How much do Mobile Massage Therapists charge? How much does home massage cost?

The cost for a Mobile Massage at Home is usually slightly higher than the cost for the same duration Therapeutic Massage session at a Day Spa, though there is quite a range in actual cost, depending upon the therapist or Mobile Massage booking service or Mobile Massage app you're using, and the region you're in also affects average costs.

Mobile Massage - Like All Mobile Services - Costs More

The reason why a Mobile Massage often costs more than a massage in a spa follows the general rule in our society that services performed on-site, like in-home licensed health and beauty services, are frequently more costly than similar licensed services performed in bricks-and-mortar establishments.

Why Mobile Massage Always Costs More Than Massage At A Spa

Consider a few realities: Therapists must tote their table, massage oils, linens, and other massage-related equipment from their vehicle, to the place in your home where the session is happening, then back to their car. Often, there are stairs involved and the table is not exactly light in weight, and cumbersome is a good adjective. Fitting everything back in the car or truck is a challenge, a bit like playing Tetris.

The therapist must then also set up the table and create a mini-spa experience in your living room or den. This may include scent, sound, and light: Aromatherapy, soothing relaxation music, and LED candles.

When the session is done, they clean up and disinfect everything. The LMT will then then fold the portable table back up and place it back in its carrying case, dump out any essential oil aromatherapy diffusers, and put everything else away.

The LMT must drive and spend time in the car when they could otherwise be earning, and so a one-hour session at home, including set-up and clean-up time, a well as taking the table out of, and then placing the table back in the vehicle, can easily add up to an extra hour.

And, that's not considering time spent driving, or the resources involved like gas and tolls and vehicle maintenance, which each Mobile Massage Therapists must address, of course.

The Extra Time Required By an LMT For A Mobile Massage Session

It's understandable that a session of Mobile Massage will cost more because of the driving time, set-up and clean-up time, time involved in loading and unloading the vehicle and carrying everything to where the session is happening, which all contribute to extra work for the Mobile Massage Therapist, as oppose to an LMT in a Day Spa who does not require all these associated tasks. The extra time needed for each and every session of Mobile Massage severely limits the number of clients a Mobile Massage Therapist can see in a day.

An LMT working in a Day Spa can easily see seven clients in an 8-hour working day. A Mobile Massage Therapist can usually fit in only three sessions, especially in the clients are geographically distant from one another.

For these reasons, Mobile Massage Therapists, small business Mobile Massage companies, and giant apps all charge more for massage than in a spa.

Chair Massage Costs Less Than Table Massage

Mobile Massage Therapists can perform their complementary health modality with the client either seated on a portable massage chair or lying on a portable massage table.

Invaraibly, Chair Massage costs about 40% less than table massage, on average.

Chair Massage usually doesn't involve an in-depth session.

And, there's no massage oil.

The sessions are brief and there are no in-depth assessments or intakes. Thus, it's a lot less involved than a session performed on a Massage Table for 60 or 90 minutes.

And, the set-up is a lot quicker; the chairs just pop open and closed, and there are no linens to deal with, just disinfecting the chair.

If I Buy A Portable Massage Table, Can I Then Bargain For A Cheaper Mobile Massage Session?

Really, whether you provide a massage table or not will not affect pricing, as the licensed therapist is paid for their time providing Therapeutic Massage, and not whether they had to bring their own table or chair.

If I Ask For Less Pressure, Will That Affect Pricing?

At the better Mobile Massage establishments, all modalities are the same price.

Unfortunately, the majority of Mobile Massage providers do not fit into that category and instead charge a higher rate for "Deep Tissue Massage," which is usually not actually the modality of Deep Tissue Massage (it's a thing), but rather just Swedish Massage utilizing deeper pressure.

Why Does Hot Stone Massage Cost More Than A Standard Massage?

At even the better Mobile Massage establishments, Hot Stone Massage will cost you more.

Why? It's a lot of work.

The LMT must lug the pounds of rocks and a heater. Then, the heater must be filled with water.

While doing the massage, the Hot Stones must be attended to. The water is hot and the Massage Therapist can easily burn themselves if they're not careful. At the end of the session, they need to dump out extremely hot water and clean off slippery rocks, now slick with massage oil, as well as water!

Overall, it's a lot more to deal with, and the therapists are usually paid more, though you should ask before booking. No LMT should be paid the same rate for Hot Stone Massage as they get for any other massage Therapy session.

It's just not fair! PLEASE DON'T SUPPORT SUCH PRACTICES.

Mobile Massage Performed on a Portable Table