Zen and the Art of Massage

So I’ve been thinking of learning hot stone massage for a few months now, and finally took the plunge a few days ago. I’ve picked up an at home study course from The Stone Massage Company, a reputable company that teaches hot and cold stone massage in Toronto. I also bought a set of hot stones from them, and will pick up a heater for them this coming weekend.

The home study course involves reading the manual thoroughly several times, doing at least five case study massages on family and friends, and a written test. The manual contains a ton of information, including cautions and contraindiations to hot stone massage, a complete how to for doing the massage, and lots about proper care for your hot stones. The case studies and the test need to be sent to the company for grading before the certificate of completion will be issued.

So far I’ve read quickly through the manual and looked at the stones. I’m looking forward to getting started with some practice!

I just wanted to draw people’s attention to Andrew Ward’s comment on my post about the 3 minute Angels. If you’re curious what the company might have to say about their services, take a look.

As some of you know, I’m changing offices at the end of this month, and am currently setting up my new massage room.

Obviously the room is going to contain a massage table, some shelving, and a chair, but what else would you like to see in a massage room? I figured my blog would be a good place to ask.

I’ve noticed that a fair number of the hits to my blog from web searches seem to be people looking for information on how much the average RMT tends to make. Here’s what I’ve discovered from my experiences here in Ontario:

• * The majority of RMTs in Ontario are contractors. This means that they are hired to work at a clinic for certain days/times and manage their own client loads. They do not receive benefits, vacation pay, or a guaranteed salary, instead getting paid on a per-client basis.
• * You will need to pay your boss/clinic rent each month. Rent can be worked in one of two ways: as a straight number due once per month, or as a percentage of your earnings. For example, you may be paying $800/month rent, due on the first of the month. Or you may be paying 40% of all your earnings from treating clients at the clinic (referred to as a percent split).
• * In percent split situations, you may be paying the clinic as little as 30% of your treatment income, or as high as 50%. Many clinics will also allow a ‘ceiling’ number to be put in place. This means that once you have paid them a certain amount each month, you retain 100% of the rest of your income, regardless of how many more clients you see. For example, a typical ‘new grad’ situation in Ottawa would be a 60/40 split with a ceiling of 1500. This means that you pay the clinic 40% of your earnings each month, up to a maximum of 1500. Note that some clinics do not have a ceiling number; my advice to new grads is to insist on one!
• * The ‘deal’ you get with your clinic will be different in each situation. Generally, the better your percent split and ceiling, the more you will be expected to pay for on your own. Items that you or your clinic will need to pay for include things like a massage table, lotions/oils, linens or linen service, receipt books, furniture, table sanitizer, stationery, etc.
• * Most RMTs who work full time do approximately 15-25 client hours per week (more than that tends to lead to quick burn out, as your body can only do so many massages!). Once you add in prep time between clients and time for administration, they’re actually working 20-40 hours per week. Note that time spent doing administration is, for the most part, unpaid. However, it is necessary!
• * Taking into account all of the above factors, a new graduate can expect to earn somewhere between 20K-30K in their first year of practice, depending on how busy they are and what their percent split or rent is. RMTs who have a more full practice can expect to earn 40K-60K per year. Note that these figures reflect your income after your rent is paid to your clinic, but income taxes, CPP, and other deductions have not been taken into account. Also, expenses you may be required to handle (linens, oil, etc) are also not taken into account.

In summary: if you’re thinking of going to massage school and have been thinking that $70 bucks an hour sounds like a sweet deal, there is a lot more to consider, and you certainly do not retain the entire $70! However, you can make a decent income as an RMT, especially if you manage your money wisely.

Article from the Vancouver Sun.

Interesting. I never knew there were so few RMTs in BC and that they were actually facing a shortage! Very different from the state of affairs here in Ontario, where the competition is relatively high in many cities and towns.

As well, part of the article is factually incorrect. Massage Therapy is regulated in three provinces currently (Ontario, British Columbia, and Newfoundland and Labrador), not just two.

Almost makes me want to move to BC! Almost.