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Local servicesU.S. scenario · USDIllustrative operating case

Spa and massage therapy startup costs and financial model

An independent upscale, non-medical U.S. massage day spa in a leased 1,600 sq ft suite, with four private treatment rooms, six part-time licensed employee therapists, a paid owner-manager and part-time reception support. Swedish, deep-tissue and hot-stone massage are sold through individual visits, memberships and employer-funded in-spa packages; a small retail range complements the service.

Capital to open
$285,000

$170,000–$440,000 by launch scope

Year 3 revenue
$628,992

Annual modeled sales

Year 3 EBITDA margin
8.7%

Before interest, tax and depreciation

Operating break-even
Month 10

Base monthly ramp; not capital payback

This operating case allocates $285,000 to opening the business and forecasts $54,643 in Year 3 EBITDA. Payroll includes working-owner labor where applicable. These are planning assumptions; EBITDA is not cash available to the owner.

Ink-and-watercolor cutaway of a non-medical massage spa with four treatment rooms, reception and linen facilities.
Model updated Research record dated 9 sources and input evidenceScope and limitations
Business score · editorial assessment
4.6 / 10

Compare business scores in the catalog →

Five dimensions, each scored from the operator's point of view. Higher is more favorable on every dimension.

Read the five-component breakdown →
On this page
Decision framework

How this business scores, and why

An editorial comparison of operating conditions, not a probability of success, a customer rating or a promise of returns. Read the evidence beside each assessment.

Weighted total

4.6 / 10

The total combines the five assessments below using the published weights.

See current collection rankings →

Read the scoring methodology →

Barrier to entry

Higher means easier entry.

15% weight
5.0 / 10

Conventional massage equipment and a fitted suite are obtainable, but licensing, privacy, premises work and a committed staffing launch require coordinated setup.

Evidence and assessment basis

Source facts: BLS describes regulated practitioner qualifications; Texas gives a concrete establishment approval path; Earthlite lists standard treatment equipment. Assumption: an accessible second-generation four-room suite with ordinary utilities and no wet amenities. Editorial anchor 5 fits conventional premises and available equipment with substantial setup commitments. Anchor 6 is not supported because the full leased spa and licensed roster remain meaningful fixed commitments; a shell requiring extensive work would score lower.

Sources support the underlying facts. The numerical assessment is an editorial judgment.

Competition

Higher means more favorable competitive conditions.

20% weight
4.0 / 10

Independent therapists and membership chains offer close substitutes; ordinary service quality and ambiance offer limited pricing protection.

Evidence and assessment basis

Source facts: BLS identifies self-employed, spa and other practitioner settings; the checked Hand & Stone location advertises introductory pricing and a membership; Northeast publishes duration-based rates. Assumption: the selected catchment contains accessible alternatives and no proven access gap. Editorial anchor 4 reflects an accessible but contested market where calm rooms, service and convenience are copyable. This is a conditional scenario, not a completed local density survey. No exclusive relationship, retention evidence or niche advantage supports anchor 5 or higher.

Sources support the underlying facts. The numerical assessment is an editorial judgment.

Demand stability

Higher means more stable demand.

25% weight
5.0 / 10

Repeat relaxation and wellness use supports a baseline, while optional spending and irregular visits limit predictable utilization.

Evidence and assessment basis

Source facts: AMTA’s 2025 consumer survey reports repeated but not universally monthly use; a chain offers memberships. Assumption: mixed individual, membership and employer-funded visits across the year, with no employer concentration or contract guaranteed. Editorial anchor 5 recognizes a recurring baseline alongside postponement and discretionary exposure. The survey does not demonstrate this spa’s retention or recession resilience; untested memberships cannot support anchor 6.

Sources support the underlying facts. The numerical assessment is an editorial judgment.

Margin ceiling

Higher means greater supported operating-profit potential.

20% weight
5.0 / 10

The mature case covers fully paid labor and overhead, but lost visits, discounted packages or a therapist absence can consume its operating buffer.

Evidence and assessment basis

Source facts: BLS supports labor and workload constraints; IRS establishes part of employer cost; provider menus demonstrate location- and duration-specific prices. Assumption: realized visit price, service mix, paid roster and complete overhead in this case. Editorial anchor 5 fits positive mature EBITDA after paid owner and employee costs with material utilization exposure. EBITDA is before depreciation, interest and income tax. A 10% price reduction leaves only a small monthly surplus; the combined price, contribution and fixed-cost stress requires more hands-on time than the funded roster. No demonstrated pricing or productivity advantage supports anchor 6.

