Spa Employment Compensation Plan (Part II)

In my previous post I hit on the average hourly/yearly rates that therapists, support staff and managers are getting paid.  I wanted to touch on the pro's and con's of the actual compensation plans.  As I said, there are three ways in which therapists get paid:

1. Hourly Pay Rate

2. Commission Based

3. Combo of Hourly and Commission

As far as hourly pay goes, therapists are paid for each hour they are at work, whether a service was performed or not.  Hourly pay rates usually differ state to state, but as stated earlier the range is from $8 to $12 per hour.  The pro's to being paid hourly, you know how many hours you work in a week and how much you make an hour.  This is the way to have a steady paycheck and no surprises, no matter how busy or slow the spa happens to be.  The con's, you get paid the same amount whether you are busy or not and if you provide above average service or not.

Now for the commission based therapist.  This is the most commonly used plan where the therapist is paid a predetermined amount for each service performed.  Again, the average rate is 30% to 40% of the full service which equates to $25 to $40 for a one hour treatment. The pro's, therapists are compensated for experience and education as well as their up-selling abilities and building up of clientele.  This is a very simple formula, the more hours you work, the more treatments you perform, the more you can make!   The con's, very simple...no traffic, no money.  Watch out for newly opened spas or spas off the beaten path.

Last but not least, there is the combination plan of hourly pay plus commission.  In this plan the therapist receives their hourly rate with a commission for each service provided and is normally offered at newly opened spas.  The pay is about $10 to 12 per hour with 20% to 30% commission on each treatment provided.  The pro's, security of an hourly rate, even when it is slow, but also the motivation to build repeat business.  No real con's to this structure, only that your pay structure will eventually move to commission only.  It is simply used to maintain happy employees during that on-again, off-again start up phase.

I hope you find this information helpful and for all your staffing needs, remember SpaandSalonJobs.com.  Find qualified candidates fast at an affordable price!

How Should I Be Getting Compensated as a Spa Employee?

You may be a veteran of the spa world looking for a new job or for that bump up into a management position.  On the other hand, you may be brand new to the spa industry.  What ever group you may fall into, the bottom line is, how should you be getting compensated?

As far as Spa Technicians (Massage Therapists, Skin Care or Body Treatment Therapists) go, there are three options.

1. Hourly Pay Rate

2. Commission Based

3. Combo of Hourly and Commission

They each have their pro's and con's (which I will delve deeper into in my next blog).  Depending on your personal motivation and monthly monetary needs you have to decide which structure fits your lifestyle best.  Since the spa industry is becoming so competitive, you may also want to consider a spa with benefits like insurance, ongoing education, bonuses, sales commission, tips, raises, provided uniforms, vacation and retirement plans.

Now lets look at the average pay rates* and commission percentages based on each position...

Aestheticians - Hourly rate of $10 to $12, plus 20-30% of each service provided and 10-25% of retail sold.  The gross hourly rate calculates to $22 - $40 per hour or $25K - $65K per year for a full time employee.

Massage Therapists - Same as above or NO HOURLY RATE but 30-40% of each service provided and 10-25% of retail sold.  Same yearly income as above for a full time employee.

Front Desk, Reservationist & Housekeeping Positions - Hourly rate or $8 to $12.  This equates to $15K - $23K per year for a full time employee.

Remember, employers usually base their pay scales on experience and longevity.

As far as Manager and Director positions go, salaries* are based on the type of facility you may be working in.  These positions typically include insurance, bonus plans and vacation.  They usually do not include over time (you know you will be working more than 40 hours a week!), commission or tips.

Day Spa - $40K to $50K per year

Hotel/Resort Spa - $40k to $50K per year

Destination Spa - $60K to $90k per year

Multi Facility Position - $7K to $100K per year

I hope this was helpful in giving you a better idea of the "going rates" these days.  This will help you when negotiating your rate for your new position.  Don't forget to check out SpaandSalonJobs.com for the newest jobs in your city today!

*All rates and salaries listed were found at virtualspa.net

Staffing with SpaandSalonJobs.com

Every spa and salon needs qualified and personable employees who can interact appropriately with clients one on one.  As you know, clients coming into your spas and salons have varying levels of expectations and needs.  You should have the right staff on hand for any situation.  

The cost of advertising at SpaandSalonJobs.com is especially low when compared to the high cost of a newspaper or magazine campaign.  When advertising in a newspaper, it is nearly impossible to target your job recruitment to seekers looking for careers as opposed to the next "job".  We strategically market our site to Google, Yahoo! and Indeed.com to make sure your posts are viewed by as many qualified job seekers as possible. The wide reach and specific focus of SpaandSalonJobs.com makes it a powerful tool for job hiring.

