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The differences between massage therapy instructors and program instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a massage therapy instructor and a program instructor. Additionally, a massage therapy instructor has an average salary of $53,616, which is higher than the $42,380 average annual salary of a program instructor.
The top three skills for a massage therapy instructor include anatomy, physiology and respiratory therapy. The most important skills for a program instructor are patients, K-12, and math.
| Massage Therapy Instructor | Program Instructor | |
| Yearly salary | $53,616 | $42,380 |
| Hourly rate | $25.78 | $20.38 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 59,425 | 92,369 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 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 program instructor is responsible for facilitating indoor and outdoor programs with various goals and objectives catering to different participants. Program instructors must have excellent communication skills, especially on gaining the participants' attention and engaging them to join the activities prepared for the day. They also maintain a safe and creative learning environment for everyone, observing each participant's behavior and interests, developing group cooperation, and fostering personal development. A program instructor reiterates safety procedures and regulations during the program for everyone's strict compliance and immediately addresses conflicts soon as they arise.
Massage therapy instructors and program instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Massage Therapy Instructor | Program Instructor | |
| Average salary | $53,616 | $42,380 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $86,000 | Between $29,000 And $60,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Urban Honolulu, HI |
| Highest paying state | - | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | - | Los Alamos National Laboratory |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between a massage therapy instructor and a program instructor in terms of educational background:
| Massage Therapy Instructor | Program Instructor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 34% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Somatic Bodywork | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between massage therapy instructors' and program instructors' demographics:
| Massage Therapy Instructor | Program Instructor | |
| Average age | 46 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 30.6% Female, 69.4% | Male, 39.7% Female, 60.3% |
| 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, 7.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 11.2% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 16% | 16% |