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Starting Pay?
Hi, I'm needing to hire someone as my practice is getting full. I'm wanting to find a new therapist and help them to build their practice. I'm looking to hire someone who is a go getter, and want to treat them well so they'll stick around. I am very conscious of the lower rates that some massage therapy businesses pay their employees. Any suggestions on a fair starting wage? I charge $75 for an hour massage, but hope to refer a lot of people from an insurance plan that only pays out $50 per massage. I need to make it a viable business decision for myself to cover overhead, but still pay a decent wage. I'm hoping to hire them as an employee rather than an independent contractor. Any thoughts are appreciated!
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Janae Klindt on
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In Colorado, I have found that they pay a % of massages done. Starting it is about 30% and over the years and experience, tops out at 45% of each massage. Also if you sell products, they receive 10% of the products they sell. The % also changes if the person you hire supplies their own oils and lotions and supply their own sheets and stuff.
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Permalink Reply by Sarah Enera on
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I have a blended practice, in which I work for myself with my own business, and additionally as an employee very part time.
For myself: 1) I rent space out of a wonderful home that's been converted into a business; location Redmond, WA. Things are great.
2) I rent space out of a beautiful yoga studio in Issaquah, WA. Things are good, yet I just moved part of my practice here, so it's not as thriving as I'd like at this early time.
Both places I've been charging $60/hr, $85/90 min, $100/2hr. Next month, however, I am going to up my prices for the first time.
As an employee, I currently work 1.5 days out of a Pilates studio (who put me through their 550 hour instructor course for free, with an exchange of a min 1-year massage contract).
They pay me: $32/hr for massage, $30/hr for massagilates (which is blending massage and a private Pilates lesson-I either reserve time for Thai massage in the session, or pepper in treatment and ROM work, depending on my intuition and the clients desires), and $25/hr for Pilates instruction.
The first half of this year, I was working 10-15 hours/ week at a Chiro office, and they paid me $25 to start; after four months they started paying me $30/hour. The caveat here was that they would pay me $20/hour for chair massage and for daily deal clients (Groupon, Living Social, etc).
So, my two cents: If you feel like you find someone who blends knowledge, good hands, integrity, intuition, sincerity, and passion, then pay them a respectable rate and they'll be satiated. I'm not sure where you are at (was that the OP that said they were in Portland, OR?), but I know I wouldn't even consider working anywhere that paid me less than $25/hour as an employee.
I know here in the Seattle area, ME is at what, $16-20 + tips, but the rest of the starting wages I've seen seem to be ~(very minimum) $20 to $25.
I feel very fortunate to have been offered a wage of $32/hour to start at the Pilates studio-and that was a year and a half ago, when I was just finishing my massage program.
I haven't looked for the current going rate since then..so I'm going off of a year + old info from my own experience.
Cheers,
Sarah
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The issue has been well covered. I just might mention that the evolution of pay standards has taken a downturn since massage mills have entered the scene. When I started over twelve years ago, most people who ran their own centers paid fifty percent. Now it is almost impossible to find anyone who pays it, although there are a few. I have a therapist come in one day per week and give her 75 percent.
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Chris - effectively I'll be paying them over 50% because many of the massages they'll be doing will only pay out $50. If I were to pay them $30 per massage, they'd be getting 40% on the $75 regular rate. I think it seems like a fair wage. When I started 7 years ago I received 40% plus an hourly minimum wage. I would be hard pressed to find that wage now, I think. In fact, I know that where I got that wage has reconfigured their pay structure, and now pay starting therapists around $15 plus an hourly wage - a full $10 than what I started out at 7 years ago. Your point is well taken that the franchises have not been an awesome thing for our pay structure.
Chris said:The issue has been well covered. I just might mention that the evolution of pay standards has taken a downturn since massage mills have entered the scene. When I started over twelve years ago, most people who ran their own centers paid fifty percent. Now it is almost impossible to find anyone who pays it, although there are a few. I have a therapist come in one day per week and give her 75 percent.
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Thanks, Sarah. It's super helpful to know what compensation others are getting. I appreciate you sharing!
Sarah Enera said:I have a blended practice, in which I work for myself with my own business, and additionally as an employee very part time.
For myself: 1) I rent space out of a wonderful home that's been converted into a business; location Redmond, WA. Things are great.
2) I rent space out of a beautiful yoga studio in Issaquah, WA. Things are good, yet I just moved part of my practice here, so it's not as thriving as I'd like at this early time.
Both places I've been charging $60/hr, $85/90 min, $100/2hr. Next month, however, I am going to up my prices for the first time.
As an employee, I currently work 1.5 days out of a Pilates studio (who put me through their 550 hour instructor course for free, with an exchange of a min 1-year massage contract).
They pay me: $32/hr for massage, $30/hr for massagilates (which is blending massage and a private Pilates lesson-I either reserve time for Thai massage in the session, or pepper in treatment and ROM work, depending on my intuition and the clients desires), and $25/hr for Pilates instruction.
The first half of this year, I was working 10-15 hours/ week at a Chiro office, and they paid me $25 to start; after four months they started paying me $30/hour. The caveat here was that they would pay me $20/hour for chair massage and for daily deal clients (Groupon, Living Social, etc).
So, my two cents: If you feel like you find someone who blends knowledge, good hands, integrity, intuition, sincerity, and passion, then pay them a respectable rate and they'll be satiated. I'm not sure where you are at (was that the OP that said they were in Portland, OR?), but I know I wouldn't even consider working anywhere that paid me less than $25/hour as an employee.
I know here in the Seattle area, ME is at what, $16-20 + tips, but the rest of the starting wages I've seen seem to be ~(very minimum) $20 to $25.
