Occupation Profile

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Massage Therapists

(SOC Code : 31-9011)

in California

Massage customers for hygienic or remedial purposes.

Employers are usually looking for candidates with Post secondary vocational training .

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Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2012	1st Qtr	$18.55	$12.04	$16.55	$22.72

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Annual Avg Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2010 - 2020	24,100	27,500	3,400	14.1	730

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Enter a Zip Code Find a Zip code in California

Within miles of Zip Code.

Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

Personal Care Services

52,245

20.3%

Offices of Other Health Practitioners

38,883

7.3%

Other Amusement & Recreation Industries

11,489

2.9%

About Staffing Patterns

Training Programs (click on title for more information)

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Program Title

Asian Bodywork Therapy

Massage Therapy/Therapeutic Massage

Somatic Bodywork

About Training & Apprenticeships

About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Assess clients` soft tissue condition, joint quality and function, muscle strength, and range of motion.

Refer clients to other types of therapists when necessary.

Treat clients in professional settings or travel to clients` offices and homes.

Use complementary aids, such as infrared lamps, wet compresses, ice, and whirlpool baths to promote clients` recovery, relaxation, and well-being.

Confer with clients about their medical histories and problems with stress or pain to determine how massage will be most helpful.

Develop and propose client treatment plans that specify which types of massage are to be used.

Provide clients with guidance and information about techniques for postural improvement and stretching, strengthening, relaxation, and rehabilitative exercises.

Massage and knead muscles and soft tissues of the body to provide treatment for medical conditions, injuries, or wellness maintenance.

Prepare and blend oils and apply the blends to clients` skin.

Apply finger and hand pressure to specific points of the body.

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Top Skills used in this Job

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others` reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Time Management - Managing one`s own time and the time of others.

Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others` actions.

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Top Abilities (Attributes of the person that influence performance in this job.)

Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

Social - Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

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