The closer you are to sole practitioner the more control you will have. There will still be some but in areas where massage therapists are valued (ie NOT California) the majority of business is earned through word-of-mouth. This goes out the window when you start working for a spa or whatever. There, they'll choose their therapist by picture, not reputation.
I live in Canada and things are pretty good here. Some provinces aren't regulated yet but they are pretty good at regulating themselves. Ideally, working for myself or in a physio clinic would be my goal. Spa could be great but I have definitely heard of some I will be staying away from. Working for places with a bad reputation just aren't worth the damage that will be done to my reputation.