Why do we tip, and where?

---

Please understand that tips make up half or more of a massage therapists income, 

and in other industries we rely even more on tip culture for our careers to be sustainable. 

Your generosity enables us to make ends meet. 

Take out the tips and almost all massage therapists are making below poverty wages. 

This is just how the industry functions today. Many businesses have tried to cover the cost and in most cases it is unsustainable for them to price themselves as such, unless they have an established client base willing to make the switch to be "tipless". 

But in doing so many therapists see less take home pay at the end of the year. 

'Tips' are greatly depended on, is the main way we move up in the pay bracket of this career, and receiving less than what is sustainable directly impacts how well we can do this kind of work.

The better we can take care of ourselves, the better we can take care of you. 

$30 on the hour, or $45 for a 90 minute and so on, 

is what helps make this a sustainable career 

in most establishments today, and what we work for in those settings. 

This number is based on the old golden rule of $20 being a 'fair' tip for an hour of massage and how inflation has affected that number over the last decade. 

But I understand that this rule has 

been around for at least twice as long. 

A $20 tip simply does not make this a sustainable career 

for anyone, anywhere today. 

If you find it within your means, and greatly appreciate your therapists, giving even more than the recommended amount not only generates a genuine feeling of gratitude but directly improves their lives, means of self care, ability to advance in curriculum to expand their skill set and thus improve the type of work they can do for you. 

Tipping in not necessary for my private practice, 

even with my discount rates.

But, if you find that I am deserving and have the means, know that generosity and kindness is reciprocated with the upmost gratitude. 

My prices reflect the effectiveness of my work, but discounts and the sliding scale make it affordable and accessible.