Minimum education
600 hours
Statewide entry-education orientation; pathway details remain in the licensing record.
6 sections published
Kentucky State Guide
Massage Therapy in Kentucky
Explore Kentucky massage licensing requirements, insurance considerations, continuing education, workforce data, and official resources, with links to official sources.
Statewide requirements and local rules are identified separately. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
- Regulator
- Kentucky Board of Licensure for Massage Therapy
- Verified
- Credential
- Licensed Massage Therapist
- Verified
KY · main-state atlas plateKentucky
Locator · same geometry as the atlas
KRS 309.364 preempts local regulation of massage therapists except generally applicable zoning and occupational-license fees.
Renewal
Licenses renew every two years on the anniversary of issuance.
Renewal cadence only; deadlines, fees, and mechanics are in the state's CE and renewal requirements.
Continuing education
12 hours
Twelve hours accrue during the two-year licensure period beginning on the issue date.
Compact legal CE orientation only; subjects, documentation, and renewal mechanics are in the state's CE and renewal requirements.
Entry
Verified
Examination — FSMTB-administered licensing examination
Required examination categories from the canonical licensing record.
Verified
Additional requirements — No statewide practitioner liability-insurance mandate or separate massage-establishment license was identified in KRS chapter 309 or 201 KAR chapter 42.
From the licensing record
Renewal and continuing education
Verified
Required subjects — At least three of the 12 hours are professional ethics; all hours must relate to massage practice, and animal therapeutic-technique coursework is excluded.
From the licensing record
Coming from another state
Verified
Endorsement or reciprocity — Kentucky provides endorsement for an applicant holding an out-of-state credential in good standing who documents qualifying equivalency, including education, experience, CE, or other credentials.
From the licensing record
Scope, title and advertising
Verified
Scope of practice — KRS 309.350 defines regulated massage therapy and the Board's regulations establish professional standards.
From the licensing record
Verified
Protected titles — A Kentucky license is required to practice massage therapy or represent oneself as a massage therapist, subject to statutory exemptions.
From the licensing record
Local rules
Verified
Local requirements — KRS 309.364 preempts local massage-therapist regulation while preserving zoning requirements and occupational-license fees.
From the licensing record
02 · Education
Massage education in Kentucky
Bounded
Legal education requirements, official starting points, and selected MassageData program records are distinct.
See the Kentucky school records and official lists →No individual program record cleared this review. That is not evidence that Kentucky has no massage programs.
Legal entry requirement
600 hours
VerifiedStatewide entry-education orientation; pathway details remain in the licensing record.
Review the detailed licensing pathway →Official starting point
Kentucky massage-instruction program approval requirements
201 KAR 42:080 establishes Board certificate-of-good-standing oversight for massage programs in coordination with Kentucky postsecondary authorities. No current public program roster was located in this pass.
Open official resource ↗Before enrolling
School approval is not the same as massage licensure, accreditation, or a guarantee of outcomes.
03 · Insurance
Insurance considerations
Bounded
No statewide practitioner professional-liability insurance mandate was identified in KRS 309.350 to 309.364 or 201 KAR chapter 42. The only insurance requirement found applies to massage programs that offer an externship course, which must carry liability insurance for student activities (201 KAR 42:080).
Limits of this finding
The reviewed sources do not support a universal legal conclusion. General information only—not legal, financial, or coverage advice.
Professional risk context
Separate the legal finding from prudent professional risk management; verify covered modalities, exclusions, defense costs, limits, and policy dates.
Premises, property, employment, cyber, vehicle, and other business exposures are distinct from professional liability and require policy-specific review.
- Do not infer a legal insurance mandate from common professional practice.
- Recheck the linked licensing record and the intended practice address.
- Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 309 — Massage Therapy Accessed October 6, 2026
- 201 KAR Chapter 42 — Board of Licensure for Massage Therapy Accessed October 6, 2026
- 201 KAR 42:080, programs of massage therapy instruction Accessed October 6, 2026
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?
04 · Continuing education
Legal orientation and official starting points
Bounded
Legal CE orientation
12 hours
Twelve hours accrue during the two-year licensure period beginning on the issue date.
VerifiedCompact legal CE orientation only; subjects, documentation, and renewal mechanics are in the state's CE and renewal requirements.
Use official starting points to explore continuing-education resources in Kentucky. Legal renewal and continuing-education requirements are on Kentucky's CE and renewal page.
See detailed Kentucky renewal and CE requirements →Compare Kentucky CE and renewal with other states →Official CE starting points
Bounded05 · Workforce
Kentucky workforce outlook
Bounded
BLS May 2025 OEWS estimates 780 wage-and-salary massage therapist jobs in Kentucky; this is not a license count or practitioner census.
Employment
Bounded780
Estimated wage-and-salary jobs
Definition, limits, and sources
- Definition
- BLS OEWS estimate of massage therapist jobs in Kentucky in May 2025.
- Method
- BLS OEWS state estimate for SOC 31-9011, Massage Therapists, retrieved from the official BLS public data API.
- Limitation
- OEWS estimates wage-and-salary jobs, excludes self-employed workers, and is not a license count or practitioner census.
- Comparability
- Compare only with the same occupation, measure, geography level, and May 2025 OEWS vintage.
- Observed or accessed
- October 6, 2026
- Uncertainty
- 16.8 percent: BLS-published relative standard error for this state occupation estimate or wage series.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Public Data API — May 2025 OEWS State Series Accessed October 6, 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025 Methodology Accessed July 29, 2026
Compensation
Bounded$28.75/hr
Median hourly wage
Definition, limits, and sources
- Definition
- BLS OEWS median hourly wage for massage therapist jobs in Kentucky in May 2025.
