Education · 1 of 5

The path

A college diploma, provincial exams, then building a client list.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Biology and anatomy if offered. A high school diploma and a police check are the entry requirements.

2. 2

   Massage therapy diploma

   2 to 3 years

   Two to three years at a public college or accredited private school. Ontario requires about 2,200 hours and BC programs run longer, up to about 3,000: anatomy, physiology, pathology, technique, and a student clinic treating the public.

3. 3

   Provincial exams

   After graduation

   In Ontario the CMTO (College of Massage Therapists of Ontario) runs a written exam and a practical exam. BC and the other regulated provinces run their own.

4. 4

   Register and insure

   A few weeks

   Register with your provincial college and buy malpractice insurance. Then you can use the title RMT (registered massage therapist).

5. 5

   Build a client list

   1 to 2 years

   Most new grads start on a clinic split or at a spa. It takes 1 to 2 years to fill a book.