Massage Therapist Job Description: 5 Templates
Free massage therapist job description templates: standard, licensed, spa, clinical, and small-business, with licensing and tip-reporting notes. DOCX.
Massage Therapist Job Description Templates
5 free templates by setting, with licensing and tip-reporting notes. Download as DOCX.
Hiring a massage therapist is different from most small-business hires: it is a licensed, hands-on, appointment-based role, usually paid on a base-plus-tips structure, and the right person depends heavily on your setting. A day spa, a chiropractic clinic, and a wellness studio each need a different therapist, and most of the businesses hiring are small operations without an HR department. The job description should reflect both the setting and the licensing reality.
At FirstHR, we build for exactly those businesses: spas, studios, and clinics that hire and onboard directly, where the owner runs the hire without an HR team. The five templates below cover the role by setting: standard, licensed (LMT), spa or resort, clinical or medical, and a small-business first hire with built-in compliance notes. Fill in the brackets and post. For related roles, the esthetician job description templates cover the skincare side, and the guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
What Does a Massage Therapist Do?
A massage therapist treats clients by manipulating the body's soft tissues and joints to treat injuries and promote wellness, performing massage modalities, assessing client needs, maintaining a clean treatment space, and keeping records. Massage therapists are classified by federal labor data under massage therapists (SOC 31-9011), and the recognized task profile is detailed in the O*NET profile for massage therapists.
For the employer writing the posting, the key point is the setting. A spa therapist focuses on the guest experience; a clinical therapist works to a care plan with documentation; a small studio needs a reliable generalist. The five templates on this page split by setting so the posting matches the actual role.
Massage Therapist Duties and Responsibilities
Massage therapist duties center on four areas: treatment, client care and records, safety and standards, and professional and compliance. The setting shifts the emphasis, a spa versus a clinic versus a small studio, but these four categories hold across the role. These are the duties grouped the way the templates use them.
A strong posting grounds these in your specifics: the setting, the modalities, the schedule, and the pay structure. For a structured way to scope any role before posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by your setting. All five share the same skeleton and require a state license, but each emphasizes the duties and standards that fit a specific kind of massage business. Use this guide to choose.
5 Free Massage Therapist Job Description Templates
Download all five as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: business overview, job summary, key responsibilities, skills and qualifications, and compensation, with an EEO statement. The small-business version adds an owner notes block on licensing, classification, and tips. Fill in the brackets, especially the state, schedule, and pay, before you post.
Template 1: Massage Therapist (Standard)
The universal version: massage modalities, client assessment, clean treatment space, and records. Start here for a general massage therapist role.
Template 2: Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT)
Emphasizes the state license, MBLEx, liability insurance, CPR, and SOAP documentation. Use when compliance and licensed practice are front and center.
Template 3: Spa / Resort Massage Therapist
For a day-spa, hotel, or resort. Adds body treatments, service and cleanliness standards, retail and add-on sales, and a premium guest experience.
Template 4: Clinical / Medical & Chiropractic Massage Therapist
For a chiropractic or medical practice. Work to a care plan, medical history, targeted techniques, SOAP notes, HIPAA, and provider coordination.
Template 5: Small-Business / First-Hire Massage Therapist
For an owner hiring their first therapists. Simplified language plus an owner notes block on license verification, W-2 vs 1099, and tip reporting.
Requirements, Licensing, and Skills
Massage therapy is a licensed, hands-on role, so the posting must state the license precisely and keep the rest practical. List what the role genuinely requires.
| Type | What to require |
|---|---|
| License | Valid state massage license (board verified) |
| Exam and education | Accredited program; MBLEx in most states |
| Insurance / certification | Liability insurance; CPR (per setting) |
| Skills | Multiple modalities; sanitation; client service |
Massage therapy is regulated in most US states, and the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards is a useful starting point for understanding state licensing and the MBLEx, while the American Massage Therapy Association publishes industry and education information. Keep the language neutral and inclusive, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements showing a preference based on protected characteristics.
Compliance: Licensing, Tips, and W-2 vs 1099
Massage hiring carries three compliance issues that generic templates ignore: state licensing, worker classification, and tip reporting. Handling them up front protects the business. Use this checklist when you hire.
