Abby B. As someone who loves professional massages, I don’t mind spending my hard earned money to feel good. If you’re a massage therapist, just know that your skills matter and is too valuable.
*This post may contain affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission (at no cost to you) if you sign up for a program or make a purchase using my link!
13 Best Side Hustles For Massage Therapists
1. Become an influencer to attract brand deals
Everyone talks about growing their social media accounts to become an influencer but most don’t know what type of content to share. The great thing about having practical life skills (like massaging) is that you can easily make content that others would be interested in.
Of course, you’ll need someone to volunteer to be massaged – it can be your partner or friend. You don’t have to be showing their faces, just ensure people understand what you’re teaching.
You can be using social media to promote massaging content as well as share products you use on a daily basis that others might find useful e.g. essential oils or massaging tools. Once you’ve grown a good number of followers (about 10k), brands will approach you to promote their products/services.
Brands should pay you to test out their products and you should be able to charge per post or upload. Best platforms to start with are TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube shorts as you’re able to repurpose the same content across the three apps.
2. Make videos for YouTube to teach others how to massage
If you’re someone who loves focusing on winning in the long term, creating long-form videos on YouTube is the way to go. People can be watching your massaging videos for years on end – I still watch the same yoga video uploaded nine years ago!
Although growing on YouTube is much slower than going viral on apps like TikTok or Instagram, your videos can be easily found by Google and you can earn a lot more from advertisements (once you’ve monetized).
As someone who loves spending my time at home, I occasionally watch massage tutorials on YouTube to teach my partner the right way to massage my neck and shoulder. We both find it helpful in relieving any pains in the short term!
You can be creating educational videos to teach others how to massage or share tips about becoming a massage therapist. People are more inclined to subscribe to your channel if you’re consistent with your uploads and if they find it useful.
Interesting YouTube channels in massaging niche:
| What do I need to start? | – A camera to record – Portable microphone for better sound – A video editing software |
Read: What I spent for my vlogging gear in first 6 months
3. Start a blog in the massaging niche
Content creation can be a tough task for most especially when you’re just starting out. If you’re an introvert and work odd hours so you can’t be making videos with the help of others, it may be a better option to write for your own blog instead.
Earning with a blog is quite similar to YouTube. With enough good articles, you should be able to earn through display advertisements on your website and get commissions via affiliate links that’s placed within your written content.
You can also be blogging anonymously without showing your face or using your real name!
However, you have to be comfortable with writing your own massage guides from scratch and make it easy for others to read. Aside from the typical guides, you can be writing on any topics within the massaging or wellness niche.
Get started with this beginner blogging course or check out my free step-by-step guide on how to set up a blog.
| What do I need to start? | – A WordPress Website – Domain name & hosting – Passion to write for a specific niche |
Read: Why I invested in a blogging coach before doing anything else
4. Promote affiliate links to wellness products or services
Don’t have a lot of followers on your social accounts yet to attract brand deals but want to make some income out of it? You can promote products or services that has affiliate links and offers commissions on sale.
Compared to brand sponsorships which requires active work, you can earn from affiliates passively even as you’re asleep. Just use a “link in bio” tool like Linktree to promote affiliate links on your TikTok, Instagram or Twitter.
Once someone makes a purchase through your link, you’ll a commission which is usually a percentage of sale made. Start by sharing affiliate links or referral links to products or services you use regularly e.g. self care tools.
Not all brands have an affiliate program to join but you can explore affiliate marketplaces like Amazon Associates, CJ affiliate, Clickbank, Share-a-sale and Rakuten Advertising.
| What do I need to start? | – Affiliate products or services you can promote – Social media account with growing followers |
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5. Sell photographs online via stock websites
If you have any interest in taking nice photos, you might be glad to know that you can be selling your own photos online and make a good side income from it!
Selling photos on stock websites is a great way to make passive income. Your photos can be sold at any time of day even as you’re massaging a client!
The only drawback is you will have to get a professional camera to take photos with and spend some time building up your portfolio of photos. Chances of getting a sale is much higher with the more photos you upload for sale online.