Sources support the underlying facts. The numerical assessment is an editorial judgment.

Owner dependency

Higher means less dependence on the owner's continuous involvement.

20% weight
4.0 / 10

Licensed staff can deliver routine massages, but the owner remains necessary for daily coordination, client recovery, recruitment and cash management.

Evidence and assessment basis

Source facts: BLS describes client communication, confidentiality and appointment scheduling; Texas requires licensed treatment delivery. Assumption: therapists provide services, part-time reception supports the desk, and paid owner-management handles routine decisions with no funded general manager. Editorial anchor 4 fits independent routine delivery but daily coordination dependence. A trained lead with demonstrated shift authority and funded absence cover is not established, so anchor 5 is unsupported.

Sources support the underlying facts. The numerical assessment is an editorial judgment.

Who pays you, and what for

Review the customer, offer and operating scope behind the numbers before adapting them to your own plan.

Customer
Adults seeking a consistent relaxation and wellness massage experience, with individual bookings, repeat membership visits and employer-funded in-spa packages.
Operation
Private rooms support service privacy; licensed employee availability, recovery time and service duration set usable capacity before room count does.
Revenue
Completed massage visits are allocated once among Swedish, deep-tissue and hot-stone services. Net realized prices reflect package discounts and refunds; small retail revenue is ancillary.
Scope boundary
The spa does not offer physician procedures, injectables, lasers, diagnosis, insurance billing, wet amenities or offsite corporate massage.
Format
1,600 sq ft leased non-medical day spa
Revenue unit
One completed, paid massage visit
Capacity
4 treatment rooms; 6 part-time therapists
Service schedule
6 days per week; 9 opening hours per day
Mature daily volume
18 completed visits

Who are you actually bidding against?

This is a completed review of national format and directly observed provider examples, not a local competitor survey. It assumes nearby choices and no protected niche. The comparison below defines the local evidence needed before selecting a site.

Compare the questions across each row. Scroll the table horizontally on a small screen →

Competitor research checklist · no measured local sample
Offer to investigateCompare like for likeEvidence to collect
Independent massage therapistsHands-on minutes, credentials, continuity, location and ordinary price.Menus, actual booking availability, exclusions, repeat policies and comparable paid duration.
Membership massage chainsIntroductory versus recurring price, credit rules, access and provider choice.Local membership terms, unused-credit obligations, cancellation rules and peak-time access.
Independent day spas and hotel spasRoom environment, amenity access, service minutes and package inclusions.Like-for-like treatments and net ordinary prices, separating resort amenities and lodging.
Employer wellness alternativesIn-spa voucher access versus onsite or other employee benefits.Actual employer demand, redemption timing, eligible services and payer concentration.
Postponing a visitVisit frequency and willingness to pay without another discount.Paid cohort retention and reasons clients delay, switch provider or stop.

What supports the model, and what strains it

These are operating considerations for the scenario, not measured advantages over local competitors.

Potential strengths to validate

  • A clear delivered unit. A completed massage can be reconciled to service category, hands-on minutes, net price and therapist time.
  • Several routes to the same calendar. Individual bookings, memberships and employer packages can use a shared service system when credits and redemptions are tracked accurately.
  • Standard equipment. Conventional massage tables and reusable room equipment can support a focused launch without wet-spa infrastructure.
  • Direct operating feedback. Completion, realized price, rebooking and staff workload become observable through each operating week.

Tradeoffs to plan around

  • Rooms do not create hands-on capacity. A room can remain empty while the available therapist roster reaches its practical workload limit.
  • Recurring cash creates future work. Membership and package receipts can precede redemption; outstanding obligations compete for the same peak appointment slots.
  • Quiet service requires purposeful space. Acoustic privacy, circulation, storage, laundry and accessible use must fit the leased suite.
  • Relationships are portable. A client may follow a therapist, choose a chain discount or postpone the visit, so service quality alone does not secure demand.

Does this operating role fit you?

Evaluate the work you will do and the cost of replacing it. Review the owner responsibilities in the operating scope.

