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In Texas, massage therapists are under the jurisdiction of the Department of State Health Services who issues licenses.
To obtain the license, those interested need to pass 2 exams after completing the required education.
Article Table of Contents
Required Education
The education needed by massage therapy is a program of 500 hours.
They need to study the following content:
Popular Programs
- Anatomy: 50 hours
- Kinesiology: 50 hours
- Physiology: 25 hours
- Pathology: 40 hours
- Techniques, theory, and practice of soft tissue manipulation: 200 hours
- at least 125 hours on Swedish massage therapy technique
- Hydrotherapy: 20 hours
- Laws and rules, ethics, and business practice: 45 hours
- Hygiene, health, universal precautions, first aid, and CPR: 20 hours
- Internship: 50 hours
Some individuals may need to have their coursework reviewed to see if it meets the standards.
In some cases, the candidates will be allowed to cover the deficiencies, but not repeat coursework.
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Academy for Massage | 602 NW Loop 410 #122 San Antonio, TX 78216 |
| Alvin Community College | 3110 Mustang Rd. Alvin, TX 77511 |
| Amarillo Massage Therapy Institute | 2710 Civic Circle #7 Amarillo, TX 79109 |
| A New Beginning School of Massage | 2525 Wallingwood Dr. #1501 Austin, TX 78746 |
| Austin Massage Academy | 13091 Pond Springs Road, Suite 400 Austin, Texas 78729 |
| Avalon School of Massage | 2990 Richmond Ave. #200 Houston, TX 77098 |
| Avenue Five Institute | 8620 Burnet Rd. #300 Austin, TX 78757 |
| Hands On Approch | 13370 Preston Rd. Dallas, TX 75240 |
| HandsOn Therapy School | 1804 North Galloway #A Mesquite, TX 75149 |
| Healing Handz Massage Academy | 3591 Luedecke Lane Bryan, TX 77807 |
| Institute of Bodywork Studies | 1565 West Main St. #114 Lewisville, TX 75067 |
| Ke Kino Massage Academy | 1620 Custer Rd. Plano, TX 75075 |
| Lauterstein-Conway Massage School | 4701-B Burnet Rd. Austin, TX 78756 |
| Massage Masters School | 1203 East Ferguson #104 Pharr, TX 78577 |
| North Texas School of Massage | 2335 Green Oaks Blvd. West Arlington, TX 76016 |
| Oceans Massage Therapy School | 4920 South Loop 289 Lubbock, TX 79424 |
| Phoenix School of Holistic Health | 6600 Harwin #101 Houston, TX 77036 |
| River City Massage School | 5313 Walzem Rd. #A San Antonio, TX 78218 |
| Rub Me the Right Way | 7420 82nd St. Lubbock, TX 79424 |
| Stone School of Massage | 535 WSW Loop 323 #201 Tyler, TX 75701 |
| South Texas Vocational Technical Institute | 2144 Central Blvd. Brownsville, TX 78520 |
| The College of Health Care Professions | 6330 East Highway 290, Suite 180, Austin, TX 78723 |
| The College of Health Care Professions | 7322 Southwest Freeway, Suite 110, Houston, TX 77074 |
| The College of Health Care Professions | 12230 Northwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77092 |
| The College of Health Care Professions | 4738 NW Loop 410 San Antonio, TX 78229 |
| Texas School of Massage | Clear Lake 17043 El Camino Rd. #201 Houston, TX |
The Exams
In Texas, the candidates are required to take the MBLEx and the jurisprudence exams.
The MBLEx is offered by the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB), but it needs scheduling through Pearson Vue if the application is accepted.
The candidates will have to pay for the MBLEx $195 and to read the candidate bulletin in advance.
The jurisprudence exam costs $35.
To obtain the license in Texas, the candidate needs to have taken the exam in the last 2 years.
Those who got their certification in a different state and still have it, don’t fall under that rule.
Background Checks
All candidates will have to submit to a background check.
Some individuals have a criminal history, but this doesn’t mean they’ll automatically be rejected.
These persons will have to submit explanations of the records.
The records can be checked before enrolling in a program, to verify qualification.
Candidates from Out-of-State
These individuals can get the license through reciprocity if the standards in the state they got their certification, have similar standards.
They will also have to provide verification for their certification, with documents from the jurisdiction issuing it.
International Candidates
If the license was obtained in a different country, translation into English will be required.
Their education would have to be equivalent as well, and this is done through transcripts from the school they attended.
Application
The candidates need to apply online after reading the rules and laws.
Proof for passing the exams is needed, along with transcripts from the school that the coursework was the approved one.
There’s an application fee of $117.
Becoming an Instructor
Some individuals may want to become an instructor, and for this, they need another license.
They need to attend additional classes related to teaching adults.
These people also need to have practiced for at least 1 year and have at least 500 hours of work experience.
Other Information
The Texas Department of State Health Services has the most recent information related to this career.
There are many factors influencing how much you’ll earn as a massage therapist in Texas.
Annual Salary Range:| Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Houston | $52,576 |
| San Antonio | $49,878 |
| Dallas | $50,798 |
| Austin | $50,447 |
| Fort Worth | $49,981 |
| El Paso | $44,865 |
| Arlington | $49,899 |
| Corpus Christi | $47,569 |
| Plano | $50,579 |
| Laredo | $45,430 |
Regional Salary in Texas
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | 910 | $50,990 | $24.51 | $70,100 | $21,960 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 70 | $39,040 | $18.77 | $52,070 | $19,910 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 2,100 | $48,040 | $23.09 | $66,870 | $27,550 |
| El Paso, TX | 160 | $41,290 | $19.85 | $55,620 | $23,090 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 1,780 | $54,070 | $26 | $76,280 | $27,610 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | 90 | $44,350 | $21.32 | $55,590 | $33,310 |
| Longview, TX | ** | $47,310 | $22.74 | $97,140 | $24,250 |
| Lubbock, TX | 90 | $42,970 | $20.66 | $59,520 | $20,580 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 530 | $50,680 | $24.37 | $74,580 | $26,400 |
| Tyler, TX | 40 | $44,090 | $21.2 | $51,520 | $25,050 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Massage Therapist
Massage Therapy by State