The classification question is the one new massage employers most often get wrong. If you are weighing employee versus contractor status, the employee vs contractor guide covers the test in detail, and tip obligations follow the IRS tip recordkeeping and reporting rules. This is general information, not legal or tax advice; confirm borderline cases with a professional.
Massage Therapist Pay
Massage pay usually combines a base or per-service rate with tips, and sometimes commission, so effective earnings depend on client volume. The federal data gives a solid anchor for the base.
Pay varies by setting and region, and the base is usually supplemented by tips and sometimes retail commission. Part-time work is common, since sustained hands-on massage is physically demanding. These are the most recent confirmed federal estimates.
| Setting | Pay tendency | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Spa / studio | Base or per-service + tips | Plus retail commission |
| Chiropractic / medical office | Among the highest settings | Around the $66,710 mark |
| Small business / first hire | Base + tips, owner-set | Often part-time |
| Self-employed (not your hire) | Varies widely | Largest category overall |
For setting pay, anchor on the federal figure, account for your setting and region, structure the base plus tips clearly, and state an honest range, since a growing number of states require one and candidates skip postings without numbers.
Hiring for a Small Spa or Clinic
Most massage therapists are self-employed and never hire. The businesses that do, spas, studios, chiropractic and medical practices, and small franchises, are usually small operations where the owner runs the hire directly, picks the setting, verifies the license, and handles classification and tips. Here is how to do it well.
After You Hire: Onboarding a Massage Therapist
Massage therapist onboarding ties together license verification, the standard paperwork, and tip setup, so a consistent process keeps it from slipping. Verify the state license with the board and confirm insurance and CPR first, then collect the offer letter, I-9, W-4, state new-hire reporting, and signed policy and safety acknowledgements, and set up tip recording from day one. Then onboard to your business: sanitation and draping standards, your booking and turnover process, and any clinical or spa service standards. For the broader flow, the new hire paperwork guide covers the documents and the training new employees guide covers running orientation.
The documents around the hire follow the usual sequence: the offer letter template for the terms, the employment contract template for a W-2 hire, and the onboarding checklist template for the first days of license verification, paperwork, and standards.
FirstHR fits this directly: e-signature for the offer and acknowledgements, an AI onboarding wizard that turns this very job description into a role-specific onboarding plan, document management for the license, insurance, and CPR with renewal reminders, training modules for your standards, an HRIS with an org chart for your business, and a self-service portal. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR; today the platform handles onboarding and document tracking once the candidate signs, which helps a small spa or clinic bring on a therapist cleanly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a massage therapist do?
A massage therapist treats clients by applying pressure to manipulate the body's soft tissues and joints, providing treatment for injuries and promoting general wellness. Core responsibilities include performing a range of massage modalities such as Swedish, deep tissue, and hot stone, assessing client needs and tailoring each session, explaining treatments and aftercare, maintaining a clean and safe treatment space, keeping accurate client records, and following sanitation and safety standards. The exact work depends on the setting: a spa therapist focuses on a premium guest experience and may provide body treatments and retail, while a clinical or medical therapist works to a provider's care plan with documentation and HIPAA requirements. Massage therapists usually work by appointment, and part-time schedules are common. The templates on this page split by these common settings so the posting matches the role.
Do massage therapists need a license?
In most states, yes. Massage therapy is regulated in the large majority of US states and territories, and therapists are typically required to hold a state license or certification, earned by completing an accredited massage program (often 500 to 1,000 hours depending on the state) and, in most states, passing the MBLEx examination. Requirements vary by state, so an employer should verify the specific license with the state board of nursing or massage therapy board before the therapist sees a client, and confirm it stays current. Because licensing varies, every template on this page references a valid state license as a requirement and prompts you to verify it. The Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards is a useful starting point for understanding state regulation. Always confirm the license directly with your state board.
What should a massage therapist job description include?
