Spa Massage Therapist Job Description, Duties, and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the spa massage therapist job description, including the duties, tasks, and responsibilities they perform.
It also highlights the major requirements you may be expected to meet to be hired for the spa massage therapist role.

What Does a Spa Massage Therapist Do?

Spa massage therapists are responsible for treating muscular conditions, and helping to relieve muscle pain, stiffness, and tension in their clients through hands-on manipulation.

The spa massage therapist job description entails focusing on the muscles, performing various kinds of massages, including Swedish massage, deep tissue massage, and Shiatsu.

Their clients are usually people with sore muscles or those looking to simply relax and unwind. They work in hotel spa, resort spa, salon, spa, etc.

The role of a spa massage therapist entails providing body treatments to guest by using body scrubs, wraps, and hydrotherapy.

They must assess guest needs and inquire about contraindications (e.g., allergies, high blood pressure, and pregnancy) before beginning service.

They also keep up to date with current techniques and modalities related to their field of work.

They Arrange workstation, treatment room, and/or drapes, and check with guests frequently to promote comfort, safety, and security throughout the course of delivering service, as well as report accidents, injuries, and unsafe work conditions to the manager.

The work description of a spa massage therapist also involves activities that will promote the spa, engender sales, and foster repeat purchases.

He/she promotes and sells spa/salon services, including retail offerings related to the Spa.

They perform housekeeping duties which include maintaining cleanliness of workstation and/or treatment of room throughout shift, disposal of trash and dirty linens, and also clean, maintain, and sterilize tools; they also ensure supplies and equipment are secured at the end of each shift.

Massage therapists working at spas also perform inventory management functions as well as monitor and stick to time schedule throughout the day.

They also perform customer service duties like handling inappropriate guest behavior, following standard operating procedures for inappropriate conduct for guests and therapists, leading up to and including stopping a treatment or service and informing supervisor/manager.

They ensure to follow-up on clients who did not show up for scheduled appointments.

They ensure that all company procedures are adhered to, including wearing the right uniforms and ensuring that uniform and personal appearance are clean; and welcome and acknowledge all guests according to company standards.

They develop and maintain positive working relationships with others and ensure to communicate with others using clear and professional language.

In performing their jobs, spa massage therapists are required to stand, sit, or walk for an extended period of time; grasp, turn, and manipulate objects of varying size and weight, requiring fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

They are also expected to move, lift, carry, push, pull, and place objects weighing less than or equal to 10 pounds without aid.

To work as spa massage therapist, you require a High School Diploma or General Education Diploma (GED) and training and certification from an accredited massage therapy institution or Council. You also require a Massage Therapy License.

Massage therapists are expected to be proficient in all state of the art techniques, procedures, and equipment handling concerning massage therapy, and should be able to demonstrate massage techniques and a strong knowledge of the impact of massage therapy on health.

To be a successful spa massage therapist, you must possess a positive attitude, good communication skills, and excellent guest services approach; strong work ethic and ability to function well in a team, as well as the willingness to operate a flexible schedule.

The massage therapy job at a spa generally requires working on weekends because most people will be looking out to unwind during the evenings and weekends.

It also requires selling skills to promote the business of the spa, as well as persuasive abilities to retain and keep new customers.

Therapists should possess good time management skills and ability to work on their own under minimal supervision.

Spa Massage Therapist Job Description Example/ Sample/Template

Spa massage therapists perform various functions aimed at relieving stress and sore muscles in their clients; and helping people unwind.

The spa massage therapist job description majorly consists of the tasks, duties, and responsibilities shown in the example below:

• Provide quality therapeutic bodywork that satisfies clients’ needs within scope of practice and licensing guidelines
• Customize massage services within Spa Massage policies, protocols, and approved modalities to craft truly personalized sessions
• Ensure client’s experience is safeguarded, maintaining client confidentiality and upholding commitment to safety
• Embrace the Spa’s core values of optimism, gratitude, excellence, consistency, and empathy
• Maintain equipment and sample inventory of products
• Protect the workplace culture by recognizing and supporting team goals and building positive relationships with team members
• Perform consecutive quality massage therapy session where applicable
• Design sessions to meet the specific needs of individual client
• Raise awareness as regards the health and wellness benefits of regular massage therapy to clients
• Create excellent experiences for members and guests through friendly and helpful attitude
• Generate new clientele through the promotion of member/guest referrals
• Conduct massage therapy and touch modalities, which include Swedish, Sport, Deep Tissue, Aromatherapy, Prenatal, and Reflexology
• Complete S.O.A.P.; take notes; record and maintain accurate documentation and properly file clients’ files after each visit
• Carry out massage consultations; recommend stretches for clients; and provide guidance and wellness advice as well
• Maintain the treatment rooms in a neat professional manner, including stocking products and linens, replacing massage linens on tables to keep the room ready for the next client
• Assist spa in activities, including staff meetings and promotions, and contribute to self-marketing strategies
• Help with washing as well as folding of all linens used in treatment rooms
• Arrive early for scheduled work time and may be required to stay fifteen (15) minutes later beyond work schedule if still with client
• Carry out massage therapy and massage modalities as catalogued in the spa brochure and Spa Menu unless otherwise indicated by Spa Manager
• Ensure knowledge sharing of massage therapy treatments by sharing techniques/skills with fellow massage staff during in-house instruction and education/training classes provided by a Certified Massage Therapy Institution
• Present a professional, well groomed appearance
• Listening intentionally and objectively to clients, etc. and considering ideas/suggestions from others
• Carry others along by keeping them informed of work progress, timetables, and issues
• Confronting problems and issues objectively to find mutually acceptable and practical business solutions
• Anticipate and address guests’ service needs and thank guests with genuine appreciation after each service
• Carry out promotions for ongoing services, spa specials, gift certificates, and products
• Strive to build and maintain loyal customers and ongoing clients by encouraging clients to book for continuing and future appointments.

Spa Massage Therapist Requirements – Skills, Abilities, and Knowledge – for Success on the Job

To be considered for employment as a massage therapist at any spa, you will be expected to meet certain requirements, which may include possessing certain skills, abilities, qualifications, experience, etc. to be able to excel in performing the obligations, purpose, and objectives of the spa.

See below major requirements recruiters may ask you to meet if you are seeking the job of a spa massage therapist:

• Education and training: Spa massage therapists need a minimum of High School Diploma or General Education diploma (GED). They must have also completed 500 hours accredited massage therapy program from a Certified Massage Therapy Institution
• License: Massage therapist or practitioner license is required
• Certification: They require certification from National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork
• Communication skills: They require strong communication skills to educate the clients about product packages, products been used, and recommendations to help them achieve their wellness goals and make informed decisions on products to buy for home use
• Team player: They should be willingly to actively support group goals. They should be willing to show up on time ready to work wherever needed to get the job done
• Knowledge: Spa massage therapist must possess a thorough knowledge of all body treatments and related application procedures, or trained in at least one of the following massage modalities, Swedish, deep tissue, prenatal, acupressure, Shiatsu, rolfing, etc. They should also posses strong knowledge of local and state licensing laws and regulations, as well as knowledge of massage therapy and its impact on health
• Sales skills: They are required to support retail sales because actualizing sales goals is an approach for spas to absorb overhead. So, it is important for massage therapists to have selling skills to promote the services and retail sales of the spa
• Interpersonal skills: Therapists should be able to develop strong rapport with members of staff, as well as clients and first time customers’ of the spa. It will help them build a referral base and possibly repeat customers
• Customer service skills: They need the ability to build relationships, deliver positive customer experiences, and handle enquiries and complaints, including unruly customer behavior
• Apt to learn: They should be open to learning, seeking continuing education to build on their modality mastery and improve/update skills through training programs, some of which are available in the spar
• Flexibility: Spa’s tend to have their peak periods during weekends and evenings, hence they must be able to work a flexible schedule, including weekends.

Conclusion

This post provides exhaustive information about the duties, functions, and responsibilities of a massage therapist working in a spa, as well as a sample job description of the role.

Employers, recruiters, or HR managers looking to hire for the spa massage therapist role can create effective description of the position for their firms, to guide interested applicants and attract the best qualified people to their organization.

Individuals looking to become a spa massage therapist will also find this article useful to learn about the career and the needed skills, abilities, qualifications, knowledge, etc. to acquire to achieve success on the job.

Did this post help increase your knowledge of what spa massage therapists do? Please, leave a comment in the box below. And if you work at a spa as a massage therapist, do also share your job description.