A fit to explore if you can…

  • Comfort with recruitment, licensed service standards and respectful client care.
  • Ability to manage schedules using hands-on minutes and paid nonservice time.
  • Discipline to track membership credits, employer packages and cash separately from earned visits.
  • Willingness to validate local prices, rent and paid repeat demand before a long lease.

Reconsider the plan if you need…

  • Expecting passive ownership without a funded operations manager.
  • Treating each room as continuously billable throughout opening hours.
  • Omitting owner-management pay, recovery time or employer costs.
  • Using medical-spa pricing or unverified clinical claims for a non-medical menu.

Where the $285,000 goes

The base assumes a second-generation suite with reusable utilities, four private rooms and no pool, sauna, steam room, wet-treatment installation or medical equipment. The lower scope uses a fitted four-room suite and modest finishes; the higher scope needs more partitions, accessibility and mechanical work plus deeper reserve. These are authored project allocations, not local contractor bids. An equipment starting price does not price a complete room or fit-out.

Leasehold work, acoustic privacy, accessible layout and finishes
$90,000
Four treatment tables and room equipment
$22,000
Laundry, linen storage and opening linens
$18,000
Reception furnishings, POS, booking hardware and signage
$15,000
Design, permits, lease deposits, legal work and insurance deposits
$25,000
Pre-opening recruiting, training, supplies and launch
$15,000
Protected working capital reserve
$100,000
TotalScenario range $170,000 – $440,000$285,000

Where does the money come from?

Price, daily volume and the operating calendar define this capacity scenario. Check the sold-unit definition in the operating scope.

Net sales per completed visit$112.00per sold unit
Completed massage visits per day18modeled daily volume
Mature monthly revenue$52,3766 days/week · 4.33 weeks/month

Revenue mix

The mature mix allocates one completed-visit pool: 55% Swedish massage, 30% extended deep-tissue massage and 15% hot-stone massage. Realized prices include membership and employer-package discounts. A small expected retail allocation is added once; prepaid receipts are not additional earned sales and pass-through tips are excluded.

Seasonality and the opening ramp

The scenario has six operating days each week and no invented national monthly seasonality curve. Validate holidays, ordinary weekdays, employer redemptions and peak-time membership demand from actual bookings and completions.

What does the revenue have to cover?

Year 3 annual amounts from the income statement. The bars use the same revenue scale; EBITDA is the residual after the three operating expense lines.

Year 3 revenue$628,992
Supplies, laundry service, card fees and retail cost$94,349
Paid owner, therapists and reception incl. employer costs$378,000
Occupancy and other operating costs$102,000
EBITDA$54,643

Working-owner pay belongs in payroll. Interest, income taxes, loan principal, replacement equipment and changes in working capital affect cash available for distributions.

Five-year view · scroll the income statement horizontally to compare every year →

Five-year forecast

Separate authored annual cases use 312 service days, completed daily visits of 13.5, 16, 18, 18.5 and 19, and realized net sales per visit of $106, $109, $112, $116 and $120. Fractional daily values are annual averages, not fractional bookings. Payroll includes paid owner-management and employee costs. Membership and corporate-package redemptions belong to the same visit pool; prepaid receipts are not additional earned sales. The monthly calculator uses a separate full-roster ramp and 4.33 weeks per month.

RevenueEBITDA
Spa & Massage Therapy income statement · annual USD
Income statementYear 1Year 2Year 3Year 4Year 5
Revenue$446,472$544,128$628,992$669,552$711,360
Supplies, laundry service, card fees and retail cost−$71,436−$84,340−$94,349−$100,433−$106,704
Paid owner, therapists and reception incl. employer costs−$330,000−$356,000−$378,000−$393,000−$409,000
Occupancy and other operating costs−$97,000−$99,500−$102,000−$106,000−$110,000
EBITDA−$51,964$4,288$54,643$70,119$85,656
EBITDA margin-11.6%0.8%8.7%10.5%12.0%
Annual forecast and calculator comparison

The annual forecast and calculator use separate scenarios. Their revenue ramp or cost allocations differ, as shown below. The calculator's break-even month does not reconcile the annual forecast.

Original base inputs · USD per year
CheckAnnual forecastCalculator inputs
Year 1 revenue$446,472$483,951
Year 1 operating result−$51,964−$68,641
Year 3 / mature annual operating result$54,643$54,232

Calculator figures use the original first 12 months and mature monthly result × 12; sliders do not change this comparison. Neither column measures cash flow or payback. Input basis.

