Showing posts with label body treatment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label body treatment. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

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!

Thursday, December 20, 2007

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