The Green Spa Network

We all know how important it is to do our part to help preserve our planet's resources and many spas are now jumping on board to "green up" their operations.  I recently stumbled across a new website, GreenSpaNetwork.org, and wanted to share their innovative ideas and goals with you.

There are three main goals of the GSN...

1. To bring sustainable operating practices to the spa industry.

2. To facilitate education, research and alliances in sustainable business practices.

3. To promote the natural connections between personal well-being, economic sustainability, and health of our planet.

GSN is a relatively new company that is not even taking members at this time.  They have over 100 companies and professionals interested and a handful of  "Founding Seed Spas" that are the test market for the programs that are currently in development.  FYI...they are accepting applications for 3 more Seed Spas and general membership will begin in Spring 2008.

The following are examples of the programs they have in development, that as a member, you would have access to.

Seed Spa Program: The strategies GSN has developed along with the tools and products your spa would need.

Green Spa Toolkit: Everything you need to know if you intend to go green...what light bulbs to buy, cleaners to use and how to conserve water.

Green Spa Network Website: A resource with ongoing product reviews, tips, request for information and expert advise.

We each need to do our part to protect our natural resources.  Companies like the Green Spa Network have done the research and spent the time to make "going green" a feasible option for spas wanting to make an impact without sacrificing the planet.  Check out all the green ideas there are out there and see how your spa can start making a difference today.

Spa Trends 2008

For those of us in the business, SpaFinder.com, the global spa resource, has been a staple in the spa world for years.  It is a fabulous tool for anyone in the business as well as people looking for a local spa, a get away spa or anything in between.  For the past 5 years, SpaFinder has posted their Annual Spa Trends Report that "forecasts the innovations and ideas that will shape the world of spas in 2008."

Spas, as well as the services they sell, seem to becoming more integrated and cater the one stop shopper.  With the popularity of the Medical Spa (comprehensive medical and wellness care), it is easy to see how this trend could be catching on.   

So the report is out and here are the top trends for 2008...

1. The "Feng Shui'd Gym"

2. A Star (Therapist) is Born

3. Wellness, Wellness, Wellness

4. Luxury Detox and Luxury Bootcamps

5. Spa Real Estate Mania

6. Taking Sleep Seriously...Especially If You Want To Lose Weight

7. Fertility Tranquility

8. Hydro and Thermal Super-Experiences

9. Urban Spa Explorer

10. Plug-in or Unplug: It's up to You

Getting A Job In The Spa Industry

It seems there is a spa on ever corner and in every strip mall USA.  According to statistics, there are over 14,600 spas in the US to date.  That is up 6% from last year and almost 30% from 2004.

The breakdown is as follows:

11,700+ day spas

1350+ resort and hotel spas

980+ medical spas

430+ club spas

80+ destination spas

50+ mineral spring spas

Most clients say they go to the spa to relieve stress.  Since stress can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease, which claims over 870,000 lives per year according to the American Heart Association, the spa is a good and healthy option. 

Today consumers can find lifestyle spas that focus on healthful menus, medical spas for weight loss or chemical peels or destinations spas that focus on treatments from a particular culture.  There are even green spas devoted to environmentally sustainable facilities and practices.

This growth is also good for job seekers.  As of summer 2007, there were more than a quarter million people working in the spa industry on both a full-time and part-time basis.  Most spa jobs require training but programs are short in duration and are affordable in price.

So do your homework and see what training you need for your trade of choice and how to get it as quickly as possible.  Consider which spa setting would be the best fit for you personally and log onto SpaandSalonJobs.com and post your resume today!!

 

Introducing SpaandSalonJobs.com!

Hello out there in blog world!  

I have been running a website for about a year now called SpaandSalonJobs.com.  It is an internet recruitment site/job board catering to those in the spa, day spa, medical spa, salon, resort, hotel and leisure industries.  Employers have the ability to post jobs and search resumes for a fee while job seekers can search jobs and post resumes for free.

If you are an employer and are not getting qualified candidates from Craigslist or other free job posting sites, check us out!  If you are an employer sick of spending hundreds of dollars on Monster, Career Builder type sites or newspaper ads, check us out!  

You will be reaching a target audience of experienced spa and salon professionals, allowing you to hire more efficiently.  Also, you will capitalize on our comprehensive marketing program - we are consistently ranked at the top of Google and Yahoo! and all of our jobs show up on Indeed.com where millions of job seekers will see your postings daily.

As a job seeker you have the ability to post your resume, search jobs and create job alerts for free.  We also have the ability for you to post a video (for a nominal fee) along with your resume which can showcase your knowledge, personality and passion while dramatically increasing your chances of landing your dream job.

If you are an employer looking for your next star employee or a job seeker looking for the next best job, look no further.  Go to SpaandSalonJobs.com today!