- Method
- BLS OEWS state estimate for SOC 31-9011, Massage Therapists, retrieved from the official BLS public data API.
- Limitation
- OEWS estimates wage-and-salary jobs, excludes self-employed workers, and is not a license count or practitioner census.
- Comparability
- Compare only with the same occupation, measure, geography level, and May 2025 OEWS vintage.
- Observed or accessed
- October 6, 2026
- Uncertainty
- 5.8 percent: BLS-published relative standard error for this state occupation estimate or wage series.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Public Data API — May 2025 OEWS State Series Accessed October 6, 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025 Methodology Accessed July 29, 2026
$59,790
Median annual wage
Definition, limits, and sources
- Definition
- BLS OEWS median annual wage for massage therapist jobs in Kentucky in May 2025.
- Method
- BLS OEWS state estimate for SOC 31-9011, Massage Therapists, retrieved from the official BLS public data API.
- Limitation
- OEWS estimates wage-and-salary jobs, excludes self-employed workers, and is not a license count or practitioner census.
- Comparability
- Compare only with the same occupation, measure, geography level, and May 2025 OEWS vintage.
- Observed or accessed
- October 6, 2026
- Uncertainty
- 5.8 percent: BLS-published relative standard error for this state occupation estimate or wage series.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Public Data API — May 2025 OEWS State Series Accessed October 6, 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025 Methodology Accessed July 29, 2026
Growth and openings
Bounded1,120
Projection base employment
Definition, limits, and sources
- Definition
- Reported 2024 base employment in the state long-term projection.
- Method
- State-submitted long-term occupation projection distributed through the Projections Managing Partnership system sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
- Limitation
- Projection employment coverage differs from OEWS. Published endpoints are rounded, so the reported numeric and percentage changes must not be recomputed from rounded endpoint values.
- Comparability
- Compare only within the same state's 2024–2034 projection series and measure; do not equate projection employment with OEWS employment.
- Observed or accessed
- October 5, 2026
- Projections Central — 2024–2034 Long-Term Occupational Projections Accessed October 5, 2026
1,130
Projected employment
Definition, limits, and sources
- Definition
- Reported 2034 employment in the state long-term projection.
- Method
- State-submitted long-term occupation projection distributed through the Projections Managing Partnership system sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
- Limitation
- Projection employment coverage differs from OEWS. Published endpoints are rounded, so the reported numeric and percentage changes must not be recomputed from rounded endpoint values.
- Comparability
- Compare only within the same state's 2024–2034 projection series and measure; do not equate projection employment with OEWS employment.
- Observed or accessed
- October 5, 2026
- Projections Central — 2024–2034 Long-Term Occupational Projections Accessed October 5, 2026
0
Projected numeric change
Definition, limits, and sources
- Definition
- State-reported numeric employment change across the 2024–2034 projection period.
- Method
- State-submitted long-term occupation projection distributed through the Projections Managing Partnership system sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
- Limitation
- Projection employment coverage differs from OEWS. Published endpoints are rounded, so the reported numeric and percentage changes must not be recomputed from rounded endpoint values.
- Comparability
- Compare only within the same state's 2024–2034 projection series and measure; do not equate projection employment with OEWS employment.
- Observed or accessed
- October 5, 2026
- Projections Central — 2024–2034 Long-Term Occupational Projections Accessed October 5, 2026
0.4%
Projected percentage change
Definition, limits, and sources
- Definition
- State-reported percentage employment change across the 2024–2034 projection period.
- Method
- State-submitted long-term occupation projection distributed through the Projections Managing Partnership system sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
- Limitation
- Projection employment coverage differs from OEWS. Published endpoints are rounded, so the reported numeric and percentage changes must not be recomputed from rounded endpoint values.
- Comparability
- Compare only within the same state's 2024–2034 projection series and measure; do not equate projection employment with OEWS employment.
- Observed or accessed
- October 5, 2026
- Projections Central — 2024–2034 Long-Term Occupational Projections Accessed October 5, 2026
140
Projected annual openings
Definition, limits, and sources
- Definition
- State-reported average annual openings, including growth, exits, and occupational transfers.
- Method
- State-submitted long-term occupation projection distributed through the Projections Managing Partnership system sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
- Limitation
- Projection employment coverage differs from OEWS. Published endpoints are rounded, so the reported numeric and percentage changes must not be recomputed from rounded endpoint values.
- Comparability
- Compare only within the same state's 2024–2034 projection series and measure; do not equate projection employment with OEWS employment.
- Observed or accessed
- October 5, 2026
- Projections Central — 2024–2034 Long-Term Occupational Projections Accessed October 5, 2026
Population universe
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.
Self-employment
BLS OEWS excludes self-employed workers, which is material in massage therapy.
Workforce source set
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Public Data API — May 2025 OEWS State Series Accessed October 6, 2026
- BLS OEWS May 2025 Methodology Accessed July 29, 2026
- Projections Central — 2024–2034 Long-Term Occupational Projections Accessed October 5, 2026
06 · Resources
Official resources
BoundedEvery route leaves MassageData.
A selected official starting set, not a complete source ledger.
07 · Method
How this guide is made
Every field on this page carries a knowledge state, and every state is written as a word before it is drawn as a colour.
- Verified
- We checked the cited source on the stated date and the requirement exists as published. The date is the claim: it says when we looked, not that the rule is permanent.
- Bounded
- We know part of the answer and can say exactly where our knowledge stops. The boundary is stated in words and the fuller source is linked. A bounded finding is the edge of what we know, never an error.
What this guide does not determine
Local business, zoning, facility, and professional rules may apply in addition to statewide requirements. Confirm current requirements with the responsible authority before acting.
Sources and reviewBounded
This guide projects 16 distinct official or first-party source links from the governed records. Reviewed October 6, 2026.