There’s a lot of buzz these days about “complementary” therapies -- like massage, acupuncture, etc. -- and it’s bringing more and more people into the field. There are a lot of people entering the field without really examining the economic realities of our work.
Sadly, the schools aren’t usually doing a good job of helping them understand these economic realities either. It’s not exactly in their best interest to say to incoming massage therapy students, for example, that the average earnings of a full-time massage therapist is $32,000 nationally. And that’s before taxes, business expenses, continuing education, etc.
The “dirty little secret” of massage therapy is that a whole lot of us are making it because we’ve got another revenue stream, frequently a partner. Not only do they provide the enviable steady income, they are usually the source of the all-important health insurance!
I’m definitely in that boat, especially now that I’m re-building my practice after our sojourn in Australia. I’m struggling. If it weren’t for my husband, his steady income, his health insurance, and the savings we’ve put away over the years I’d be in deep doo-doo. Deep doo-doo.
There are, however, those among us who are making it all on their own. They are making all (or most) of their living from massage therapy. I spoke to several local massage therapists in the last few months to get a sense of how they do it. They were generous with their time, insights, and experience.
The most common trait of all of them is that they have chosen to live simply. They are very conscious of living within their means and keep a close eye on their finances. They live both alone and in shared housing. Some own their own places but they usually bought them before they became a massage therapist. If they have a car (here in DC it’s feasible to live without a car if you live in the city or in a close-in suburb) they keep them as long as they can.
When they go out, they are conscious of the income disparity between themselves and their friends and sometimes it makes them self-conscious. They don’t travel as much or as far as those with other income support. They don’t do recreational shopping. They pay attention to sales.
Some of them have small side jobs that supplement their massage income. Some have deeper savings from their lives/careers before massage therapy.
The group I talked to were about half split between those paying for their health insurance themselves and those doing without. Both groups are more vigilant about taking care of themselves.
The one subject that had almost of them (metaphorically) sticking their fingers in their ears and singing “lalalalala I can’t hear you!” was the subject of retirement. I don’t think any of them had a clear idea of how they were ever going to retire. Their ages ranged from the late 30s to the 50s; all of them are aware of the problem but none of them had a solution.
[Curiously, one friend of mine who is doing very well financially, even without a “net”, makes enough to fully fund her retirement account every year and has done so for years. Even she worries about retirement!]
Are these massage therapists laying awake at night with an icy knot in their duodenum, worrying about paying the rent and subsisting on ramen noodles? Every now and then but actually not that often. To a person, they all said, in effect, “I do the best I can and there’s no point in getting anxious about what I can’t control.”
I was expecting to hear more dramatic tales, honestly, of scrimping and worry and resentment and angst. Didn’t get it. They’re all working all the hours they reasonably think they can. No one is working killer-hours just to pay the rent.
And here’s the thing that really struck me -- their story is the story of a lot of Americans today. Living simply and consciously. Living within their means. Staying away from credit cards. Keeping a close eye on spending and finances. Working what they can when they can. And still enjoying their lives. Being -- mostly -- optimistic that things will be OK.
It gives me hope that if it all goes to heck in a hand basket, my husband and I will keep it together too. That definitely helps me sleep at night.
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