Revenue CAGR: 12.4%. Annual USD. EBITDA excludes interest, tax, depreciation and amortization.

When you break even

Set the three inputs to your own plan. The ramp starts at 55.0% of mature volume and adds 4.0 percentage points a month.

Monthly revenue over the first 18 months. Darker bars clear the operating break-even line.

Operating break-even
Month 10
Revenue at maturity
$52,376 / mo
Break-even revenue
$47,059 / mo
Break-even volume
17 / day
Fixed costs
$40,000 / mo

Use the volume definition in the operating scope. This sensitivity keeps fixed costs and contribution margin constant; it does not rebuild the annual income statement. Operating break-even covers monthly fixed operating costs. It does not recover the opening investment.

Two numbers that decide the outcome

Price and daily throughput define the operating case. The range endpoints are sensitivity scenarios; test whether your location can support them.

Net sales per completed visit
$90.00$145.00
$112.00
this model
Completed massage visits per day
1022
18
this model

What if the schedule is lighter, or fuller?

Only daily volume changes. All three cases keep the invoice at $112.00, the schedule at 6 days per week, fixed costs at $40,000 per month and contribution margin at 85.0%.

Lower throughput

Use the low end to test a thinner schedule.

Completed massage visits per day
10
Mature monthly revenue
$29,098
Operating break-even
Not reached
Not reached in the 18-month ramp.

Base throughput

The current modeled daily schedule.

Completed massage visits per day
18
Mature monthly revenue
$52,376
Operating break-even
Month 10
First month contribution covers fixed costs.

Higher throughput

Validate the operating capacity first.

Completed massage visits per day
22
Mature monthly revenue
$64,015
Operating break-even
Month 6
First month contribution covers fixed costs.
Capital payback needs a cash-flow schedule. The current forecast has no cumulative cash balance after funding, taxes, debt principal and future capital spending. No payback date or lowest cash balance is reported.

What can go wrong, and what should you test?

Use these checks to challenge the operating assumptions before taking on commitments.

Unrecruitable roster

Local licensed therapists cannot be hired or retained at the paid hours and compensation assumed.

Check: Obtain current recruiting evidence, build named shifts and fund realistic nonservice time, relief and employer costs.

Prepaid credits crowd the calendar

Membership or employer-package redemptions use peak capacity at lower net prices while new cash receipts hide the future workload.

Check: Reconcile credits issued, redeemed and outstanding by service, price and daypart before expanding prepaid sales.

Capacity is overstated

Room hours are sold as if they were continuous hands-on therapist hours.

Check: Time consultation, massage, changing, cleaning and recovery separately, then cap bookings by the binding qualified-person and room schedule.

Scope or licensing mismatch

A menu, marketing claim or staff role crosses into services or activity not covered by the actual licenses and insurance.

Check: Confirm the precise menu and business classification with the selected licensing authority and insurer before advertising or purchasing equipment.

Low retention at ordinary prices

Introductory offers produce first visits without profitable repeat completions.

Check: Track realized price, completed visits and repeat cohorts after discounts expire.

Project costs consume reserve

Acoustic, accessibility or mechanical work uses cash intended to fund the opening roster.

Check: Resolve landlord obligations and fixed bids, separate project contingency from operating reserve, and revise the funding plan before committing.

Client-safety or privacy failure

Inadequate consent, screening, hot-stone handling, sanitation or client-record controls damage clients and trust.

Check: Use qualified staff, documented service protocols, appropriate insurance, training and incident escalation for the actual scope.

What would invalidate this scenario?

Choose your own go/no-go thresholds before committing funds. The page does not establish a universal stop-loss rule.

Before signing the lease
Permitted use, establishment approval path, accessibility, acoustic privacy, utilities or landlord work remain unresolved.
Before buying equipment
Room layout, cleaning, electrical needs, laundry flow or insured service scope are unconfirmed.
Before selling memberships
Credit, refund, redemption and future-capacity obligations cannot be reconciled.
Before opening the full calendar
Recruiting and timed service trials cannot support the promised menu with paid nonservice time.
Before expanding
Ordinary-price repeat completions and contribution do not support the current roster and overhead.

