Remedial Massage Therapist
A Remedial Massage Therapist provides hands-on therapeutic massage treatment to clients with musculoskeletal dysfunction, injury, or chronic pain conditions in clinical or spa settings.
What this job is
A Remedial Massage Therapist provides hands-on therapeutic massage treatment to clients with musculoskeletal dysfunction, injury, or chronic pain conditions in clinical or spa settings. They assess client conditions, apply targeted massage techniques to address specific tissue and joint problems, and develop treatment plans to improve mobility and reduce pain. The role requires knowledge of anatomy, pathophysiology, and various massage modalities to treat conditions ranging from sports injuries to postural dysfunction.
Are employers advertising this role?
Falling, down 19.9% over 5 years
Counted across a group of similar roles. These are three-month rolling averages of online job advertisements, not filled positions.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index.
Day-to-day
Conduct initial client consultations and gather detailed health history including prior injuries, current symptoms, medications, and contraindications. Perform postural analysis and palpate muscles and soft tissues to identify areas of restriction, trigger points, and dysfunction. Apply remedial massage techniques including deep tissue massage, trigger point therapy, myofascial release, and soft tissue mobilisation to treat identified conditions. Use adjunctive therapies such as stretching, joint mobilisation, heat therapy, and cold therapy to complement massage treatment. Design individualised treatment plans with realistic timelines and goals, adjusting techniques based on client response and progress. Document client assessments, treatment provided, outcomes, and progress notes in client records to track therapeutic response. Provide clients with home exercise programmes and postural advice to support recovery and prevent re-injury between sessions. Refer clients to other health practitioners such as physiotherapists, chiropractors, or general practitioners when conditions require additional specialist care.
Who does this now
About 6,200 people worked in this occupation across Australia at the 2021 Census.
What this role asks for
Diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree (ABS skill level 2)
Can employers fill these jobs
Employers hiring for this occupation were generally able to find suitable applicants in 2025. This measures how hard employers found it to fill jobs. It is not a count of jobs, and it does not say whether the occupation is growing.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Training Occupation Pathways dataset, March 2026, version 1.0
Jobs and Skills Australia defines an occupation-ready qualification as:
Completing this qualification will provide the skills and knowledge to undertake this occupation. Further training and experience may be required to meet specific industry requirements including licensing and registration.
Jobs and Skills Australia, Training Occupation Pathways dataset, March 2026, version 1.0
Requirements
The standard entry pathway requires a diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree (ABS skill level 2). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.
The honest hard part
Your body takes a real beating. Repetitive hand, wrist, and shoulder strain is common and can end careers early. High client no-show rates eat into income, and you'll spend time chasing unpaid invoices if self-employed.
Where the jobs are
Regional centres have fewer positions. Most work in private practices, sports clinics, or day spas rather than hospitals. Remote work isn't an option. Self-employment and part-time roles are common, giving flexibility but less job security.
Skills
- Accept own accountabilitycore
- Active Listeningcore
- Appointment Schedulingcore
- Carry out preventative internal medicine interventionscore
- Case Note Documentationcore
- Confidentiality and Privacy Compliancecore
- Cultural Awareness and Sensitivitycore
- Customer Needs Assessmentcore
- Empathy and Emotional Intelligencecore
- Health Record Administrationcore
- Health Terminology Literacycore
- HICAPS and Medicare Claiming Systemscore
- Practice Management Software (e.g., Best Practice, MedicalDirector)core
- Professional Boundaries Maintenancecore
- Time Management and Prioritisationcore
- Verbal Communicationcore
- Address side effects of menopause
- Advise on mental health
- Attention to Detail
- Continuous Learning and Upskilling
- Invoicing and Billing Administration
- Medicare and DVA Billing
- Referral Coordination
- Regulatory and Legislative Awareness
- Risk Identification
- Service Navigation and Referral
- Workload Self-Management
Which of these do you have?
Tick the ones you haveCommon questions
Sources
- ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
- ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.
Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.
What Remedial Massage Therapist workers move into, from ten years of tax records.
Last updated: 30 October 2026
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