the United States and that between 2006 and 2007, about a quarter of adult Americans had a massage from a certified massage therapist in the last 12 months. The median salary of a massage therapist who has experiences from 1-19 years in the field range from 20 thousand dollars to about 42 thousand dollars. According to PayScale.com, a market leader in global online compensation data which has the world's largest database of employee compensation profiles. According to AMTA as well, the average annual income for a massage therapist who provides 15 hours of massage per week was $31,500.

Based on the facts stated above, a massage therapist career is a very lucrative and long-time term one that people of any age can have. Learning what it takes to be a massage therapist from good massage therapy schools can give you the foundation you need if you are planning to become a massage therapist.

To date, there are around 300 massage therapy schools in the US alone. Massage therapy schools can equip an aspiring massage therapist the knowledge and skills needed in the more than 80 types of massage therapy existing today. Good massage therapy schools also help prepare an aspiring massage therapist for the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCETMB), the test required to be certified in the field of massage therapy. Good massage therapy schools also help aspirants determine their career goals. They also help students pay their tuition fees through grants and scholarships. They also should have the needed accreditations. Lastly, good massage therapy schools equip a future massage therapist with the knowledge and skills that they need to prosper in the field. - 16890

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