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The differences between massage therapy instructors and certification specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a massage therapy instructor has an average salary of $53,616, which is higher than the $45,265 average annual salary of a certification specialist.
The top three skills for a massage therapy instructor include anatomy, physiology and respiratory therapy. The most important skills for a certification specialist are patients, medical terminology, and surgical procedures.
| Massage Therapy Instructor | Certification Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $53,616 | $45,265 |
| Hourly rate | $25.78 | $21.76 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 59,425 | 43,565 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
Massage therapy instructors teach students how to give massages for relaxation and therapy purposes. The instructors provide lectures and demonstrate and oversee activities that the class can participate in. Their tasks are to evaluate student's classwork, papers and assignments, instruct students in different types of massage applications and therapy, and develop daily lesson plans to include instructional aids. They should have experience in giving massages to clients with a license required in the state where they teach and practice. Massage therapist instruction must have manual dexterity, good coordination, and the ability to perform massages for in-class demonstration.
A certification specialist is primarily in charge of conducting inspections and assessments, ensuring operations and procedures comply with certification guidelines and requirements. Although their responsibilities may vary upon their industry or organization of employment, it usually entails reviewing certification applications and system plans, arranging schedules and tests, organizing orientations, providing advice or guidance to new members of the workforce, and implementing strategies. Moreover, they also perform administrative support tasks such as processing the necessary documents, facilitating activities, and coordinating with internal and external parties.
Massage therapy instructors and certification specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Massage Therapy Instructor | Certification Specialist | |
| Average salary | $53,616 | $45,265 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $86,000 | Between $25,000 And $81,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | - | New York |
| Best paying company | - | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a massage therapy instructor and a certification specialist in terms of educational background:
| Massage Therapy Instructor | Certification Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Somatic Bodywork | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Western Carolina University |
Here are the differences between massage therapy instructors' and certification specialists' demographics:
| Massage Therapy Instructor | Certification Specialist | |
| Average age | 46 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4% | Male, 26.3% Female, 73.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 11.3% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 8.8% White, 70.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 11% |