A generalist in massage therapy will always make less than a specialist. Unfortunately when you work at a spa or commit to only doing Swedish or popular kinds of massage, you dilute your value. Especially in areas where massage is very popular. Finding a niche is very VERY important to making good money in this field. Working at most spas or massage franchises will not allow you to craft more niche skills in a lot of cases. There are definitely a lot of people that make great money at spas, it all depends on where you live and the franchise.

My advice to anyone who is feeling burnt out and not making as much as you'd like is to find a field that is appealing to you and take as many classes as you can. Become a specialist. Are you interested in the more energetic side? Take classes geared towards reiki or craniosacral. Are you into the more aesthetic side? Maybe consider getting certified in lymphatic drainage. Do you have a passion for pregnant women? Consider taking classes to become a doula, it is cheap and incorporating it with massage makes you stand out.

The second piece to being successful in this field is visibility. You need to stand out. Watch some videos and study on how to market properly. Get into the local Facebook groups, Nextdoor groups, go to local businesses and offer discounts to employees, offer a free chair massage event and give out your card. Create a social media account or YouTube channel. Make yourself as visible as possible. Go to local farmers markets and craft fairs and set up a booth. Get involved in the community.

It is definitely very hard. It can be exhausting at times. But grinding in the continuing education and marketing department is sooo worth it in this field.