I feel very fortunate to have been offered a wage of $32/hour to start at the Pilates studio-and that was a year and a half ago, when I was just finishing my massage program.
I haven't looked for the current going rate since then..so I'm going off of a year + old info from my own experience.
Cheers,
Sarah
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Thanks Janae - I'm hoping to keep it simple and offer a flat rate per massage, as the compensation for each massage will differ due to insurance billing, etc. I'll be providing everything, so that definitely has to be taken into consideration when determining the pay rate.
Janae Klindt said:In Colorado, I have found that they pay a % of massages done. Starting it is about 30% and over the years and experience, tops out at 45% of each massage. Also if you sell products, they receive 10% of the products they sell. The % also changes if the person you hire supplies their own oils and lotions and supply their own sheets and stuff.
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If someone provides their own oils, lotioins and linens, they are not an employee, but a contractor.
% pay is one of the more ridiculous aspects of this industry and should be eliminated ASAP.
You should be paid for the time and talent and you are equally talented in every massage you do and a 60 minute massage still takes 60 minutes of your time and effort no matter how long you have been in the business.
% pay is relative pay, not absolute pay. What if I am comping a member of the media trying out my establishment for a review? What if it is a comp service to make up for a bad experience? Would you accept ANY % of $0 for your time and talent or $0 for a 0 appointment day? That is what you will get when you state your pay is relative to the price charged.
You, as a person, are absolutely valuable, not relatively valuable, so why wouldn't I pay you and absolute amount?
What the business owners charges -- and makes -- off a service is THEIR business. The therapists' business is to do the service for a fee which they believe values them.
Janae Klindt said:In Colorado, I have found that they pay a % of massages done. Starting it is about 30% and over the years and experience, tops out at 45% of each massage. Also if you sell products, they receive 10% of the products they sell. The % also changes if the person you hire supplies their own oils and lotions and supply their own sheets and stuff.
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I think we are cross talking her. the OP is talking about an hourly wage regardless of if they are massaging or thumb twiddling on a 1 client day.
$32 an hour for massage may sound great, but what do you get paid if you have 0 clients that day?
Sarah Enera said:I have a blended practice, in which I work for myself with my own business, and additionally as an employee very part time.
For myself: 1) I rent space out of a wonderful home that's been converted into a business; location Redmond, WA. Things are great.
2) I rent space out of a beautiful yoga studio in Issaquah, WA. Things are good, yet I just moved part of my practice here, so it's not as thriving as I'd like at this early time.
Both places I've been charging $60/hr, $85/90 min, $100/2hr. Next month, however, I am going to up my prices for the first time.
As an employee, I currently work 1.5 days out of a Pilates studio (who put me through their 550 hour instructor course for free, with an exchange of a min 1-year massage contract).
They pay me: $32/hr for massage, $30/hr for massagilates (which is blending massage and a private Pilates lesson-I either reserve time for Thai massage in the session, or pepper in treatment and ROM work, depending on my intuition and the clients desires), and $25/hr for Pilates instruction.
The first half of this year, I was working 10-15 hours/ week at a Chiro office, and they paid me $25 to start; after four months they started paying me $30/hour. The caveat here was that they would pay me $20/hour for chair massage and for daily deal clients (Groupon, Living Social, etc).
So, my two cents: If you feel like you find someone who blends knowledge, good hands, integrity, intuition, sincerity, and passion, then pay them a respectable rate and they'll be satiated. I'm not sure where you are at (was that the OP that said they were in Portland, OR?), but I know I wouldn't even consider working anywhere that paid me less than $25/hour as an employee.
I know here in the Seattle area, ME is at what, $16-20 + tips, but the rest of the starting wages I've seen seem to be ~(very minimum) $20 to $25.
I feel very fortunate to have been offered a wage of $32/hour to start at the Pilates studio-and that was a year and a half ago, when I was just finishing my massage program.
I haven't looked for the current going rate since then..so I'm going off of a year + old info from my own experience.
Cheers,
Sarah
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And what about those 0 client days, of which there are many on the way to building a successful practice? How insulting this that?
Gordon J. Wallis said:That low of a wage is an insult. How are we ever going to be considerd professionals with that low
low of a wage? Might as well stay home and give one massage a day.. You'd make more money.
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You might want to try running a small business yourself and see if how you look at things is still the sameMost small businesses DO NOT make a profit until year 3. Adding an employee means you are obligated to pay this person every hour they are on site, whether they have clients or not, and it just takes one 0 appointment day and you are shelling out $100 to that employee -- bye, bye profit!
Then you have to have workers comp insurance the minute you hire an employee, which can run as much as 10% of pay. Unemployment insurance premiums, for a new business with no track record, can run another 10% depending on the state.
Jimswife said:
The way I am looking at it is: you are already running a small business and making a profit. Hiring me is just going to bring in more clients and more profit.
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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on
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Uhm, I'm an employee. If I do zero massages, I get zero money. The very same if I was self employed.
Relax & Rejuvenate said:
And what about those 0 client days, of which there are many on the way to building a successful practice? How insulting this that?
Gordon J. Wallis said:That low of a wage is an insult. How are we ever going to be considerd professionals with that low
low of a wage? Might as well stay home and give one massage a day.. You'd make more money.
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Not necessarily. Employees aren't necessarily paid zero for a days work with no clients. By law, any employee must earn no less than the minimum wage in their state * hours worked during that pay period.
The whole point of being an employee is you have wage and job protections that you don't have as a contractor or as self-employed, which is why businesses are always hesitant to go down the road of having employees.
Gordon J. Wallis said:Uhm, I'm an employee. If I do zero massages, I get zero money. The very same if I was self employed.
Relax & Rejuvenate said:
And what about those 0 client days, of which there are many on the way to building a successful practice? How insulting this that?
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