Stock photos are usually purchased by content creators, large websites and businesses to legally use them within their content or marketing materials.
Here’s a sample of free massage photos – premium ones are usually paid for!
Stock websites you can join to start:
| What do I need to start? | – A good camera – Photo editing skills – Consistency to upload photos frequently |
6. Write content on a freelance basis for body wellness
Interested in content writing but unsure if you want to set up your own blog? You can start by writing for other blogs and websites first.
Large websites often hire freelance writers to write their content and would pay a higher rate for an experienced writer. If you’re specialized in a niche, you can earn beyond $100 per article!
It’s common for health-related websites to get real licensed massage therapists to create their blog content as it helps with building credibility in the eyes of readers and Google. They don’t want to be giving any wrong advice!
You can start your writing career by taking this beginner freelance writing course and learn how to pitch to clients for topics they can’t resist.
| What do I need to start? | – Writing skills – Good command of English or the language you intend to write for – Promote your freelance writing service |
Check out: How to start freelance writing and make money (the ultimate resource)
7. Sell therapeutic wellness products to your existing customers
A way to make an extra income from what you’re already doing is by offering an additional service or selling another product to the same set of customers.
Services is much more complex to figure out and depends on what you’re able to do. If you’re looking for something more straightforward, focus on upselling products like essential oils, massage tools or anything special that you’re using that your clients love.
I am a huge believer of buying professional tools or materials although they’re slightly expensive as it’s usually more effective than cheaper ones. If I need any advice on this, it’s always best to hear from a professional masseuse!
Not everyone can afford an expensive massage session every month or have the time to spend, so they might want a quick DIY session at home. Don’t think of it as reducing your sales but rather, a way to tap into another stream of income.
You don’t have to be curating your own products to start, just source your favorite massage products for cheap and resell them for profit. Once you’ve figured what sells, you can start selling your own branded supplies.
| What do I need to start? | – Right connections for cheap product sourcing – Platform to sell products on |
8. Start a door-to-door massaging services
Growing up, my mom loved having her masseuse come over to our house instead of heading out for a massage. It helped her avoid wasting time outside and allowed her to better manage her three kids at home.
If your target market are people aged 35-60, offering home massage services will benefit you as much as it benefits your customers. As a self-employed, I personally like to go for self care sessions on weekdays to avoid the crowd!
Compared to operating a spa, you’ll have to get equipment that is mobile and manage your business out of a bag (and a car). With the extra services, you should be able to charge a higher price and get tips.
Most massage sessions range from one to four hours so you’ll have to manage your time accordingly if you’re visiting multiple homes in one day.
Price your services appropriately at around $40-$80 per hour (depends on your area) so you get to filter out customers – you don’t want to be serving everyone for a low charge. With the right price, you only need to see 10-15 clients per week and work about 30 hours to make $70,000 in a year!
If you’re based in areas where people can afford $100 per hour massages and it’s what nearby spas are charging, don’t be afraid to charge the price yourself. You can be making $8,000 per month from working just 20 hours per week.
Just starting out? Try signing up as a massage provider on apps like Soothe or Zeel. Build a base of repeat clients by offering massage packages and discounts for use within two months (maximum).
Want your customers to recommend your service to others? Offer a referral program where customers that refers you to a friend would get a free massage session that’s equal to what their friends purchase.
| What do I need to start? | – Portable tools and equipment – An existing clientele to market to |
9. Host paid workshops to teach massaging skills or sell online courses
There’s an assortment of ways to make money online as a massage therapist – even more so if you’re licensed! I highly recommend going into teaching as a way to make extra income.
Not only that it lifts you off from your normal massaging routine (and prevents burn out), you get to meet new people and give back to the community. Massaging can be a profession for those without formal education and their livelihood depends on it!
Depending on your experience, you can teach basic or advanced modules via physical workshops or by selling pre-recorded online courses on learning platforms.
As an introvert, I personally love buying online courses as it is self-paced and it’s usually cheaper compared to workshops! If you’re unsure, you can be selling both to target different audiences – your online courses might be purchased by anyone in the world even as you’re sleeping.
