Passive income: NO

Earning passive income directly from a massage therapy side hustle is unlikely for most people. Massage therapy is inherently a hands-on service, requiring personal interaction and physical presence. To make it passive, one would need to establish a business with multiple therapists, automate bookings, and manage operations remotely. However, this transition from a side hustle to a business owner is not common and requires significant effort, investment, and management skills. Most massage therapists earn actively, and only a few outliers manage to create a passive income stream by scaling their practice into a larger business. Misleading expectations often arise from oversimplifying the transition from practitioner to business owner, underestimating the challenges involved.