Sports Massage Therapist salary

Explore the career requirements for sports massage therapists. Get the facts about education programs, essential job skills, employment outlook and salary to determine if this is the right career for you. Schools offering .

Sports massage therapists use various treatment techniques to loosen patients' muscles, improve their blood flow and help them rehabilitate from injuries. Read on for more information about what it takes to enter this field and explore your employment prospects:

Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

What Are The Duties of Sports Massage Therapist?

As a massage therapist, you would work on the muscles and tissues of the body to reduce stress and release toxins. Massage therapists usually specialize from many different methods of massage. Sports massage is one of these methods or modalities.

If you're performing a sports massage, your goal will be to reduce injuries and loosen tight muscles that were the result of sports or exercise. You may give a sports massage prior to a sport or exercise event to improve blood flow and lessen the chances of injury. You'll talk with your client before the massage to learn about any injuries or medical issues that may affect the type of massage methods you use.

What's the Job Outlook and Salary?

According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of massage therapists is expected to increase 23% from 2012-2022 (www.bls.gov). In 2012, almost half of massage therapists worked for themselves. Massage therapists can work in a variety of industries and settings, ranging from spas to cruise ships. Typically, sports massage therapists are employed at hospitals, chiropractors or private businesses. Many massage therapists don't work a full 40-hour week due to the physical nature of the job, according to the BLS.

According to the BLS, the median salary for massage therapists was $35, 920 as of May 2013. If you're self-employed, your salary might vary based on your hours and fees.

What Education Will I Need?

As a massage therapist you must have excellent communication and decision-making skills. Training in massage therapy varies by state but most require 500-600 hours of training from an accredited school, which may take up to a year to complete. Many programs offer in-class instruction as well as clinical training. Along with learning different types of massages, you'll study topics such as human anatomy, physiology, business management and ethics.

Most states require certification or licensure to work as a massage therapist. According to the BLS, two nationally recognized credentialing exams are the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork and the Massage and Bodywork Licensing Examination.