Is This Question Offensive to Other Massage Therapists Too?

I’ve been a professional massage therapist for quite some time, and there’s one question I often get that really rubs me the wrong way (pun intended).

After people find out what I do, they sometimes ask: “Is this your only job?” or “Do you do anything else?”

Now, I get that most of the time, people don’t mean any harm. But to me, this question feels incredibly dismissive as if being a massage therapist isn’t a “real” profession, or as if it’s just some side hustle rather than a legitimate career.

I take my work very seriously. I’ve spent time, effort, and resources developing my skills, learning anatomy, understanding how to help people with pain relief, stress management, and overall well-being. So when someone asks me if this is my “only” job, it feels like they’re implying that massage therapy isn’t a profession worthy of standing on its own.

I’m curious, do other massage therapists feel the same way? How do you respond when people ask this?