Massage Therapist Resume: Example with Skills + Writing Tips

You’re a massage guru, and you know the human body like the palms of your own hands...

The one thing you’re missing is a massage therapist resume that will finally land you that job where you’ll be doing what you love—working your hands to the bone every day.

So get ready to do it right, because this comprehensive guide hits all the right trigger points. 

In this guide:

• A massage therapist resume example that will land you an interview.
• Writing tips that will help you stand out among other applicants, plus good and bad examples from massage therapist resumes.
• How to format your massage therapist resume, so it’s easy to read and fits on one page.
• List of the key skills for a massage therapist resume.

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• Best Resume Examples for All Jobs

Massage Therapist Resume Example

First, let’s learn what a proper resume layout looks like:

1. Use the Correct Massage Therapist Resume Format

The human body is a complex system, and even the tiniest joint can sometimes cause a lot of pain.

Well—

A resume is also a highly-organized structure, and even the smallest error can cause your application to land at the bottom of the pile.

Learn how to properly format your resume to make it easier for recruiters to digest:

Massage Therapist Resume Format

• Pick a clean and readable resume font like 11–12pt Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman or Cambria.
• Set your resume margins to 1 inch on all sides.
• Use white space in between your sections to make the document more organized.
• Make sure to fit your resume on one page. 
• Layout all dated entries in reverse chronological resume format.

Use this order for your resume sections:

• Resume header
• Work history / experience
• Education
• Key skills 
• Certifications
• Additional information

Ready to move on to the next part?

2. Start With a Massage Therapist Resume Objective or Summary

Right below your resume heading, which includes your full name, job title, license number, address (optional), and contact information, is your resume’s professional profile introduction.

This is a brief paragraph that introduces your candidature and highlights your most notable career accomplishments. 

If you’re a more experienced applicant, you can write a professional summary for your resume with an overview of your most relevant skills and information about your past work experience.

Let’s take a look at a couple of examples:

Massage Therapist Resume Summary

Want to know the truth?

The second example says you’ll wow the clientele. The first one gives proof that you’ve already done it. 

Worried you don’t have enough experience to put on paper?

A resume objective will explain your professional goals and show that you are the right fit for the job:

Massage Therapist Resume Objectives 

While creating your entry-level resume, you should do everything to prove that you are the perfect candidate for the position. 

The first example shows just that, while the second one…

Well, let’s just say it wouldn’t hit the spot. 

Expert Hint: Studies show that employment of massage therapists is projected to grow 21% in the next decade. This means that competition is growing with each passing year. Learning the best practices of resume-writing will increase your likelihood of advancing in the job search.

3. Write Jaw-Dropping Massage Therapist Resume Job Description and Skills Sections

We have now reached the core of your resume—the experience section.

After you’ve successfully intrigued the hiring manager with your profile summary, this is where his or her eyes will immediately go next—like a reflex.

Here’s how to write a job description section on your resume:

Massage Therapist Resume Example: Job Description

See the difference? 

Now—

The most important thing to remember when creating your experience section is using resume keywords that employers will seek.

These are specific words and phrases that are particularly important to the job. These could be skills, certifications, qualifications and other credentials that potential employers are looking for in their future employees.

How to find them? 

Well, you will always be able to distinguish them in the job posting. They’re usually words that are used more than once, written in bold font or simply used in the advertisement title.

Using these keywords increases the chances of getting an interview, as they target your resume to a specific job posting. 

Plus, you’ll have an ATS resume that will pass any automatic scan.

Win-win.

The same goes for when you’re picking skills to put on a resume. Use the same exact phrasing that the advertisement does, so if the opening calls for someone with “attention to detail” don’t write “meticulous”.

Here’s a list of skills for your resume:

Massage Therapist Resume Skills

• Current and valid license
• Advanced anatomy and physiology
• Communication skills
• Customer service
• Workplace health and safety rules
• High physical stamina
• Decision-making skills
• Rehabilitation
• Adaptability
• Active listening
• Customer focus
• Organizational skills
• Swedish massage
• Hot stone massage
• Aromatherapy massage
• Reflexology 
• Deep tissue work
• Shiatsu massage
• Thai massage
• Prenatal massage
• Assessment
• Chair massage
• Sports massage
• Physical therapy 
• Interpersonal skills

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4. Include an Education Section in the Massage Therapist Resume

Good news:

Your education can be a big bonus when it comes to job hunting. Especially in the massage/physical therapy business.

Even better news:

Showing education on your resume is easy. 

How to Put Education on a Massage Therapist Resume

To make your resume’s education section shine, list:

• Degree / certification / license name
• Institution
• City, state
• Year of graduation
• Relevant coursework
• GPA (if above 3.7)
• Honors or awards (if any)

The first four on the list are essential. The other bits are extras that could help you get ahead. 

Here’s what an education section looks like in action:

Entry-Level Massage Therapist Resume: Education

Expert Hint: The experience section will usually go before your education section, but not always. If you’re an entry-level candidate or writing a resume with no experience, you’ll want your education to do the heavy lifting, so it’ll have to be placed at the top.

5. Vitalize Your Massage Therapist Resume With Bonus Sections

As the name suggests, bonus sections can be added, well… as a bonus. But they could add so much more of you to your application.

According to recent studies, getting certified highly increases your chances of getting hired right away, so listing all your extra licenses will make your massage therapist resume pop. 

There are many modalities in massage therapy, which is why you’d want to get certified in as many as possible. Listing those certifications on your resume is the first thing you’d want to do. 

Other than that, you may want to put some more of your interests or languages, volunteer work, and anything else that you feel might make the employer go: “Let’s get them in!”.

Examples of things that you could put on your resume:

Associations:

• American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) 
• Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP)

Certifications issued by renowned institutions like:

• National Holistic Institute
• Myotherapy College of Utah
• National University of Health Sciences
• Southwest Institutes of Healing Arts
• Miami Dade College

Like this:

Licensed Massage Therapist Resume: Extra Sections

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Key Points

Before you send your massage therapist resume out, proofread it and make sure that:

• You’ve used a proper massage therapist resume format with the right margins, font and sections.
• Your work experience and education sections are listed in reverse chronological order.
• Your massage therapist resume is targeted to a specific job opening with the use of keywords.
• You’ve included a persuasive massage therapist cover letter.