$10 normally on prices ranging from $40-60. If they are awful, I don't go back period.

i am both an employed massage therapist at a five star spa in a five star hotel - and - i also have my own massage practice. i have been practicing for 11 years - and i have a bit to say about all of this :
whereas - as a whole - massage therapy is very rewarding career - here are a few facts :
--the average yearly salary for a massage therapist is just over $35,000. seeing hundreds of clients throughout the year - people skimping $5 or $10 on their tip adds up over time - and can equal a mother or father's ability to pay for a child's schooling, or a well-deserved vacation.
-- the average career span for a massage therapist is 5 - 7 years. the burnout rate is high. repetitive motion takes its toll.

at the hotel - i receive roughly 30% of what the hotel is charging (minus taxes, etc - b/c i am also considered an "employee" - for their own tax purposes)
(we used to be "contractors" - but they decided to switch us to employees - and we now receive about 15% less per paycheck - a huge savings for the hotel - not so great for the massage therapists)
i now get about $30 / hour massage. as a result - i often LIVE off of my tips. as do most massage therapists. if a client tips $20 - i am still only receiving $50 / massage.
for those who think that making $50 / hour is a lot - see average massage income (above)

in my own personal business - i charge less than the going local rate (average is roughly $75 - $90 /hr - i charge $65) and i don't even think twice about a tip.
given that my clients know that the hotel charges TWICE as much as my personal massages - they tend to tip. but i do not expect it
i do expect it at the hotel. and it boggles my mind when people do not - as a rule - tip at least 15 - 20%. especially when they receive a massage that is above average.
if i'm at a restaurant - and the service is above average - i will drop 30% - no problem.

summary - if you are going to a local business to get a massage - the massage therapists are generally NOT getting paid nearly as much as they would be if they were working for themselves.
tip them WELL - they work really hard. if you can tell they're not working hard - tip them 15%. if they're knocking it out of the park - drop 30%.

I give 20% standard. 25% if it was awesome.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you pay $90 for a 60 minute massage, you're paying for the massage to be a good one, not half assed and if it is good, which is what you're paying to get, you tip anyway. Tipping is out of control. TIP stands for "To Ensure Prompt Service", not to get quality work/services or the alrady high price you're paying for the service, regardless if the person is the owner or not. I'll tip if they go over the hour, if they provide something more than the basic service I'm paying for. How many of you get a tip from you work for going exactly what you're suppopse to do and yeah, wee're all working to make the other guy rich and we're not seeing "tips".

That is the so stupid.

+1 agreed. stupid, and incorrect.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hello, massage therapist and business owner here! The general rule for tipping is 10-20%, depending on the quality of service. Etiquette says that you do not have to tip the business owner since they are receiving all monies for the service. The type of service or how much the massage therapist makes should not really matter here, only the quality of service and what you deem appropriate.

What if the massage therapist is basically self-employed/independent contractor? i.e., they do not work at a spa, but just rent space somewhere. I always have tipped but, frankly, I keep wondering if it's really necessary under those circumstances. (for example, I have gone to someone who uses a room in a tanning salon. I schedule directly with her and there's no other massage therapists there - I assume she just pays rent for the space and that's it.)

That's what I'd like to know. Anyone?

I prefer to have clients who see their body work as an investment and show their gratitude for my very specific and personalized work through their generous tips. Most of these comments seem like the thinking of people who see massage as a luxury item and are very frugal about how their disposable cash is spent. I understand where most are coming from and Massage Therapists are blue collar workers that are paddling the same canoe.

However, under tipping or NOT tipping is just rude. It doesn't matter how the therapist pends the money, what percentage they are compensated, or how many hours they are working. I don't go out to eat and short my waitress on her tip because I think she gets paid enough for her "chosen" industry. I do some math against my bill for a STARTING point then add or subtract based on the SERVICE I received. If I eat $100 worth of food, why would my tip go down?

