How to Start a Massage Therapist Business
Opening your own massage practice, from your state board's requirements and a place to work to the first session you bill.
This page covers what it takes to open a massage practice of your own: licensing questions for your state board, where you'll work, registering, tax IDs and insurance, and the first invoice. Billing packages, memberships and add-ons is in the massage therapist invoicing guide, which you'll find in the links.
The BLS massage therapists profile (In the US, last modified August 27, 2026) says "Many massage therapists are self-employed." It adds "In addition to giving massages, therapists, especially those who are self-employed, may spend time recording notes on clients, marketing, booking clients, and conducting other business tasks."
A first invoice with sample figures, for a corporate chair-massage visit: 3 hours of chair massage x $120.00 = $360.00 and travel to the office site at 1 x $40.00 come to $360.00 + $40.00 = $400.00 before any tax.
Step-by-step startup guide
Follow these steps to launch your massage therapist business on solid footing.
- 1
Contact your state's massage board
Ask the board that oversees massage therapy in your state what you need before you see paying clients, and whether your city adds its own rules.
- 2
Pick where you'll work
A rented room, a home studio or mobile visits each change your setup, your insurance questions and the local rules you'll need to check.
- 3
Register the business
The SBA's launch guide (In the US, SBA, checked October 31, 2026) says "If you conduct business as yourself using your legal name, you won’t need to register anywhere." It also says "most states require you to register your DBA if you use one." For a trade name or an LLC, see what your state requires.
- 4
Get an EIN
The SBA's launch guide (In the US, SBA, checked October 31, 2026) says "Your Employer Identification Number (EIN) is your business’s federal tax ID number." The IRS EIN page (In the US, IRS, last reviewed or updated October 16, 2026) says "You never have to pay a fee for an EIN."
- 5
Look into insurance
The SBA's launch guide (In the US, SBA, checked October 31, 2026) says "You also may be legally required to purchase certain types of business insurance." An insurance agent can explain cover for hands-on work.
- 6
Book and bill the first clients
Write down your session lengths and prices, then invoice each client or company after the visit.
Tips for starting your massage therapist business
- Keep client notes from the first visit. The BLS massage therapists profile (In the US, last modified August 27, 2026) lists "recording notes on clients" among the business tasks of self-employed therapists.
- Put money aside for tax as you go. The IRS estimated taxes page (In the US, IRS, last reviewed or updated September 25, 2026) says "If you are in business for yourself, you generally need to make estimated tax payments."
- Write your cancellation terms on your booking page so clients see them before they book.
- Ask your state's massage board before you advertise any title or credential.
How Billed helps you get started
Features to look at as you set up your business.
Client Profiles
Billed's features page says: "Create and save client profiles to bill them quickly."
Payment Receipts
Billed's features page says: "Send payment receipts to your clients after they have paid for your invoices."
Client Payments
Billed's features page says: "See all the payments made by a client in one place."
Invoice History
Billed's features page says: "Billed App keeps complete history about the Invoice and its payments from the moment it is created."
Frequently asked questions
More Startup Guides
Invoice Your First Session
Create invoices, track payments and keep your clients' details in one place with Billed.
At a glance
| Step | What to check | Source |
|---|---|---|
| License | Your state's massage board | State pointer |
| Registration | Legal name, DBA or entity; see step 3 | SBA (In the US, checked October 31, 2026) |
| Tax ID | An EIN, at no fee | IRS (In the US, last reviewed or updated October 16, 2026) |
| First invoice | Sessions or event hours, plus travel | Massage therapist invoicing guide |
When this isn't for you
These setup steps are for therapists opening their own practice, not for employees of a spa or clinic.