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About Massage
Average Salaries
Massage workers may earn between $27,000 and $71,000 per year
Start a rewarding new career easing people’s pain and discomfort by studying a massage course.
Turn your interest in health and wellness into an exciting career that could make a real difference in people’s lives by studying a massage course.
Performing therapeutic massage and administering body treatments to a range of clients, massage therapists help people suffering from pain and discomfort to ease their pain, and offer therapeutic massage therapies to people seeking relaxation.
In an increasingly stressful world, people are increasingly turning to therapeutic techniques to treat problems associated with poor health, stress and injury. The Australian Government’s Department of Employment predicts new roles for qualified massage therapists will increase by 50 per cent in the next five years – making massage therapy an emerging and exciting industry for work.
By studying a massage course, you’ll build the fundamental knowledge and essential practical skills required to work successfully as a massage therapist, and stand out in a competitive job market. With the qualification gained by completing a massage course, you’ll demonstrate your proven skills, insights and abilities, and compete for rewarding and exciting massage jobs in the sector.
You may complete a massage course as a certificate or diploma course, or as part of a bachelor’s degree in health sciences. After completing a massage course, you’ll likely work as a massage therapist, applying non-invasive therapies and techniques to ease pain and discomfort. However, you may also choose to complete further study in remedial massage or myotherapy.
If you care about people and are passionate about helping them to achieve their potential and live pain-free and fulfilling lives, a massage course is your next career step.
What do massage graduates do?
Massage therapy course graduates work as massage therapists, using non-invasive approaches including massage, dry-needling and electro-therapy to treat pain and injury in clients. As a massage therapist, you can expect to perform tasks like:
- Consulting with clients, ask questions, and record client histories;
- Performing diagnostic tests and trigger point examinations on patients, to evaluate pain, tension and muscle spasms;
- Treating clients using a range of muscle-revitalisation techniques, including manual therapy, dry-needling, and thermo and electro-therapeutic techniques;
- Massaging the soft tissues of the body, including muscles, tendons and ligaments, to assist healing;
- Utilising a range of massage techniques to enhance sports performance and prevent injury;
- Administering treatments to promote relaxation, improve circulation and relieve muscle tension;
- Assessing and treating specific soft tissue dysfunction and providing rehabilitation advice;
- Employing therapeutic techniques, such as acupressure, Shiatsu, using infra-red lamps, wet compresses, ice, essential oils and herbal and mineral therapies to assist recovery;
- Advising clients on diet, exercise and lifestyle routines;
- Advising clients on stretching exercises and relaxation techniques;
- Writing pain management plans for patients; and
- Evaluating and assessing treatment therapies.
As a massage therapist, you’ll work with a range of massage techniques to manipulate the soft tissues of the body, including muscles, tendons and ligaments, in order to ease pain and tension and promote healing in your clients. You’ll draw on a broad range of professional massage and circulatory techniques, and advise clients on rehabilitation. You’ll also develop a comprehensive understanding of each muscle type and the way they respond to treatment.
Career Outcomes
Career Outcomes
You may choose to freelance, work from a physiotherapy, chiropractic or massage clinic, or join a private allied health practice. You may also choose to work in a spa, sports club or massage clinic.
After completing a massage course, you may seek employment as a:
Is massage right for you?
You’ll find massage satisfying and enjoyable if you:
- Love working with people
- Are seeking practical, people-focused work
- Have strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Have strong time management and organisation skills
- Like solving problems
- Enjoy detailed work
- Have an interest in non-invasive medial healing
- Have an interest in health and wellbeing
Job opportunities
The Australian Government’s Job Outlook describes the massage industry in Australia as a small and growing sector. Currently employing approximately 11,800 people, the industry has been growing at a modest rate for the past decade. However, job opportunities in the sector are expected to grow significantly in the next decade, with Job Outlook predicting approximately 15,100 people will be employed as massage therapists in Australia by 2020.
Average Salaries
PayScale reports that a massage therapist may expect to earn between $27,000 and $71,000 per year, at an annual average salary of approximately $54,000, or an average hourly rate of approximately $25.
While entry-level massage therapists can expect to earn a competitive annual salary of approximately $54,000 per year, PayScale notes that practitioners with more experience earn higher salaries. Massage therapists in Australia with more than 20 years of professional experience can expect to earn on average approximately $64,000 per year. PayScale notes that approximately one in five massage therapists has more than 20 years of experience, indicating that people tend to remain in the profession for the duration of their career.