Tips are usually accepted and not expected is a little misleading. Most Massage Therapists rely on their tips for bills, gas, rent, etc. When a client books a massage at a high end Spa or with a modest individual practitioner the therapist is only getting a percentage of the total cost charged to the client. There is the cost of linens, wash, supplies, rent that is figured into the cost of the service. MT's usually receive 25-50% of the service at most Spa's or Massage clinics. Tips are a reflection of the therapist's service and therapists live off the tips, just like waitresses. When massage therapists receive a deficient tip or no tip, they wonder if there was problem with the service that the client did not address. If/when a client becomes a regular and continues to under tip (or not tip) it can be considered rude. If you are unsure, ask. Staff members and the therapists are prepared for this question.

Massage is not just a luxury, it is an investment in your health. Massage Therapists are trained professionals that really do work for their supper. If you want to show your gratitude for the attention and care you receive when you are on the table show up on time, take an active role in your wellness, and respectfully acknowledge the value of the service you are receiving.

So, tip and tip big (start at 20% of the total cost of the service) if you loved your service and respect the work of the therapist; Under tipping or with holding a tip is rude.

Anonymous wrote:Same as any service...between 15-20%...depending on how it went and the masseuse did.

+1

American service industries incorporate tipping because the owners are incapable to make sure their staff provide the prompt level of service. Neither do they have guts to increase the price outright. Tipping is basically a scam where owners abuse customer's kindness to motivate their own employees. In the restaurant business it's even worse. Owners just cut the employee's pay, and simply take all the tipping into their pockets.

Nobody tips in Asian countries like Japan, China, Taiwan... I don't see their service level going to hell. Actually the service is usually better than these spoiled "service professionals" in the US.

Anonymous wrote:So you pay $90 for a 60 minute massage, you're paying for the massage to be a good one, not half assed and if it is good, which is what you're paying to get, you tip anyway. Tipping is out of control. TIP stands for "To Ensure Prompt Service", not to get quality work/services or the alrady high price you're paying for the service, regardless if the person is the owner or not. I'll tip if they go over the hour, if they provide something more than the basic service I'm paying for. How many of you get a tip from you work for going exactly what you're suppopse to do and yeah, wee're all working to make the other guy rich and we're not seeing "tips".

You sound like a jerk. Sorry.

Anonymous 8/11/2013,
It sounds like you need more than a massage!

I'm not cheap, but I don't give my money away either. Some people just spoil it for the rest of us. I witnessed one girl asking what 20% of her bill was, and when she heard the $ amount, she said it sounded too low, so she gave more. Bless her heart, but a tipping a massage therapist is not a charitable contribution. Who tips $20 for a $40 service? That leads to runaway inflationary prices, people.
To answer your question, I tip $10 for a 50-minute massage that costs me $40, but I am a repeat customer to the same therapist, going every two weeks.
Furthermore, the details of where your money goes are irrelevant; everyone is working hard to make a living, and everyone has a cost of being in business, so keep your income statement to yourself and let's all work hard to be the best in our chosen fields.

Def agree that the masseuse who expects a high tip should get a dose of reality. I work at a hospital cleaning all SORTS of crazy bodily fluids as well as unstable patients. I do not expect a tip and I find joy in my job in several different ways. Maybe you need to find something else to work in.

I think the lady above needs to find a new industry. There are a million more people who work harder than she does and get paid less. People wipe others butts for less and do not get tipped. Tipping is a nice gesture if they have the money, the lady above needs to realize she's not the only one in the world struggling, we ALL are now.

And thank you to the guy who carries ladders and crawls under places and does not look for handouts, more people need to be like that, no one wants to work hard these days and if they do, they are angry like the massage therapist above, I would not want to be massaged by and angry massage therapist, sounds like she's in the wrong field....just an observation.

The price of massage today is high for what people get paid and we are in a recession, I used to tip, but one massage therapist who owned her own place said there is no need. I am sure they would rather have customers, verses no customers, because no one can afford the services today. I am not in a place where I can afford to tip on top of $75 fee. Besides we do not get an itemized print out to know how much they get to pocket. If they want to keep business going, you have to lower prices or give up the idea that people can afford to tip on the already high price.