Massage Therapists
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Majors
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Examples
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, travel guides, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters, and medical assistants.
Perform therapeutic massages of soft tissues and joints. May assist in the assessment of range of motion and muscle strength, or propose client therapy plans.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $22K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $30K
Median Salary: $43K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $59K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $79K
Demand
Core Tasks
Confer with clients about their medical histories and problems with stress or pain to determine how massage will be most helpful.
Massage and knead muscles and soft tissues of the body to provide treatment for medical conditions, injuries, or wellness maintenance.
Maintain massage areas by restocking supplies or sanitizing equipment.
Apply finger and hand pressure to specific points of the body.
Develop and propose client treatment plans that specify which types of massage are to be used.
Assess clients' soft tissue condition, joint quality and function, muscle strength, and range of motion.
Maintain treatment records.
Provide clients with guidance and information about techniques for postural improvement and stretching, strengthening, relaxation, and rehabilitative exercises.
Treat clients in professional settings or travel to clients' offices and homes.
Refer clients to other types of therapists when necessary.
Prepare and blend oils and apply the blends to clients' skin.
Consult with other health care professionals, such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, physicians, and psychologists, to develop treatment plans for clients.
Perform other adjunctive therapies or treatment techniques in addition to massage.
Use complementary aids, such as infrared lamps, wet compresses, ice, and whirlpool baths to promote clients' recovery, relaxation, and well-being.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Customer and Personal Service
92%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Biology
67%
Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
English Language
67%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Psychology
66%
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Medicine and Dentistry
62%
Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Public Safety and Security
60%
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Sales and Marketing
60%
Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Administration and Management
55%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Clerical
54%
Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Education and Training
54%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Top 10 Skills
Active Listening
73%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking
73%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Service Orientation
65%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness
65%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Judgment and Decision Making
63%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Active Learning
60%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Complex Problem Solving
60%
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Critical Thinking
60%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring
60%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Reading Comprehension
60%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Top 10 Abilities
Dynamic Strength
75%
The ability to exert muscle force repeatedly or continuously over time. This involves muscular endurance and resistance to muscle fatigue.
Trunk Strength
75%
The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without 'giving out' or fatiguing.
Oral Comprehension
73%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression
73%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Manual Dexterity
70%
The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Multilimb Coordination
68%
The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
Problem Sensitivity
68%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Extent Flexibility
65%
The ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.
Arm-Hand Steadiness
63%
The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Deductive Reasoning
63%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Top 10 Work Activities
Assisting and Caring for Others
92%
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
91%
Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
Performing General Physical Activities
85%
Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
84%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Getting Information
84%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
78%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Documenting/Recording Information
77%
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
77%
Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
73%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
72%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Detailed Work Activities
Administer therapy treatments to patients using hands or physical treatment aids.
Clean facilities or equipment.
Stock supplies or merchandise.
Interview patients to gather medical information.
Maintain medical records.
Teach medical procedures or medical equipment use to patients.
Assess physical conditions of patients to aid in diagnosis or treatment.
Develop patient therapy programs.
Confer with other professionals to plan patient care.
Work Context
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Physical Proximity
To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Frequency of Decision Making
How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Structured versus Unstructured Work
To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Freedom to Make Decisions
How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
Deal With External Customers
How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
Education
Interests
Social
91%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Realistic
81%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Investigative
53%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Conventional
43%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Enterprising
34%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Artistic
24%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Top 10 Work Styles
Concern for Others
98%
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Dependability
97%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Integrity
96%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Self Control
92%
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Cooperation
87%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Independence
86%
Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Attention to Detail
85%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Adaptability/Flexibility
80%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Initiative
80%
Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Achievement/Effort
77%
Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Work Values
Relationships
77%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Independence
67%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Achievement
53%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Working Conditions
50%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Recognition
48%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Support
43%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