What needs to be true before you proceed?

Treat this page as a starting case to verify. A favorable spreadsheet result is only useful when its price, capacity and cost assumptions can be supported.

  1. Can the selected premises support private, accessible and licensed operation without consuming the reserve?
  2. Can the actual roster deliver the service mix with adequate recovery and turnaround time?
  3. Will clients repeat at the net price retained after membership and employer-package discounts?
  4. How many outstanding prepaid services can the peak calendar absorb?
  5. Which staffing absence or price reduction would erase the operating surplus?
  6. What evidence would justify fewer rooms, a smaller launch roster or a different site?
Return to the calculator and challenge the schedule →

StartFigures analysis · AI-assisted

Author's view

Gareth NorwellEditorial author

I would test the staffed weekly calendar before committing to a larger spa. A quiet room is useful only when a qualified therapist can deliver the promised service at a retained price that pays for treatment, recovery time and management.

The physical rooms leave apparent spare capacity, while the paid therapist roster has much less room after the chosen service mix and nonservice time are respected. More rooms alone would not resolve the constraint.

Memberships and employer packages can support repeat use, but their discounts and future redemptions belong inside the same capacity and contribution plan. Upfront receipts should not be mistaken for new profit.

The case supports a conditional operating surplus with paid owner-management. A weaker ticket, cost pressure or a therapist absence narrows that result, while the monthly opening ramp still consumes reserve.

What could change the view

The principal risk is financing an upscale fixed site around room availability and prepaid sales while the actual qualified-person schedule and retained visit contribution cannot carry the commitment.

Who this format suits

This business suits an active owner who can recruit licensed practitioners, protect service standards and recovery time, manage client and credit records, and use paid repeat visits to guide staffing decisions.

Before committing

Time real service blocks with the intended therapists, build a named weekly roster, test ordinary-price repeat demand and membership redemption, then obtain site bids and a dated cash plan before signing the lease.

What is planned for the editable workbook?

An illustrative worksheet layout using this page's inputs. It is not a screenshot or a download of a finished Excel file.

Spa & Massage Therapy · Operating assumptionsIllustrative layout

Scroll to read the worksheet →

Current model inputs · USD unless stated
InputModelUnit
Opening capital$285,000one-time
Net sales per completed visit$112.00per sold unit
Completed massage visits per day18per day
Operating schedule6days / week
Fixed operating costs$40,000per month
Contribution margin85.0%input assumption

The published calculator and annual forecast are separate views. The downloadable workbook requires its own separate calculation review.

Revenue

The verified product input image uses a shared visit pool, operating days, service-category mix, category prices and extra revenue per visit.

A verified worksheet screenshot is not yet available.

COGS & OPEX and Payroll

The product page and visible worksheet tabs identify cost and payroll sections. The online planning case separates sales-linked supplies and fees from a paid therapist roster, owner-management and premises.

A verified worksheet screenshot is not yet available.

CAPEX and Capital

The gallery identifies capital-expenditure and funding sections for adapting the opening investment and financing plan.

A verified worksheet screenshot is not yet available.

Statements and Scenarios

The current page identifies income statement, cash flow, balance sheet and low/base/high scenario outputs; these are broader than the simplified website operating view.

A verified worksheet screenshot is not yet available.

The planned business plan has 10 pages. Its contents and the three file prices are listed below.

Get the editable files

Word for the written plan. Excel for the assumptions and calculations. One-time prices in USD. Bundle adds both products to one cart.

$59
  • Editable Word business plan
  • Prepared operating sections for an upscale, non-medical four-room massage spa
  • Membership and employer-funded visits reconciled with paid therapist capacity
  • The matching editable Word product uses a broader upscale spa example; replace its scale, staffing titles and financial assumptions

$109
  • Five-year monthly Excel forecast
  • Startup cost and funding schedule
  • Break-even and unit economics
  • Three scenarios with visible formulas

Bundle

Both products
$168
  • One Business Plan for your selected business
  • One matching Financial Model
  • Editable Word and Excel formats
  • Two products, one checkout

Need it built for your business? Review the custom model + plan scope → Project quote · Schedule agreed with you

What do you need before the first job?

Confirm these items for your location and operating scope. This checklist does not assert that a particular license, insurance policy or employment arrangement is sufficient.

