Nevada Massage Therapy Schools

 

As a massage therapist in Nevada, you may be in luck and could end up earning really well with a high chance of finding employment. Massage therapy in Nevada has a 23% employment rate and there is a high scope in the industry. In Nevada, you are bound to run into massage therapists without intending to as they are high in number but the demand for them is even higher.

As of 2015, around 132,800 jobs were available in this field and with the rise in the number of massage centers, the number is only going to rise. According to the latest surveys conducted in 2015, massage therapy is one of the most profitable businesses in the country, bringing in an estimated $12.1 billion to the industry. Between 2011 and 2015, the revenue increased by 14%, which resulted in a 19% increase in employment in this industry. The average rate of 3.6% per year is the projected revenue growth that could be seen by the year 2020.

 

Therefore, choosing this lucrative field can help you pursue your passion whilst providing you an annual average salary of $35,970 (around $17.29 per hour) on average. About 300,000 to 350,000 massage therapists have been registered by the several accrediting bodies that exist for massage therapists. With Nevada being one of the most progressive states in the country, the opportunities for massage therapists are infinite. The ever-developing cities and metropolis in Nevada result in an ever-increasing growth opportunities for massage therapists.

Where Do Massage Therapists Get Accreditation?

There are several accrediting bodies that provide accreditation to the different massage schools or programs, including the National Accrediting Commission of Cosmetology Arts and Sciences (NACCAS. There are around 300,000 to 350,000 massage therapists and schools registered of which 4000 are practicing in Nevada with a license.

Licenses and Certifications
The licenses and certifications of massage therapists include, but are not limited to:
• LMT: Licensed Massage Therapist
• LMP: Licensed Massage Practitioner
• CMT: Certified Massage Therapist
• NCTMB: National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.
• NCTM: National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage.

How Much Does A Massage Therapist Make?

Massage therapy is a highly sought out and lucrative field in Nevada. A massage therapist can make around $45,000 to $60,000 per year. Becoming a part of the massage industry in Nevada can be a great career move as the cities of Nevada are rich and bustling with life and the seasonal massage therapist will always be guaranteed a job.

With 39.1 million adult Americans (i.e. about 18%) getting a massage regularly, as a massage therapist you are bound to remain employed and well-compensated. In the US, massage therapy is often offered as complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) though it may have some conventional purposes.

What Is Massage Therapy And How Many Types Does It Have?

The term ‘massage therapy’ covers several aspects and many different methods of therapy that soothe and heal the body. Basically, a therapist’s job involves pressing, rubbing and stimulating the muscles and other soft tissues in order to heal different parts of the body. A therapist will use hands and fingers but could also need to use forearms, feet and elbows. So, you should keep in mind while you are opting for this that you do not have any physical liabilities.

Types of Massage Therapy

There are several types of massage therapy that have been discovered over several hundred years and have evolved and improved to serve the human body better medically, psychologically and even spiritually, including Swedish massage that uses long strokes, deep circular movements, vibration, kneading and tapping.
The sports massage is also similar to the Swedish massage and stimulates the muscles and is adapted to the needs of athletes and sportspersons. Other examples include deep tissue massage or the trigger point massage which involves the myofacsial stimulating points. Myofascial trigger points are painful (when they are pressed) muscle knots and these can cause symptoms in the rest of the body as well.

Who Is A Massage Therapist?
In today’s world, a massage therapist can be defined in several ways and whose responsibilities have evolved tremendously from how they were before. Usually, a massage therapist in Nevada will be someone who opts for the profession as a second career. Massage therapists are mostly female (around 86%) and are in their middle age, i.e. around 45 years of age. Only 21% are younger than 35 years. They are registered under any one of the several accrediting bodies that have been mentioned above and can be running their own businesses as sole practitioners.

As a massage therapist, you are required to work 20 hours a week on average which does not include the time you will spend on other tasks of the business, including bookkeeping, billing, maintaining equipment and place, scheduling and marketing. It is common to serve several repeat clients and the more repeat clients a massage therapist has, the more successful they become.

You can make an average of $68 an hour for a massage. As a massage therapist, you could be asked to travel to different settings and provide therapy. The settings could include homes, spas, offices, salons, a healthcare environment, athletic facility, health club, or a franchise or chain that is strictly massage therapy only. On an average day, a massage therapist can make $47 an hour in Nevada, inclusive of tips.

