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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 Gordon J. Wallis on
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Just an idea . Maybe $35 and hour plus any tips.
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Permalink Reply by Amanda Barp on
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Hi Gordon,
Thanks for your reply. The issue I'm having is, with the combined expenses of overhead and paying their taxes, I'm probably going to lose money by hiring a therapist at that rate. I need to find a nice middle ground, and am not sure if a flat rate per massage is what I want to do, or move toward an hourly plus commission. Anyhow, thanks again!
Gordon J. Wallis said:Just an idea . Maybe $35 and hour plus any tips.
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Permalink Reply by Michele Ellis on
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The starting rate for my current job was $10/hour plus tips. To be perfectly honest, I think that is fair. If you're wanting to hire an employee you are paying for everything plus them. At the end of every year they do an evaluation on where we are as far as productivity, re-bookings, product sales, as well as how we are working with the team and decide on a possible raise. I believe they have a max rate of $18/hour if I remember correctly. It could by $20.
What's great about this is that it does leave room for raises, which always feels nice. ;) You could always start at $11 or $12. To be honest, I didn't feel cheated when I was only getting $10 from the $60 massage.
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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.
Michele Ellis said:The starting rate for my current job was $10/hour plus tips. To be perfectly honest, I think that is fair. If you're wanting to hire an employee you are paying for everything plus them. At the end of every year they do an evaluation on where we are as far as productivity, re-bookings, product sales, as well as how we are working with the team and decide on a possible raise. I believe they have a max rate of $18/hour if I remember correctly. It could by $20.
What's great about this is that it does leave room for raises, which always feels nice. ;) You could always start at $11 or $12. To be honest, I didn't feel cheated when I was only getting $10 from the $60 massage.
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Do they have to be an employee?
Amanda Barp said:Hi Gordon,
Thanks for your reply. The issue I'm having is, with the combined expenses of overhead and paying their taxes, I'm probably going to lose money by hiring a therapist at that rate. I need to find a nice middle ground, and am not sure if a flat rate per massage is what I want to do, or move toward an hourly plus commission. Anyhow, thanks again!
Gordon J. Wallis said:Just an idea . Maybe $35 and hour plus any tips.
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Permalink Reply by Laura Allen on
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My minimum starting pay is $30 an hour, up to $45 an hour depending on experience and amount of education. The key phrase you used is that you want someone good who is a go-getter. I could pay less and keep more for myself, but I have hired great people and I have zero turnover. It is worth it to me to give up more money in order to have an excellent staff and not have a parade of therapists going through my office.
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Low, yes. But when I was looking for a job MOST places offered minimum wage. Now that is insulting. And one massage a day on your own does not get you more. You are forgetting about the cost it takes to run a business.
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.
Michele Ellis said:The starting rate for my current job was $10/hour plus tips. To be perfectly honest, I think that is fair. If you're wanting to hire an employee you are paying for everything plus them. At the end of every year they do an evaluation on where we are as far as productivity, re-bookings, product sales, as well as how we are working with the team and decide on a possible raise. I believe they have a max rate of $18/hour if I remember correctly. It could by $20.
What's great about this is that it does leave room for raises, which always feels nice. ;) You could always start at $11 or $12. To be honest, I didn't feel cheated when I was only getting $10 from the $60 massage.
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Hi Laura,
I'm curious - do you just pay your employees per massage with no hourly wage? Do you compensate them for their time spent doing other things? Marketing themselves, paperwork, etc? I appreciate your reply - I'm thinking along the same lines. I've been in too many situations where the employees aren't treated well, and I find that I'd rather find the right person and pay them accordingly than have to deal with the turnover. Thanks!
Amanda
Laura Allen said:My minimum starting pay is $30 an hour, up to $45 an hour depending on experience and amount of education. The key phrase you used is that you want someone good who is a go-getter. I could pay less and keep more for myself, but I have hired great people and I have zero turnover. It is worth it to me to give up more money in order to have an excellent staff and not have a parade of therapists going through my office.
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Hey Gordon,
I do want them to be an employee, as I want to train them to do similar work to mine so my current clients will have a consistent experience. I find that the line between contractor and employee is often blurred, and people are hired on as contractors and treated as employees. I want to do it right from the get-go.
Thanks!
Amanda
Gordon J. Wallis said:Do they have to be an employee?
Amanda Barp said:Hi Gordon,
Thanks for your reply. The issue I'm having is, with the combined expenses of overhead and paying their taxes, I'm probably going to lose money by hiring a therapist at that rate. I need to find a nice middle ground, and am not sure if a flat rate per massage is what I want to do, or move toward an hourly plus commission. Anyhow, thanks again!
Gordon J. Wallis said:Just an idea . Maybe $35 and hour plus any tips.
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Well I don't know what to say but, I've always made way more money then that. Even as a student thirty years ago. A professional massge costs $50 to $100 and hour now. Has for a long time. Get an outcall license, go to someones house and give one massage every other day and make way more money. If all you can make is ten bucks an hour working for someone else. Thats a way more profitable option. Even if its only one massage every other day. This is not an easy professionn on a lot of levels. Trust me I know. But when you are working. Its worth way more then ten or twelve bucks an hour. You are worth more.
Michele Ellis said:Low, yes. But when I was looking for a job MOST places offered minimum wage. Now that is insulting. And one massage a day on your own does not get you more. You are forgetting about the cost it takes to run a business.
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.
Michele Ellis said:The starting rate for my current job was $10/hour plus tips. To be perfectly honest, I think that is fair. If you're wanting to hire an employee you are paying for everything plus them. At the end of every year they do an evaluation on where we are as far as productivity, re-bookings, product sales, as well as how we are working with the team and decide on a possible raise. I believe they have a max rate of $18/hour if I remember correctly. It could by $20.
What's great about this is that it does leave room for raises, which always feels nice. ;) You could always start at $11 or $12. To be honest, I didn't feel cheated when I was only getting $10 from the $60 massage.
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What state do you folks live in that you are willing to work for $10 an hour massaging? I wouldn't even consider taking a job that paid me that little for massaging.
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. Yes, I realize that I will cost you some overhead. But seriously.... how much? And if I am paid well I am going to give my all. And would gladly help out in other areas. I would actually look at the opportunity as more than just a job. I am not saying I should be paid $50 an hr. but at least $20 to start. And go from there.
I can go work at Walmart for a little less, not work nearly as hard and not have a student loan to pay off. Or go to ME and make at least $18 an hr and tips. And basically not do anything above and beyond showing up and massaging then going home. Don't you want your employee to do more than that?
My suggestion is for you to get an idea of what the starting pay is at ME in your area and pay at least that for a couple months and then give them a small raise. Otherwise your employee won't be very happy and the quality of her work will show that.
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In no way have I thought of paying someone $10 an hour. I live in Portland, Oregon, and I think that the going rate at ME is around $15 for a starting therapist. I'm fairly certain I'm going to end up paying someone starting somewhere in the $25-$30 range plus tips. Thanks, everyone, for your input. It's a bit of a tricky subject!
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