It’s always best to replicate then innovate so look around and get opinions when putting together your curriculum. I’ve attached some examples below of short massaging courses on Udemy.
Some sites you can host online courses on:
| What do I need to start? | – A niched course idea – Well thought out module – Tools to record your lessons e.g. screen record, microphone |
Creating courses is too much work for you? Here’s a list of digital products you can make to sell on easy platforms like Etsy. I’ve made a quick guide on how to make these products too!
10. Work part-time at a spa or a fitness center
If you’re working on your own or have a full-time job that’s not too related to massaging, you can get a side job at a nearby spa or look for roles at holistic retreats.
Spas typically would take a good percentage of what’s charged so you might not be able to make as much as you would if you’re on your own. However, larger spas or franchised ones have a good clientele base and most are used to tipping up to 20%.
So if the charge is $100, you can get $20 in tips and by massaging just 20 clients per week, you can make a minimum of $1,600 per month. That would translate to over $19,000 per year (in tips)!
Alternatively, find part-time jobs in related health careers like acupuncture, physical therapy, care-taking or fitness. You may find roles that requires your experience.
Most massage therapists work as a masseuse on the side and have full-time jobs in these areas. Some graduated in other fields and does massaging on the side – opportunities are endless!
I would personally go into yoga and work on becoming a professional yoga trainer. It’s quite related to bodywork, you get to expand your knowledge in the wellness field and meet new people (potential clients).
| What do I need to start? | – Relevant experience and expertise for job – Job openings to apply to |
11. Create digital products for other masseuses and sell on Etsy
Another way of building a passive income stream online is to sell digital products. I recommend using Etsy to sell digital products for beginners as it’s a straightforward platform and you can start selling tomorrow!
If there’s one thing that’s related to your expertise, it would be making social media templates for massage therapists. It’s definitely something you can do if you love using social media apps like Instagram and know how to use Canva.
Other massage therapists can purchase these templates on Etsy and immediately get access to the product. You don’t need to create anything physical or ship anything to anyone. They can be sold repeatedly as well and will never run out!
Aside from social media templates, you can be selling these 18 digital products on Etsy and not just cater to massage therapists.
| What do I need to start? | – Digital product idea – Tools to create the digital product – Platform to sell your digital products on |
12. Learn how to become a nail technician
Love taking care of your nails even with all the massaging work you do? You can become a nail technician and offer the services to your existing customers.
Doing nails should take less time compared to giving massages but it can make you a good amount of money regardless. A simple manicure can be priced up to $60!
The same people that loves their bodies would also want to have beautiful nails. I’ve also known quite a few older men who visits nail parlors just to get their nails cut and do nothing more. It’s usually because they’re unable to cut it themselves.
Other than the usual nail treatments, you can also design and decorate nails – I believe this requires more expertise and training. Customers that love decorating their nails will always need a change after some time (less than two months).
| What do I need to start? | – Nail treatment and designing skills – Tools and equipment for nail-related services – Existing customer base to promote to |
13. Sell merchandise for wellness with print on demand
Thought of starting your own merchandise business but unsure how to start? Print on demand lets you do it with zero costs upfront.
Print on demand is essentially a business of selling your own designs on merchandises that will only be printed when a customer buys it, even if it’s just a single unit. Your POD supplier will print and ship the products directly to customers for you – no physical work on your end.
The profit you make is the difference between price you set and the product cost paid to suppliers.
It’s free to sign up for a seller account with POD suppliers like Printify and Printful. You can make your own designs with Canva or Kittl then upload them on products like candles, leggings and tote bags.
Alternatively, if you’re too busy, you can buy ready designs on creative marketplaces like Envato Elements or Creative Fabrica. Make sure it comes with a POD license!
Here’s an example of products you can design that relates to your profession as a massage therapist.
Here’s some samples of candles with printed stickers that are actually sold on Etsy!
| What do I need to start? | – Basic designing skills – A laptop to work with – An initial niche and product |
Can’t decide what product to design and sell? Check out my product guides before deciding!