Premises and permissions

  • Confirm actual classification, establishment and practitioner requirements.
  • Obtain coordinated fit-out, acoustic, accessibility and utility bids.
  • Check insurance against the complete menu and records practices.

Roster and service

  • Verify each therapist’s license, scope, training and schedule.
  • Time hands-on service, room turnover, notes and recovery.
  • Fund owner-management, reception and full employer costs.

Demand and channels

  • Compare like-for-like local service minutes and ordinary prices.
  • Test paid demand and rebooking without repeated introductory discounts.
  • Reconcile membership and employer-package credits with future capacity.

Cash and operating records

  • Keep opening investment, operating reserve and later replacements distinct.
  • Maintain a dated cash schedule for payroll, tax, debt and prepaid obligations.
  • Compare the annual plan and the separate monthly ramp with actual results.

Where could this model miss your situation?

Most financial inputs are author-selected assumptions. The source register explains what is supported and what still needs local validation.

National scenario

No city, lease, staffing contract or local demand test is verified. Every local commitment needs its own evidence.

State licensing example

Texas illustrates an actual approval path; another state or municipality may require different permits and operating controls.

Independent financial assumptions

Vendor starting prices and individual provider menus give context. They do not establish the total project budget, local wages, realized ticket or utilization.

Separate planning views

Annual cases phase staffing and pricing. The monthly calculator holds the mature roster and contribution ratio fixed; its ramp is a sensitivity, not a matching cash forecast.

Paid product adaptation

The matching plan has a broader upscale spa example and staffing language. Replace its scale, management titles, local research and financial assumptions; no medical services are modeled here.

Review and delivery boundary

The site owner reviewed and approved this AI-assisted planning analysis for publication on October 1, 2026. That review does not establish local fieldwork, a paid-file formula audit, a completed purchase or verified file delivery.

Extended analysis: editorial basis

Prepared October 1, 2026 from cited sources and authored assumptions for the stated four-room U.S. non-medical spa. The site owner reviewed and approved this AI-assisted national planning case for publication. No site or local demand trial is verified. The paid products require adapting their example scale.

Methodology and sources

Format
1,600 sq ft leased non-medical day spa
Revenue unit
One completed, paid massage visit
Capacity
4 treatment rooms; 6 part-time therapists
Service schedule
6 days per week; 9 opening hours per day
Mature daily volume
18 completed visits

StartFigures models one U.S. employee-staffed non-medical massage day spa. We use official classification, occupation and employer-tax evidence plus a state licensing example, original industry survey context and clearly bounded supplier/menu examples. All capital allocations, visits, prices, mix, staffing, overhead, contribution and ramp values are authored assumptions requiring local validation. The annual forecast uses 52 weeks; the separate monthly sensitivity uses 4.33 weeks and a full mature roster. Net sales exclude sales tax and pass-through tips. Prepaid membership or corporate-package cash is reconciled separately from completed earned visits. Operating earnings are before depreciation, financing, income tax, replacement capital and working-capital timing. No clinical outcome, local demand validation, completed human review or investment return is implied.

Read the full methodology →

Model updated · NAICS 812199

  • 2022 NAICS Manual: Other Personal Care Services and health-practitioner boundary
    U.S. Census Bureau · primary · accessed October 1, 2026

    2022 classification: 812199 covers day spas and massage other than offices of massage therapists; medical massage and health-practitioner offices have a different classification. Supports the non-medical day-spa format only, not its financial inputs.

  • Massage Therapists: Occupational Outlook Handbook
    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · primary · accessed October 1, 2026

    Updated August 27, 2026; May 2025 national median employee pay is $28.10 per hour and $58,450 per year. Describes part-time work, varied schedules, physical demands and state regulation. Does not establish local recruiting pay, safe individual workload, employer costs or spa revenue.

  • Apply for a New Massage Establishment License
    Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation · primary · accessed October 1, 2026

    Current Texas example: establishment approval before operation, licensed therapists, $200 application fee and fingerprinting requirements. Texas rules are not a national permit schedule or a complete site approval budget.

  • Publication 15 (2026), Employer’s Tax Guide
    Internal Revenue Service · primary · accessed October 1, 2026

    2026 employer Social Security is 6.2% up to its wage base and Medicare is 1.45%. These are components of employer cost, not a complete burden allowance; state unemployment, insurance, leave and benefit costs require separate review.

