Choosing a career is an exciting process – but it can also be nerve wracking. Most people go down a few different career paths before they find the right one for them. Even then, many people change careers one or more times during the course of life. This is a good thing – it means that you can always discover a new passion and begin a fresh chapter in life.

When people decide what career they want to pursue, one of the main things that goes into this decision is the amount of time (and money) that goes into being trained or certified for that particular career. For instance, everybody knows that becoming a medical doctor takes long years of dedication and hard effort – not to mention the sizable expenses of medical school. Various trade schools and degree programs have their own requirements, and people often choose a career that they’re not only excited about, but which seems feasible in terms of time and finances.

So let’s cut to the chase – how long does it take to become a skilled massage therapist? It’s a career that more and more people are interested in these days. It offers the chance to help people directly, contribute to the wellness of the community, and be more health-conscious yourself. There are a lot of reasons to consider a career in this booming field, but how quickly can you get certified and be out there working?

When you consider what a strong career choice massage therapy certification is for a lot of people, the time it takes to become certified as a professional is fairly short. Depending on the length and intensity of the program, most students can be out in the field, working a professional therapist, within a year after starting the program. Different states have different requirements for massage therapy certification, in terms of the number of classroom hours that are needed. For example, our massage therapy certification program requires 600 hours of learning, which exceeds the minimum set by the state of New Jersey. Most students complete the program in around six months. Other programs are longer or shorter, depending on the state requirements and how many days a week class is held.

Putting it all together

Become a skilled massage therapist requires dedication and training, but the rewards are great. With less than a year of hard work, you can be in a position to embark on a truly fulfilling and personally rewarding career. One of the most unique and wonderful things about massage therapy is that you can work anywhere you want. Many people actually offer professional massage therapy services while they are traveling, allowing them to fund a more mobile lifestyle. Others prefer to be embedded in a community and develop a lasting rapport with local clients.

There are so many great things about professional massage therapy, but it’s important to take the education side of things very seriously. As you decide where to receive your training, remember that you are preparing to enter a field in with the demands placed on professionals are equal to the rewards offered. In other words, you get out what you put in.