How much do massage therapists make in commission?

How much do massage therapists make in commission when working with a spa? Is 50/50 the norm? For a beginner fresh out of massage school would it be less? How much experience would you need to get a higher percentage from the spa owner?


I'd like answers specific to the city of Philadelphia but info about other cities would be great reference as well.How much do massage therapists make in commission?
What a interesting conversation this is! I worked in Texas as a new therapist, and I worked commission only for massages and spa services, starting at 35% and going up to 55% plus tips, we charged around $75 a service. I opened my own business and I charge $60 hourly.





Apparently this is not always the norm, I knew other therapists who worked at Massage envy, Spa D'sante and Massage Heights who only made $12-$15 hourly + tips.





The biggest compromise is the life you want to lead. I prefer to get paid more, work less, and use my spare time to learn more about massage!





Just be confident in your abilities and ask for more than you think you will get. I always got the job after a massage demo!





GOOD LUCK!How much do massage therapists make in commission?
It all depends what type of business you intend on working for. Here in philly, most spas pay commission only with the norm at about 30%-40% for more experienced therapists. This percentage does drop to about 20% for new graduates. Usually, this rate will increase on your first anniversary depending on your job performance. In ac, the hotel spas pay more, usually about 50%. But most places in jersey require that you are either nationally certified or state certified. pa doesn't have any work requirements.





If you work at the ';discount'; massage places like hand and stone and massage envy, they are at about 50% but their prices are lower thus meaning a lower pay per massage. but these places may be busier than a spa because they are inexpensive.





if you decide to work for a chiropractors office you are paid per 30 min massage, the average being $13/massage. You may be busier here as well because of the number of clients, but most likely you will not get tips.





then of course, you can always bypass the whole commission issue and work for yourself. the average rate for an at-home therapist is about $60-$70 for a 50 minute swedish.





hope this helps!
It varies from place to place and depends on your ability to promote yourself to a potential employer. You need to be able to show an employer what you will do for them to improve their business. You need to have good customer service skills, listening skills and know how to apply massage to what the client needs. It has more to do with your skills in negotiating than your experience as a massage therapist.





Be sure you know if you are an employee on commission or a subcontractor. Most employers are hiring massage therapists as subcontractors when they really should be employees so that they can try to save money.





Figure out what you need to make per hour to make a living enough for you to pay your bills, save for retirement and do the things you want in your life.
I work as a massage therapist in Pittsburgh. I receive an hourly pay $10 with 30% commission on chair massage. For table I am taken off the the hourly pay and receive 40% for the first time I see a client and 50% for the additional times I see the same client. I also work at a spa in the mountain ranges and receive $8 for hourly pay and 20% commission for each table on top of that. Most places will start you out at 15% commission and the longer you work there you bump up to 20%. To get a higher percentage you have to work a while. I've been working for 4 years this April. Hope this helps!