  • Consumer Views and Use of Massage Therapy
    American Massage Therapy Association · industry · accessed October 1, 2026

    AMTA reports an average of 2.7 massages in the previous 12 months and that 20% of massage consumers last received massage at a spa in the period ending June 2025. July 11–13, 2025 online survey of 1,000 U.S. adults; self-reported national behavior, not this spa’s retention, local demand or a monthly membership conversion rate.

  • Stationary and Electric Lift Massage Tables
    Earthlite · vendor · accessed October 1, 2026

    Manufacturer listing checked October 1, 2026 shows Ellora electric lift tables from $1,999 and other configurations at higher prices. Equipment availability and a starting item price only; taxes, freight, accessories, installation and complete room packages are separate.

  • Massage Service Pricing, Effective March 1, 2026
    Northeast Massage Therapy · vendor · accessed October 1, 2026

    Salem, New Hampshire provider lists 60-minute massage at $110, 90-minute massage at $145 and 60-minute hot stone at $125. A single provider’s advertised menu with a broader service scope; not national realized pricing, proof of equivalent hands-on duration or evidence for medical services in this case.

  • North Richland Hills Massage and Facial Spa
    Hand & Stone · vendor · accessed October 1, 2026

    Local Texas chain example advertises a 50-minute introductory massage at $89.95 and recurring membership options. Introductory pricing and membership terms differ from ordinary prices. Supports the existence of a close alternative and channel structure, not national competition density or this spa’s conversion.

  • Square Appointments Pricing and Plans
    Square · vendor · accessed October 1, 2026

    Current U.S. page lists appointment-management features and different transaction rates, including 2.6% plus $0.15 for card-present payments on one plan. Plan, tender mix and negotiated rates matter. Provides payment/booking context, not a verified no-show rate or total spa software cost.

How should you compare another service business?

No measured national benchmark or comparable local sample is supplied here. Compare the actual operating scopes before comparing outputs.

Keep the comparison consistent

  • Opening budget and reserve coverage.
  • Paid owner labor and employer burden.
  • Daily units, travel time and operating days.
  • EBITDA versus cash available for distribution.

Available scenario comparisons

These compare illustrative models on StartFigures, not observed industry averages.

Explore local services →

What else do people ask?

How much does this spa and massage therapy case cost to open?

The authored opening allocation is $285,000, including a $100,000 reserve. The $170,000 to $440,000 scope range changes site work, fit-out, equipment and reserve depth within a four-room non-medical spa. Obtain actual lease, contractor, insurer and supplier quotes before treating it as a funding request.

Is this a medical spa or an independent health-practitioner office?

No. The case is a non-medical massage day spa with licensed massage staff and a limited retail range. It excludes injectables, lasers, physician services, diagnosis, insurance billing and medical-spa equipment. NAICS 812199 fits the stated day-spa format; the exact activity and jurisdiction determine the appropriate classification and permissions.

Do the revenue assumptions include tips and prepaid memberships?

Pass-through tips and sales tax are excluded from net sales. Membership and employer-package discounts reduce the realized ticket. Each redeemed massage is counted once in completed visits; prepaid cash receipts and outstanding service obligations are tracked separately and are not added again as earned revenue.

Why does payroll include time between massages?

The roster funds consultation, room turnover, notes, cleaning, training and recovery as well as treatment time. Physical treatment capacity is different from paid hours or room opening hours. The working owner is paid for management and reception and is not assumed to supply free massage sessions.

What local licenses and approvals are required?

Requirements depend on the state and locality and on the actual menu. Confirm individual therapist credentials, any establishment approval, permitted use, building, fire, occupancy and business requirements before opening. Texas is used as one concrete licensing example, not a nationwide checklist.

Does a positive operating result show owner take-home or payback?

No. The operating result includes paid owner-management but excludes depreciation, financing, income tax, replacement capital and working-capital timing. A separate cash plan is needed for distributions, prepaid-service obligations and investment recovery.

Do the paid plan and model use these exact assumptions?

They are matching Spa Massage products, but their pre-written examples use different scale and financial assumptions. The revenue input gallery verifies a visit, mix, service-price and ancillary-revenue model. Adapt the products to the four-room staffing and local evidence here; no paid workbook formulas or completed delivery were independently tested.

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