Massage Therapy School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
With statewide licensure now in place in Oklahoma, massage has grown up as a profession! This is an exciting time for the state’s massage therapists. In the state’s biggest metropolis, Oklahoma City, one will find some very popular spas and some surprising innovations. Job concentration is not as high as it is in many places, but there’s a lot of opportunity.
This may be a good time to take advantage of career growth potential — 24.6% occupational growth has been projected for Oklahoma during the 2016 to 2026 decade. If one looks at other communities around the nation, they find that many of the businesses that have really taken off are operated by massage therapists who have been around for a while.Those who want to poise themselves well for long-term success may want to look around for inspiration on developing their own niche. They may also want to seek out workshops and certifications to supplement their basic program.
Sports massage, pain management, and integrative cancer care are among the sub-disciplines massage therapists specialize in. They may develop expertise in Eastern modalities like Shiatsu or Ashiatsu bar therapy or in clinical styles like trigger point.
Popular Massage Schools in Oklahoma City
Central Oklahoma College offers a 750-hour program that can be completed in about a year. The school also offers continuing education with five hour courses in a variety of modalities. Central Oklahoma College holds accreditation and is a school member of the American Massage Therapy Association.
Integrated Massage Therapy College is an established school. Students can opt for morning, evening, or weekend classes.
Oklahoma College of Massage in Hydro offers a 520-hour program. The college is a school member of the American Massage Therapy Association.
The Praxis College of Health Arts and Sciences is an unusual school. Students attend on scholarship. The school looks for those with natural giftedness in this arena. Prospective students must go through an audition process and be determined to be at least the 90th percentile. The school tells those who may distrust this business model that they’re not really free – they have corporate partners paying for their students to go to school. The student clinic also generates revenue for the college.
Massage for Pain
Health professionals in Oklahoma are advocating for the prescription of safer pain drugs and also for greater usage of complementary and alternative treatments. A doctor at Oklahoma Pain Clinic noted a variety of treatments, from water aerobics to spinal cord stimulation to massage, that had the potential to minimize the need for opiate drugs (https://okcfox.com/news/local/doctors-suggest-alternative-treatments-to-help-chronic-pain). While the typical spas massage may have some effect on easing aches and pains, people with conditions that cause serious pain benefit from specific techniques; treatment plans guide therapy.
Oklahoma City Massage Therapy Practices
The BACKstop Massage and Oxygen Bar specializes in helping people feel better through quick and efficient chair massage. Corporate massage is showing up a lot of places, but the OKC BACKstop isn’t your ordinary company. Among the unique features of the ergonomic chair: The headrest on the chair places music. Massage therapists also do table massage at the BACKstop. Clients are offered packages that may include multiple massage modalities; head and sinus massage may, for example, be included. The BACKstop website in 2019 proclaims that the company is interviewing and hiring.
A Balanced Body Massage Therapy Clinic offers common modalities like Swedish and sports massage as well as Gua Sha and cupping. The business provides other services like facials and Aloe wraps. A badge on the website proclaims a 2016 honor: Expertise ‘Best Massage Therapists in Oklahoma City’. A visit to the Expertise website finds them there again in 2019 (https://www.expertise.com/ok/oklahoma-city/massage-therapy).
Heavenly Hands Day Spa in Mustang features multiple massage styles as well as spa treatments and sauna. It is also among the practices accepting resumes in 2019.
The Sweet Mimosa Day Spa and Massage Therapy offers Swedish, deep tissue, and couples massage in 30, 60, or 90 minute increments. It also offers prenatal massage in 30 or 60 minute sessions and reflexology at a dollar a minute.
Elements Massage in South Edmond is highly rated by clients. The franchises enjoys a 4.8 Google rating.
Some practices on the Expertise top 13 list are operated by a single massage therapist (https://www.expertise.com/ok/oklahoma-city/massage-therapy).
The Hiring Market
A spring 2019 job search turned up positions at franchises, spas, and chiropractic offices. The University of Oklahoma was looking for a massage therapist for sporadic hours. An inn in Norman was looking for an independent contractor to offer massage therapy; the business noted it was in the early stages of expanding the services it offered its guests.
Massage Therapist Wages
Wages are very close to the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median hourly wage was $19.87 in 2018, just five cents below the national median. The lowest 10% made less than $14.14; the highest 10%, though, made more than $29.01.