Estimated wage-and-salary jobs
New Mexico State Guide
New Mexico massage therapy guide
Explore New Mexico massage licensing requirements, insurance considerations, continuing education, workforce data, and official resources, with dated official sources and scheduled review.
Statewide requirements and local rules are identified separately. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
New Mexico licensing
State massage therapist license required
New Mexico requires a massage therapist license to practice or represent oneself as a massage therapist, subject to the Practice Act's exemptions.
State licensure does not replace generally applicable local business, zoning, health, or safety requirements.
New Mexico requires a massage therapist license to practice or represent oneself as a massage therapist, subject to the Practice Act's exemptions.
View the full New Mexico licensing record →- Regulator
- New Mexico Massage Therapy Board, Regulation and Licensing Department
- Credential
- Licensed Massage Therapist
- Education
- 650 hours
- Renewal
- After an initial period of up to two years, massage licenses renew biennially and expire October 31.
Practice risk
Insurance considerations
No statewide practitioner professional-liability insurance mandate was identified in the reviewed current Massage Therapy Board pages or Title 16, Chapter 7 NMAC.
General information only—not legal, financial, or coverage advice.
Questions for an insurer
- Does the policy satisfy any state or local requirement that applies to this practice?
- Which modalities, locations, entities, and workers are covered?
- Are defense costs inside or outside the stated limits?
License renewal
Continuing education
Massage therapists complete 16 hours for each renewal period, including four ethics hours and at least eight hours of live synchronous training.
Licensees maintain completion evidence and supply it when audited; renewal applicants remain responsible for course qualification.
See detailed New Mexico renewal and CE requirements →Employment and wages
New Mexico workforce outlook
BLS May 2025 OEWS estimates 360 wage-and-salary massage therapist jobs in New Mexico; this is not a license count or practitioner census.
Median hourly wage
Projected percentage change
OEWS measures wage-and-salary jobs. Projections Central distributes state long-term occupational projections; its base and projected employment universe is not assumed to match OEWS.
BLS OEWS excludes self-employed workers, which is material in massage therapy.
New Mexico agencies and data
Official resources
The official education resource is a verified starting point, not a comprehensive directory.
Sources and updates
Reviewed July 29, 2026
Information was reviewed against the linked official and first-party sources. Next scheduled review: August 29, 2026.
Official authority and source list
- New Mexico Massage Therapy Board
- New Mexico Massage Therapy Board — Licensing, Registration and Renewal
- New Mexico Massage Therapy Board — FAQs
- New Mexico Massage Therapy Board — Training and Continuing Education
- New Mexico Massage Therapy Board — Background Report Instructions
- New Mexico Massage Therapy Board — Statutes, Rules and Rule Hearings
- 16.7.1 NMAC — Massage Therapists General Provisions
- 16.7.2 NMAC — Professional Conduct
- 16.7.3 NMAC — Fees
- 16.7.4 NMAC — Requirements for Licensure
- 16.7.5 NMAC — Requirements for Schools
- 16.7.10 NMAC — Examinations
- 16.7.12 NMAC — Renewal and Inactive Status
Local business, zoning, facility, and professional rules may apply in addition to statewide requirements. Confirm current requirements with the responsible authority before acting.