A strong massage therapist job description includes a business summary, a job summary, key responsibilities, the licensing and certification requirements, the skills, the schedule, the pay structure, and how to apply. Because this is a licensed, hands-on role, the most important details are the state license requirement, the massage modalities involved, the setting (spa, clinical, studio), the schedule including any evenings, weekends, or holidays, and the pay structure, which often combines an hourly or per-service rate with tips and sometimes commission. Separate true requirements from preferred items like specific modality certifications so you do not screen out capable candidates. Include an equal opportunity statement, and for a small business, address classification (W-2 vs 1099) and tip reporting up front. The five templates here each match a common setting, from spa to clinical to a small-business first hire.
What is the difference between a spa and a clinical massage therapist?
The difference is the goal and the setting. A spa or resort massage therapist focuses on relaxation and the guest experience, often providing body treatments alongside massage, upholding service and cleanliness standards, recommending retail and add-on services, and working flexible hours including evenings and weekends. A clinical or medical massage therapist works in a chiropractic office, clinic, or medical setting, providing treatment-focused massage as part of a provider's care plan, reviewing medical history, applying targeted techniques like trigger point and orthopedic work, documenting care with SOAP notes, and handling protected health information under HIPAA. Both require a state license, but the clinical role emphasizes documentation, coordination with a provider, and clinical technique, while the spa role emphasizes the guest experience and service. When you write the posting, choose the version that matches your setting, since the right candidates differ.
Should I hire a massage therapist as a W-2 employee or a 1099 contractor?
In most spa and studio situations, a W-2 employee. The classification depends on the working relationship, not on what is more convenient: a therapist who works the schedule you set, in your treatment rooms, using your rules and standards, generally meets the definition of an employee, not an independent contractor. Misclassifying an employee as a 1099 contractor to avoid payroll taxes carries real tax and penalty risk. A genuine independent contractor typically controls their own schedule, works for multiple businesses, and operates independently, which is uncommon for a therapist integrated into your spa's operations. When in doubt, treat the therapist as a W-2 employee, and consult a tax professional or your state's guidance for borderline cases. The small-business template on this page includes an owner notes block flagging this, since it is the issue new massage employers most often get wrong.
How much does a massage therapist make?
Based on federal data from May 2024, massage therapists had a median annual wage of about $57,950, with the lowest ten percent earning under about $33,280 and the highest ten percent over about $97,450. Pay varies by setting and region, and chiropractic and medical offices tended to pay among the highest, with a median around $66,710 in that setting. In practice, massage pay usually combines an hourly or per-service rate with tips, and sometimes commission on retail or add-on services, so the effective earnings depend heavily on client volume and tipping. Part-time work is common, since the physical demands make a full 40-hour week of hands-on massage difficult to sustain. For setting pay, anchor on the federal figure, account for your setting and region, structure the base plus tips clearly, and state an honest range, since a growing number of states require one in the posting.
How do I write a spa or clinical massage therapist job description?
Lead with the setting and what makes the role distinct. For a spa or resort, emphasize the premium guest experience, body treatments, service and cleanliness standards, retail and add-on recommendations, and the flexible schedule including evenings and weekends, since spa therapists are hired for service as much as technique. For a clinical or medical role, emphasize working to a provider's care plan, medical history review, targeted techniques, SOAP documentation, HIPAA compliance, and coordination with the chiropractor or physician, since clinical therapists are hired for treatment outcomes and documentation. In both cases, state the state license requirement clearly and describe the pay structure of base plus tips. The spa and clinical templates on this page are written for these settings, so you can start from the right one rather than editing a generic description to fit.
What happens after I hire a massage therapist?
The signed offer starts an onboarding sequence that, for a massage hire, ties together license verification, standard paperwork, and tip setup. First, verify the state massage license with the board and confirm liability insurance and CPR. Then collect the offer letter, I-9, W-4, state new-hire reporting, and signed policy and safety acknowledgements, and set up tip recording and reporting from day one. Then onboard to your business: sanitation and draping standards, your booking and turnover process, and any clinical documentation or spa service standards. At a small spa or studio without an HR department, the owner handles all of this directly. FirstHR fits this: e-signature for the offer and acknowledgements, an AI onboarding wizard that turns the job description into a role-specific onboarding plan, document management for the license, insurance, and CPR with renewal reminders, training modules for your standards, an HRIS with an org chart, and a self-service portal. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR; today the platform handles onboarding and document tracking once the candidate signs, which helps a small spa or clinic bring on a therapist cleanly.