Job opportunities for massage therapists in New Zealand are good but remain best for people who have trained through an NZQA-accredited institution and are registered with Massage New Zealand .

Massage therapy has grown significantly over recent years and is one of the biggest growth areas in New Zealand health care. Between 1996 and 2006 the number of massage therapists in New Zealand increased by 451%, compared with 38% for all other health professions.

Number of massage therapists in New Zealand
(1996, 2001, 2006)

Census	Number of massage therapists
1996	231
2001	825
2006	1,272
Source: Department of Labour, Jobs and Tertiary Education Indicator Tool.

More therapists because of increased computer use and growing acceptance of natural health therapies

Increased computer use since the 1990s at home and work has increased health problems such as stress, back pain, stiff joints and Occupation Overuse Syndrome. Many businesses now provide massage rooms or bring in massage therapists weekly to ease and/or prevent these problems.

New Zealanders are now also more accepting of alternative forms of healing and general practitioners often recommend their patients for massage therapy to complement medical healing.

Most massage therapists in New Zealand are self-employed. Self-employed massage therapists may also be hired by businesses to give short massages to employees by travelling to their offices.

Massage therapists may also work for:

• community service associations
• health clubs and resorts
• hospitals and rest homes
• sports organisations
• education institutions, as teachers of massage.

Massage therapists work throughout New Zealand. However, most massage therapists work in the main centres of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, where demand is greatest because of population.