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Massage therapist vs therapeutic massage technician

The differences between massage therapists and therapeutic massage technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a massage therapist has an average salary of $53,935, which is higher than the $46,010 average annual salary of a therapeutic massage technician.

The top three skills for a massage therapist include customer service, cleanliness and strong customer service. The most important skills for a therapeutic massage technician are patient care, autism, and physical therapy.

Massage therapist vs therapeutic massage technician overview

Massage TherapistTherapeutic Massage Technician
Yearly salary$53,935$46,010
Hourly rate$25.93$22.12
Growth rate20%20%
Number of jobs34,26218,351
Job satisfaction4.6-
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 26%Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age4141
Years of experience--

Massage therapist vs therapeutic massage technician salary

Massage therapists and therapeutic massage technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Massage TherapistTherapeutic Massage Technician
Average salary$53,935$46,010
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $92,000Between $25,000 And $84,000
Highest paying CityArlington, MA-
Highest paying stateAlaska-
Best paying companyHuntington Hospital-
Best paying industryGovernment-

Differences between massage therapist and therapeutic massage technician education

There are a few differences between a massage therapist and a therapeutic massage technician in terms of educational background:

Massage TherapistTherapeutic Massage Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 26%Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common majorSomatic BodyworkSomatic Bodywork
Most common college--

Massage therapist vs therapeutic massage technician demographics

Here are the differences between massage therapists' and therapeutic massage technicians' demographics:

Massage TherapistTherapeutic Massage Technician
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 23.6% Female, 76.4%Male, 24.5% Female, 75.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 11.0% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 12.3% White, 60.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage13%13%

Differences between massage therapist and therapeutic massage technician duties and responsibilities

Massage therapist example responsibilities.

  • Manage employees and office, administer payroll.
  • Manage confidential client health information in accordance with the HIPPA act.
  • Perform massage therapy and Reiki on palliative care patients
  • Work in a professional center performing massage therapy, energy therapies, hot stone therapy, and reiki.
  • Provide therapeutic massage, reflexology and relate services to enhance customer health and wellness
  • Provide massage therapy in various therapeutic settings including several chiropractic offices, in-home appointment (s) and at charity/sponsore events.
  • Show more

Therapeutic massage technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage confidential client health information in accordance with the HIPPA act.
  • Maintain professionalism and cleanliness of assign therapy room and maintain the confidentiality and sensitivity to relate issues during all client interactions.
  • Provide massage services to variety of clients ranging from chiropractic patients to motorcycle track-day participants.

Massage therapist vs therapeutic massage technician skills

Common massage therapist skills
  • Customer Service, 24%
  • Cleanliness, 14%
  • Strong Customer Service, 13%
  • Work Ethic, 7%
  • Wellness Benefits, 6%
  • Massage Therapy, 5%
Common therapeutic massage technician skills
  • Patient Care, 46%
  • Autism, 19%
  • Physical Therapy, 14%
  • Medical Appointments, 7%
  • Soft Tissue, 6%
  • Behavioral Problems, 3%

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