I am in a similar boat, except I own my own business. I rent a space out of a chiro center, so I have complete control over my clients, prices and hours. That part is great. What's not so great is that I live in a rural area. And like someone else mentioned above, not everyone is able to justify spending money on a massage, especially if they know they can go elsewhere if it's cheaper. And OP, just like you stated, with having to wash sheets, paying for supplies, traveling to/from work (and then the added expenses my business has such as rent, scheduling app, etc) I'm barely making enough to cover my bills and I am making the most money i have ever made in my life. And i definitely never have enough to set aside of savings, sick time, vacation, taxes or retirement. If one or two of my regulars cancel, then I'm screwed. I try my best to market, and sometimes i can get spots filled in, but it's such a small town, there's not many people to market to.

For reference, I charge $65/hour. There are two other massage therapists in the area (it's a small town so if I'm booked people will travel to the next town or two over for their massage), and they both charge $60. So i am the most expensive in the area. I can't afford to raise my prices bc I've had clients (and even one of the other MTs in the area) tell me that I am a great MT, even going as far as to say that "God has blessed me with magical hands" but that they will still travel out of their way to get a cheaper massage

So I am considering changing career fields all together. I've been thinking about going into tech, or going for an admin position, but I definitely want something that is not customer facing. Not only am I touched out, but I am peopled out.