- Tote bags for print on demand
- Tumblers for print on demand
- Phone cases for print on demand
- Posters for print on demand
- Leggings for print on demand
- Jewelry for print on demand
- Candles for print on demand
- Doormats for print on demand
- Hoodies for print on demand
- Pet products for print on demand
- Socks for print on demand
- Pajamas for print on demand
- Blankets for print on demand
- Baby clothes for print on demand
- Wrapping paper for print on demand
- Puzzles for print on demand
- Stickers for print on demand
- Athletic wear for print on demand
- Hats for print on demand
- Journals for print on demand
- Greeting cards for print on demand
- Mugs for print on demand
9 Ways To Make Passive Income For Massage Therapists
Here’s 9 ways to make passive income for massage therapists:
- Start a YouTube channel for massage tutorials
- Sell online courses for professional massage lessons
- Write a blog for massage topics
- Sell digital products for other massage therapists on Etsy
- Promote affiliate links to massage tools and equipment
- Create your own wellness e-book to sell on Amazon
- Build a podcast on topics of bodywork
- Create designs to sell on merchandise with print on demand
- Take professional photos to sell on stock websites
How To Make More Money As A Massage Therapist
Here are 9 ways you can explore to make more money as a massage therapist:
- Increase your hourly rate to about $100 per hour (based on your area)
- Offer additional services with extra charges to your normal massage
- Sell products that customers can use on their own e.g. essential oils
- Create multi-session massage packages and get customers to pay upfront
- Increase repeat customers through discounts and referral incentives
- Sign up to become massage providers on apps like Zeel and Soothe
- Teach others how to become a massage therapist
- Sell online courses teaching specific ways of massaging
- Share free massage tutorials on YouTube and earn from advertisements
The video I’ve attached above talks on how you can make the extra income!
Which Side Hustle Should I Choose?
Unsure which side hustle for massage therapists you should go for? Here are the top 6 things to consider when deciding which side hustle is best for you.
- How much time can you commit to it?
- Consider how much time you can set aside for your side hustle for weekdays and weekends
- What type of income are you looking for?
- Do you want to make income actively or passively while you sleep?
- What sparks interest & passion in you?
- Choose a side hustle that aligns to your personal goals and interests as it keeps you motivated
- Are you an extrovert or an introvert?
- Different side hustles requires different level of communication with the outside world, are you comfortable meeting new people every day?
- What is your current partner or friend up to that you can leverage on?
- Doing something with a friend or partner makes things easier and more manageable
- How soon do you need to make extra money?
- Not all side hustles make the same amount of money in the same pace, do you need money today or in a year’s time?
Bottom Line
As a massage therapist, you have a relaxing and rewarding career ahead of you – regardless your age at the moment. You’ve helped a lot of people feel better with their bodies and it’s time to think of another way to put your bodywork knowledge to good use.
There’s only so much you can dedicate your active time to so it’s best to look into ways to build passive income on the side.
Pick one or two things I’ve listed above and give yourself time to work on your new projects, even if it’s an hour a day. Great things take time!
I will always recommend building passive income streams to no longer trade time for money.
Here are 13 best side hustles for massage therapists:
- Become an influencer to attract brand deals
- Make videos for YouTube to teach others how to massage
- Start a blog in the massaging niche
- Promote affiliate links to wellness products or services
- Sell photographs online via stock websites
- Write content on a freelance basis for body wellness
- Sell therapeutic wellness products to your existing customers
- Start a door-to-door massaging services
- Host paid workshops to teach massaging skills or sell online courses
- Work part-time at a spa or a fitness center
- Create digital products for other masseuses and sell on Etsy
- Learn how to become a nail technician
- Sell wellness merchandise with print on demand
I’m not one to brag, but blogging has changed my life. I’ve been able to earn an income passively while on a coffee date and traveling with my family. With everything, it takes time to learn and not an overnight success – to speed things up, get yourself a blogging coach before starting.
These are my blogging resources to help you out:
- Step-by-step guide how to start blogging in your free time
- Why you need a blogging coach right from the start
- Worried of exposing yourself? You can blog anonymously
Photo by Burst
