Massage Therapy Certification

How Do Massage Therapists Become Certified?

Many graduates of massage therapy programs go on to become nationally certified by taking the National Certification Examination for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCETMB). In most of the states that regulate massage therapy, this test is mandatory, so check your state's requirements to determine your course of action. Even if it's not mandatory, certification is a "stamp of approval" for yourself, ensuring potential clients and employers that you are competent and possess the set of skills, knowledge and experience necessary to work as a professional massage therapist.

In order to qualify to take the exam, the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) requires that you either graduate from a state-approved massage therapy program (if your state requires massage therapy program approval) or submit evidence of training experience that is sufficient to prove your competency.

After you're certified, you must renew the certification every four years to prove your continued competence and that you have kept up with modern advances and legal shifts in the field. In order to remain certified, a therapist must perform at least 200 hours of therapeutic massage in the workplace and take 48 hours of continuing education massage classes (plus six hours of ethics) within that four-year span.

A license from the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB) is also acceptable in some states, although it is less widely recognized than the NCBTMB certification. Check your state's requirements for professional massage therapists before deciding which exam to take.