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What They Do
About This Career
Performs therapeutic massages of soft tissues and joints. May assist in the assessment of range of motion and muscle strength, or propose client therapy plans.
This career is part of the Human Services cluster Personal Care Services pathway.
A person in this career:
- Confers with clients about their medical histories and problems with stress or pain to determine how massage will be most helpful.
- Massages and kneads muscles and soft tissues of the body to provide treatment for medical conditions, injuries, or wellness maintenance.
- Maintains massage areas by restocking supplies or sanitizing equipment.
- Applies finger and hand pressure to specific points of the body.
- Develops and proposes client treatment plans that specify which types of massage are to be used.
- Maintains treatment records.
- Assesses clients' soft tissue condition, joint quality and function, muscle strength, and range of motion.
- Provides clients with guidance and information about techniques for postural improvement and stretching, strengthening, relaxation, and rehabilitative exercises.
- Treats clients in professional settings or travels to clients' offices and homes.
- Refers clients to other types of therapists when necessary.
Working Conditions and Physical Demands
People who do this job report that:
- You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
- Work in this occupation involves bending or twisting your body more than one-third of the time
- Work in this occupation requires being inside most of the time
- Work in this occupation involves making repetitive motions more than one-third of the time
- Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time
Working in this career involves (physical activities):
- Using muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring
- Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching
- Seeing clearly up close
- Speaking clearly enough to be able to be understood by others
- Identifying and understanding the speech of another person
- Exerting oneself physically over long periods of time without getting out of breath
- Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying objects
- Using abdominal and lower back muscles repeatedly or over time without tiring
Work Hours and Travel
Specialty and Similar Careers
Careers that are more detailed or close to this career:
- Bodywork Therapist
- Certified Massage Therapist (CMT)
- Clinical Massage Therapist
- Integrated Deep Tissue Massage Therapist
- Licensed Massage Practitioner (LMP)
- Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT)
- Soft Tissue Specialist
- Registered Massage Therapist (RMT)
- Therapeutic Massage Technician
Every year the U.S. Department of Labor conducts national surveys of wage data by occupation in every state and in all industry divisions. These surveys are conducted through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program.
The statistics collected for one year are published the next fall. For example, 2013 wage information was published in the fall of 2014.
There are over 800 occupations in the surveys, and these occupations cover the entire U.S. labor market. The surveys ask for reports in a scale of ranges for both hourly wages and annual wages.
In many cases, these occupations are broad enough to cover many more detailed specialties of an occupation. A specific occupation may be included in a broader occupational category for which labor market data is available. When you look at the statistics for a broad category, be aware that the salary data for a specific career may differ.
For more details about how wage information is collected and calculated by the U.S. Department of Labor, visit their website at http://www.bls.gov/bls/blswage.htm.
Every year the U.S. Department of Labor conducts a national survey of over 400,000
employers in every state and in all industry divisions. This survey is conducted
through the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program. Every other year the
department publishes outlook information based on these surveys.
Each outlook period covers 10 years. For example, in 2003 the outlook information
was published for 2004-2014. Employers are asked to report the number of employees
in about 770 different occupations that cover the entire U.S. labor market.
From this information, staffing patterns for different industries are established.
Industry growth is projected into the future based on past trends and current economic
conditions. Industry staffing patterns are then applied to the industry projections
to obtain occupational projections.
In many cases, these occupations are broad enough to cover many more detailed specialties
of an occupation. A specific occupation may be included in a broader occupational
category for which labor market data is available. When you look at the statistics
for a broad category, be aware that the employment data for a specific field may
differ.
For more details about how employment information is collected and calculated by
the U.S. Department of Labor, visit their website at http://stats.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.tn.htm.
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