Licensing guide · British Columbia

How to Become a Massage Therapist in British Columbia

Last checked 4 sources checkedNOC 32201

Do you need a licence?

Licence required

You must be registered with the College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC to work as a massage therapist in British Columbia or to use a protected title.

Protected titles
Not listed in the sources checked
Show the source
“The College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC (CCHPBC) regulates professional chiropractors, massage therapists, naturopathic physicians, and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and acupuncturists in the province of British Columbia to ensure they have the competencies needed to practice and that they adhere to the standards required for safe and ethical care.”

From cchpbc.ca, checked October 10, 2026.

At a glance

Licence status
Licence required See the source
Routes
Annual fees

Your roadmap

Every route is listed. Follow the one that matches where you trained.

Trained in Canada

  • Annual fees: $4,075

Steps not listed by the regulator Check with CCHPBC

Official page for this route

Licensed in another province

  • Annual fees: $4,075

Steps not listed by the regulator Check with CCHPBC

Official page for this route

Trained outside Canada

  • Annual fees: $4,075

Steps not listed by the regulator Check with CCHPBC

Official page for this route

Other listed fees

The regulator lists these without tying them to one step, so they are not in the route totals above. Check which apply to you.

Requirements

Conditions the regulator sets on top of the roadmap steps.

Experience

  • Massage therapists must complete a minimum of 500 practice hours over three years to ensure currency of practice.

    Source
    “The College is satisfied that 500 hours over three years is sufficient to ensure currency of practice, while still being achievable by massage therapists working part-time or taking a break from practice”
    cchpbc.ca/the-college-of-complementary-health-professionals-is-upda...

Other

  • Massage therapists must obtain and maintain current certification in Standard First Aid (SFA) / CPR-C in accordance with the College Bylaws.

    Source
    “All Chiropractors, Massage Therapists, and Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists are required to obtain and maintain current certification in Standard First Aid (SFA) / CPR-C in accordance with the College Bylaws.”
    cchpbc.ca/announcing-the-development-of-the-college-of-complementar...

Already licensed in another province?

Not stated

The pages name a route for massage therapists from Ontario, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, and PEI but do not state whether they can register based on their current licence or must complete additional assessments.

Source
“Massage Therapists From Ontario, Newfoundland & Labrador, New Brunswick, and PEI”
cchpbc.ca/for-professionals/registered-massage-therapists/rmt-fees

Processing time: Not stated by the regulator Check with CCHPBC

Check a move between two provinces

Credential assessment

Not stated by the regulator Check with CCHPBC

Exams

Language tests

Not stated by the regulator Check with CCHPBC

Compare scores across provinces and professions

Canadian experience

Not stated by the regulator Check with CCHPBC

Supervised practice

Not stated by the regulator Check with CCHPBC

Demand and pay

Job Bank figures for NOC 32201, Massage therapists. Wages for 2021 in Canadian dollars a year; outlook for 2025-2027.

Job Bank wages and outlook in British Columbia and Canada
WhereLowMedianHighOutlook
British Columbia $37,929 $43,600 $81,000 Moderate (3 of 5)
Canada $32,867 $32,867 $62,400 —

Wages by region and job outlook in British Columbia

Wages in every province and territory

Massage therapists in other provinces and territories

Regulated in 3 of the other 12 jurisdictions checked so far. The rules differ from one place to the next.

  • Alberta Not confirmed yet
  • Saskatchewan Not confirmed yet
  • Manitoba Not confirmed yet
  • Ontario Licence required
  • Quebec Not confirmed yet
  • New Brunswick Licence required
  • Nova Scotia Not confirmed yet
  • Prince Edward Island Not confirmed yet
  • Newfoundland and Labrador Licence required
  • Yukon Not confirmed yet
  • Northwest Territories Not confirmed yet
  • Nunavut Not confirmed yet

Compare massage therapist licensing across Canada

Sources checked

Pages read on October 10, 2026.

  1. Home - CCHPBC cchpbc.ca · fetched October 10, 2026
  2. Fees: Massage Therapy - CCHPBC cchpbc.ca/for-professionals/registered-massage-therapists/rmt-fees · fetched October 10, 2026
  3. Announcing the development of the College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC’s new, unified Quality Assurance Program - CCHPBC cchpbc.ca/announcing-the-development-of-the-college-of-complementar... · fetched October 10, 2026
  4. The College of Complementary Health Professionals is updating its fee structure in the 2025-2026 fiscal year - CCHPBC cchpbc.ca/the-college-of-complementary-health-professionals-is-upda... · fetched October 10, 2026

Frequently asked questions

2

Do you need a licence to work as a massage therapist in British Columbia?

Yes. Registration with the College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC is required to practise in British Columbia.

Which exams are required?

Jurisprudence exam, Full licence examination, Partial licence examination, online CKT portion, Partial licence examination, performance-based assessment.

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