How to Become a Massage Therapist

Compiled and verified against primary state-board sources by GetMassageLicense — cite-or-deny, with no invented figures. How we source & verify →

Becoming a massage therapist follows roughly the same sequence everywhere in the US — approved training, an exam, and a license application — but the specific hours, exam, and fees are set state by state, not nationally. This page walks through each step in general terms; follow the links to your state’s page for the exact numbers.

500–1,000

Training Hours
range across 46 jurisdictions tracked

$50–$379.75

First-Time License Fee
range across 44 jurisdictions tracked

47 of 51

Jurisdictions Require a License

Complete an approved training program. Requirements range from 500–1,000 hours depending on state, at a school your target state's licensing board (or, in a non-licensing state, its voluntary certifying body) approves. A few states — including Kansas, Minnesota, and Wyoming — have no statewide license or voluntary credential at all, so there's no hour minimum to train toward. Check your state's page for its exact figure before enrolling, since a program meeting one state's minimum won't automatically satisfy another's.
Pass the required exam. Among the 51 jurisdictions tracked, 44 accept the MBLEx (Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination), administered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB), while 2 run their own state-specific exams instead. Some states also require an additional state jurisprudence exam alongside a national one — confirm which exam(s) your state accepts before you register.
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Submit your license application. Apply directly to your state's licensing authority (where one exists) with proof of training hours, exam results, and any required background check. Some states without a statewide licensing board still have a voluntary certifying body applicants can apply to instead; others have no statewide license, board, or voluntary credential of any kind — see your state's page for which situation applies.
Pay the application and license fees. Expect a first-time fee of $50–$379.75 depending on state, billed either as one combined charge or as separate application and license line items. See your state's page for its exact published amount.
Maintain your license with continuing education. Most states require ongoing continuing-education (CE) hours on a renewal cycle to keep your license active, sometimes including a dedicated ethics-hours requirement. See the continuing-education hub for the per-state breakdown.
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Choosing an Approved Training Program

“Approved” means something specific in this context: your state’s licensing authority (or, in a non-licensing state, its voluntary certifying body) maintains its own standard for which schools and programs count toward your training-hour requirement — board-approved schools, COMTA-accredited programs, or an equivalent out-of-state/college program the authority accepts. A program isn’t automatically transferable between states just because it meets one state’s hour minimum. Before enrolling, confirm on your state’s page (or directly with its licensing authority) that the specific program you’re considering is recognized.

The MBLEx

The Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination (MBLEx), administered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB), is the exam most states accept for initial licensure. It isn’t universal, though: some states run their own state-specific exam instead and don’t accept the MBLEx for direct licensure, and a few require a separate state jurisprudence exam in addition to a national one. See your state’s page for which exam(s) it actually requires before you register.

Typical Timeline & Cost

The overall timeline is driven mainly by your state’s training-hour minimum and your program’s schedule (full-time vs. part-time), plus however long your state board takes to process an application after you submit exam results and fees. The state-mandated costs — application, first-time license, and renewal fees — are published on each state’s page; program tuition is set by individual schools and isn’t part of the licensing data tracked here.

Find Your State’s Requirements

Training hours, exam, fees, and CE — by jurisdiction.

Continuing Education

What it takes to keep your license current after you’re licensed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to become a massage therapist?

Timeline depends on your state's training-hour minimum and your program's schedule — full-time programs commonly run a few months to about a year, while part-time schedules take longer to reach the same hour total. After finishing training, exam scheduling and application processing typically add several more weeks. See your state's page for its specific training-hour requirement.

Do I need to pass the MBLEx to become a massage therapist?

It depends on your state. Among the 51 jurisdictions currently tracked, 44 accept the MBLEx as an accepted exam, while 2 run its own state-specific exam instead. Check your state's page for which exam(s) it requires.

How much does massage therapy training cost?

Program tuition isn't part of the licensing data this site tracks (it varies by school, not by state law), but the state-mandated fees — application, first-time license, and renewal — are published on each state's page, along with the required training-hour minimum that determines how long (and often how much) your program will run.