Pricing your Massage Services-a realistic guide for therapists

Have you seen massage therapists online (FB usually) touting that ALL massage therapists should charge at LEAST $$$____?

(Insert current high price trending comment above.)

"You've got to make a good living!" they proclaim loudly and boldly.

Yes, it would be nice to make a good living as a massage therapist.

Here's the rub 😉

They're not taking into account a lot of factors.

Some massage therapists can charge impressive prices (and are people paying?).

You might want to think before you go all willy nilly raising your prices like you work in a terraced penthouse in NYC with a rooftop swimming pool.

Here are some of the ideas I think you should take into account.

1. What do you specialize in? How long have you been doing it? Is it actually what you DO, or is it what you happen to do?
2. Do you bill insurance? They have caps on pricing.
3. How long have you been a massage therapist? Have you taken lots of classes to improve your ethics, massage therapy skills, or business acument?
4. Where do you live? LA therapists probably can get away with charging a heck of a lot more than those who live in Alpena, MI.
5. What's your office like? Do you work out of your home? Rent a space with a beautiful lobby and private bathroom? Room share and have your clients walk down to a bathroom with stalls?
6. What's your rent / mortgage on the massage studio? What costs are involved-ie. internet, gas and electric, water, HOA fees, etc.
7. Are you wanting to thrive in business and really grow it? It's ok to do massge as a hobby. Or if you've got a spouse who has no problem paying the bills, and you can afford to be philanthropic: GO FOR IT.
8. What's your competition? If you don't really specialize in anything and are more comparable to therapists who work in a chain spa (and there's nothing wrong with that), why should you charge a premium?
9. If you charge a premium, are you ok if you're less busy? When I raised my rates last time, I was hoping I'd slow down, but I didn't. That doesn't mean it won't happen. You just need to make sure you're ok if it does.

Don't you think we should also stop saying to "charge what you're worth"? Our worth is not tied to our skills as a massage therapist, a wellness professional, barber, hair stylist, nail tech, etc.

We should charge - taking into account ALL of the above - what our SKILLS are worth. And where they're worth them.

Oh-check out this interesting statistics page from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. You'll probably find the income levels surprising.

Have we met? I'm Mary-Claire Fredette, massage mentor, coach and your biz cheerleader. I wanna help you grow the business you love-in a way that suits you perfectly.

Here's a guide to creating a niche!