Choosing Massage Therapy as a Career

As a massage therapist, you can make roughly $24,519, which includes tips, annually. However, in the boisterous and busy state of Nevada, the income is more around $45,000 to $60,000 a year. Although massage therapists have to work in varying environments, people who opt to practice on their own make up a huge percentage of licensed practicing therapists, around 67%.

About 60% of them you will find working at a client’s business or corporate setting or home. Precisely 29% work in a spa, 38% work at their home, 35% at their office and 23% in a healthcare setting. Around 82% of licensed massage therapists you come across are practicing it as a second profession from which about 48% believe they would have liked to work longer hours as a massage therapist than any other profession they have chosen.

Of the 45% of massage therapists that work in other professions as well, 11% work in other forms of body related careers, 6% teach, write or give lectures about massage therapy and 9% work in other forms of healthcare.

What Are The Requirements To Pursue Massage Therapy As A Profession?

In the US, there are around 300 licensed and registered therapy schools, courses and programs. As a massage therapist, you must have at least 671 hours of training initially to be qualified as a practicing therapist. Most massage therapists (about 93%) continue taking education classes and may take approximately 20 hours of continuing education per year.

What Are The Laws And State Regulations Associated With Massage Therapy?
Around 44 states and the District of Columbia currently maintain massage therapists and offer voluntary state certification. In these states that regulate the profession, massage therapists are required to meet the legal requirements in order to practice that could involve showing a minimum number of working hours of initial training and passing an exam. In the states that do not follow the regulations of massage therapy, the municipalities must take care of the job.

The states which grant licenses to massage therapists want to ensure that each applicant is certified by a regulatory authority and has cleared the relevant exam. The Massage and Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx) is monitored and administered by the FSMTB and is considered the state licensing exam. It is supported by the AMTA and perceived as the authority of regulatory boards that evaluates and determines examinations that are appropriate for the state. It is important for all to practice fairness and consistency while they are providing licenses for massage therapy in all states.

The Client: Who, Where and Why?
According to a survey from last year, around 18% adult Americans receive at the least one massage and 27% percent of adult Americans received multiple massages in the past five years. Women tend to be more inclined to getting a massage (around 19%) than men (16%). It seems that from the people who do get a massage, around 18% do so at the massage therapists’ office more than spas as the number one place to receive massages for the first time.

The reasons why people choose to take massages vary but it seems they are mostly inclined towards attaining health and wellness through it. 52% of adult Americans who had a massage between July 2014 and July 2015 had received therapy due to medical or health reasons, including as an analgesic, for alleviating soreness/injury/spasms/stiffness or overall wellness. From the total, 92% required it to reduce pain and 32% of clients preferred it for decreasing stress and relaxation.

Path to Becoming a Massage Therapist

When you begin your journey on the path to becoming a massage therapist, here are the steps you must follow:

1. You have to complete your training program for qualification so you can practice in the vicinity you have chosen.
2. Once you graduate, you must meet the requirements the state asks for, which could include obtaining a license or other credentials if you are practicing in a place where massage therapy is regulated. It is a given that this could lead you to requiring to complete and successfully pass the Massage & Bodywork Licensing Exam (MBLEx) exam.
3. In order to find a school or program, you should look through the American Massage Therapy Association’s massage school list. Next, sign up to be a member (as a student) to receive the benefits and optimize the time you spend in school.

Are There Any Other Variations For A Career In Massage Therapy?
Interestingly, there is nothing such as standard massage therapy practice. Most of the individuals that opt for this profession, do so in order to avail the flexibility in timings and extra monetary leverage it provides, allowing them to choose it as a side profession. It’s a highly lucrative career that offers flexibility with respect to working hours, choice of practice locations and types and the independence.

It is up to the massage therapist to work fulltime or part-time. The massage therapist may spend additional time scheduling, marketing, billing, bookkeeping, etc. The income of a massage therapist varies tremendously based on where he or she is practicing. As far as the state of Nevada is concerned, they make a reasonably good income due to the progressiveness of the state.

Settings That a Massage Therapist Practices In
It could be required of the massage therapist to work in various settings and locations according to what is suitable to the client. The examples of where he may have to work include: chiropractic offices, hotels, office in home, hospital and wellness centers, sports teams and events, nursing homes/hospices, salons, resorts, spas, cruise ships and even the physician’s offices and clinics.