What should I study Therapeutic Massage or Physical Therapy Assistant?!
Question:
What should I study Therapeutic Massage or Physical Therapy Assistant?
Both carrers cost the same, massage is for 8 months, but PTA lasts for 2 years.
Answers:
PTA will be the smarter move. You'll still learn some massage. And you can always go back for some more massage training later on if you want.
Currently, as an massage therapist, I struggle daily to get people to want to pay me for my services. As a PTA, people will come under their insurance, so compensation for you will be good usually about $24-$28 an hour here in central Florida. That's $24 per hour x 8 hours a day= $192. plus usually full insurance and a good retirement plan, maybe some disability insurance
As an MT, you probably only get four hours a day of massage work on average (even though you spend 8 hours in the office). On a $60 massage, you'll split take with the massage establishment 60%/40% leaving you $36 an hour x 4 hours= $144 , but then you'll have to pay your own self employment taxes and insurance and IRA. figure take home about $85 a day. Not a real incentive for a decent living.
Go with the PTA for now, do massage on the side later as a sideline.