When you come back for more training you have the option of choosing which advanced classes you want to pursue. There are many different directions to go with massage therapy, and you will excel best pursuing your own area of interest. When you take advanced classes after working in the field you know what questions to ask so the training is more relevant to your needs. As you learn new techniques you think of clients you can use those techniques on. In this way your learning is much more complete than for someone who took 500 hours of classes before doing their first professional massage.

There are also tax advantages to taking a shorter training first. Most people cannot take a deduction on their income tax for the cost of their initial training in a new field. The exceptions would be for people working in related fields such as: a manicurist or cosmetologist who is taking this training so they can expand the services they offer to their existing clients, a chiropractic assistant who will be doing massage in the same clinic after graduating, or a nurse who is taking the training and receiving continuing education credits. If you take a shorter initial training and then start working in the field, you may be able to deduct the cost of any future classes as continuing education expenses. This can result in significant tax savings. Please note that I am not an accountant or tax advisor, and that tax laws change, so please check with an accountant or tax advisor before making any decisions based upon the tax advantages.

There are some states that require 500 hours of training to practice massage professionally. If you live or plan on working in one of those states you may wish to check with the state to see which schools would meet the requirement for that state. Also, not all states recognize training from schools in other states.