Massage Therapy School San Antonio, Texas
In the world of massage therapy careers, San Antonio just about has it all. Massage therapists can develop their own niches. There are people working to bring massage to people who can benefit from it, from varied walks of life. The economic conditions are favorable enough that the city was ranked #3 by Sparefoot for best cities for massage therapists in 2018.
There are multiple massage schools in San Antonio that meet requirements for Texas licensure, including 50 hours of internship. There are also myriad continuing education opportunities.
Best Massage Schools in San Antonio
The River City School of Massage Therapy offers a 500-hour license-qualifying program. The River City School is a school member of the American Massage Therapy Association.
The Academy for Massage Therapy Training gives students the option of a basic 500-hour program or a 570-hour program that includes 70 hours of internship beyond the 50 required for licensure. Students at the Academy for Massage Therapy Training begin their internship experiences after completing just 250 hours of the program.
The Milan Institute is not just a beauty school! The San Antonio-Ingraham Park institute holds institutional accreditation through the Council on Occupational Education. The Milan Institute has been assigned a code by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.
The 2019 Massage Therapist Job Market
A job search in mid-2019 reveals opportunity. One will find the range of franchises: Elements, Massage Envy, Massage Heights, the Woodhouse Day Spa. There are also hotels and resorts in the market, along with local massage studios, and healthcare organizations; the latter includes chiropractic and wellness clinics, among others. A notable posting is for a hospital-based position that involves providing post-partum massage.
Massage for Special Populations
Community Health and Wellness provides a number of services for disabled populations, including massage therapy. The organization notes that therapeutic massage can have many functions, including supporting connective tissue function, promoting better posture and movement, and ultimately fostering independence. LMTs are among those who may be qualified to provide aquatic therapy, another Community Health and Wellness service. The organization states that all their massage therapists are licensed, and many have advanced trainings and certifications. Community Health and Wellness advertised for a massage therapist in 2019. The organization had three associate reviews on Inded.com and a rating of 5.0; cons, when noted, were economic.
Seasons Alzheimer’s and Assisted Living, meanwhile, includes massage therapy among its services for those living with dementia. They, too, can enumerate the benefits
The value of massage in oncology treatment is well-known. Oncology massage organizations like the SLEW Cancer Wellness Center are working to make it more accessible.
Oak Haven Massage: A Successful Local Massage Practice
Oak Haven Massage is among the area’s most successful practices. It now has both San Antonio and Austin locations. The business was started by a retired chiropractor who saw a massage practice as a place where he could pass on some of what he’d learned in his years in healthcare. The enterprise has been successful and has grown by no small amount. The website states that the San Antonio practice has 70 full-time therapists and serves 7,000 clients a month! As of June 2019, the business has 671 Google ratings and an average rating of 4.9. The focus is deep tissue work. Oak Haven has a strong in-house training program –and, not surprisingly, it’s among the practices hiring in 2019!
Other Popular San Antonio Massage Practices
The spa d’sante self-identifies as a wellness spa. It offers a therapeutic, results-oriented massage as well as a menu of options. Guests can opt for massage add-ons like peppermint scalp massage or paraffin hand treatment. The former may be effective for headaches as well as for stimulating senses at session close; the latter may be effective for osteoarthritis, among other conditions. The spa d’sante was also hiring in 2019. The organization advertised a generous salary and benefits like healthcare coverage.
The Integrative Healing Institute appeals to those who like integrative and complementary therapies of many types. Here they have energy work and therapeutic sound. They have practices that have an arguably mystic element. They’ve got classes in areas as diverse as Qi Gong and nutrition. Professional counseling services are also available.
While local is big, there are also franchises with very favorable client ratings. Elements Massage-San Antonio has a Google rating of 4.7 as does Massage Heights-San Antonio.
Mobile Massage
Soothe and Zeel are in operation in San Antonio. A number of local providers also offer in-home and on-site massage. Massage therapists have their own comfort level and policies regarding going onsite for massage sessions. One two-person massage therapy studio, for example, states that they do in-home sessions for established female clients.
Massage Therapy Entrepreneurs
Massage therapy is a relatively quick second career, and some bring to the table what they’ve learned in prior careers, whether in business or healthcare. Gilyard Medical and Oncology Massage is the work of a long-time healthcare professional who holds RN and LMT credentials. She boasts certifications in specialized areas like oncology massage.
Massage Therapist Earnings
Massage therapists in the area averaged $31.46 in 2018. A lot of massage therapists here were making well above the norm. Between the 25th and 50th percentiles, there was a jump from $18.59 to $39.90, making for an unusually high median. Even in this area, there were some relatively low earners. Those at the 10th percentile were making $10.52. Those at the 90th percentile, meanwhile, were making $48.62.
Continuing Education
There are many continuing education opportunities. The River City Massage 2019 continuing education schedule includes multiple offerings that involve stretching. Heeling Sole Barefoot Massage offers training classes in Ashiatsu.
Those who can take an occasional short trip to Austin will find even more opportunity. The Lauterstein-Conway Massage School, for example, offers in-depth therapeutic massage courses. The Ariana Institute offers six-hour workshops in a variety of areas, among them, geriatric massage, facial and scalp massage, use of Reiki in therapeutic settings, and work with trauma and PTSD survivors. A New Beginning has on its schedule classes as diverse as using orthopedic massage to resolve chronic dysfunction and practicing thumb self-care for career longevity.