Massage therapists in BC are regulated by the College of Complementary Health Professionals of BC (CCHPBC). You need a recognized program, the CCHPBC exams and registration.
Campus mismatches we found: Vancouver Career College is listed in the Bylaws at Burnaby and Kelowna, but its own page lists Burnaby and Abbotsford. Vancouver College of Massage Therapy lists a Surrey campus that is not in the Bylaws. Kootenay Columbia College’s page still names CMTBC. Ask CCHPBC before you enrol at a campus not in the Bylaws.
| Detail | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator · Url | Official page | source |
| Claim check | Massage therapists are regulated by CCHPBC, not CMTBC | source |
| Noc | 32201 Massage therapists | source |
| Education | Graduate of a recognized program (listed in College Bylaws; accredited by the College or by CMTCA at the 3- or 5-year level), graduated no more than 3 years before applying; others go through prior learning assessment | source |
| Eligibility 1 | Criminal record check authorization; current first aid certification; professional liability coverage of at least $5,000,000 per claim; good-character declaration | source |
| Eligibility 2 | Applicants licensed in Ontario, NL, NB or PEI (labour mobility) take only one of the three exam components | source |
| Exam | Licence Examination: Clinical Knowledge and Theory (3-hour online, proctored; Oct 13-15 2026 in Metro Vancouver, Okanagan, Vancouver Island), Performance-Based Assessment (Burnaby, Sept 14-Oct 9 2026), and Law, Ethics and Professionalism (7 modules, 100% on each module quiz, then self-proctored exam). Fall 2026 application deadline June 26, 2026 at noon PDT | source |
| Regulator fees | Application $225; full licence exam $1,970 per attempt (CKT $490, PBA $1,040, LEP/jurisprudence $372); exam cancellation $310; PLA $150 + $550 + $1,050; full licence renewal $890 (2025-2026), $1,030 (2027-2028); late renewal $350 | source |
| Pay | Massage therapists (NOC 32201), B.C.: hourly rates not available; annual earnings $43,600 | source |
| Funding 1 | WorkBC Centres: free employment services; may fund training if needed to get a job (eligibility assessed by the centre) | source |
| Funding 2 | B.C. Employer Training Grant (employer-applied): 80% of training costs up to $10,000 per participant | source |
| Funding 3 | not published No regulator-specific bursary found on regulator pages (checked in earlier builds) | |
| Recognized programs rule | Bylaws Table 2 lists 9 institutions; also any program accredited at 3- or 5-year level by CMTCA and recognized by the Licence Committee | source |
| Renewal | Full licence renewal requires at least 500 practice hours in the 3 years before renewal | source |
| Licence steps 1 | Graduate of a recognized program (listed in College Bylaws; accredited by the College or by CMTCA at the 3- or 5-year level), graduated no more than 3 years before applying; others go through prior learning assessment | source |
| Licence steps 2 | Criminal record check authorization; current first aid certification; professional liability coverage of at least $5,000,000 per claim; good-character declaration | source |
| Licence steps 3 | Licence Examination: Clinical Knowledge and Theory (3-hour online, proctored; Oct 13-15 2026 in Metro Vancouver, Okanagan, Vancouver Island), Performance-Based Assessment (Burnaby, Sept 14-Oct 9 2026), and Law, Ethics and Professionalism (7 modules, 100% on each module quiz, then self-proctored exam). Fall 2026 application deadline June 26, 2026 at noon PDT | source |
| Licence steps 4 | Application $225; full licence exam $1,970 per attempt (CKT $490, PBA $1,040, LEP/jurisprudence $372); exam cancellation $310; PLA $150 + $550 + $1,050; full licence renewal $890 (2025-2026), $1,030 (2027-2028); late renewal $350 | source |
| School and city | Program and approval | Length | Intakes | Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camosun College Victoria · Public | Registered Massage Therapy Program Recognized education program, CCHPBC Bylaws (April 1, 2026) Table 2 source | 2 years, 6 x 14-week terms | Start: September (cohort) | $37,360 domestic / $92,394 international, whole program, 2026-27 | Program page |
| CDI College South Surrey · Private | Registered Massage Therapy Program Recognized education program, CCHPBC Bylaws (April 1, 2026) Table 2 source International price only: https://www.cdicollege.ca/files/pdf/pricelists/cdi-bc-int-pricelist-updated-aug-2026.pdf | 88 weeks, 8 x 11-week semesters | No upcoming date published on source page (checked 2026-11-01) | Price not published, ask provider | Program page |
| First College Kelowna · Private | Registered Massage Therapy Program Recognized education program, CCHPBC Bylaws (April 1, 2026) Table 2 source Official program page with tuition/length not found | Listed on official registry: CCHPBC bylaws (recognized programs) | Listed on official registry: CCHPBC bylaws (recognized programs) | not published source | Not listed |
| Kootenay Columbia College of Integrative Health Sciences Nelson · Private | Registered Massage Therapy Program Recognized education program, CCHPBC Bylaws (April 1, 2026) Table 2 source Page still names CMTBC (outdated) | 22.5 months, 6 semesters (90 weeks), 2,887.5 hours | Not published | $35,392 domestic ($17,388 + $18,004); $41,967 international | Program page |
| Langara College Vancouver · Public | Registered Massage Therapy Program Recognized education program, CCHPBC Bylaws (April 1, 2026) Table 2 source | 2 years minimum, 6 terms | Start: January, May, September | about $31,292 domestic (minimum duration); $5,095-$5,325 per term | Program page |
| Okanagan Valley College of Massage Therapy Vernon · Private | Registered Massage Therapy Program Recognized education program, CCHPBC Bylaws (April 1, 2026) Table 2 source | 2 years (22 months) | Start: January and September | $36,694 domestic ($17,948 + $18,746) | Program page |
| Vancouver Career College Burnaby · Private | Registered Massage Therapy Program Recognized education program, CCHPBC Bylaws (April 1, 2026) Table 2 source Bylaws list campuses Burnaby, Kelowna; school page lists Burnaby and Abbotsford | 88 weeks | Not published | $41,731 domestic tuition; $44,727 total with fees (price list effective Nov 13 2025) source | Program page |
| Vancouver College of Massage Therapy Vancouver · Private | Registered Massage Therapy Program Recognized education program, CCHPBC Bylaws (April 1, 2026) Table 2 source School page also lists a Surrey campus not named in Bylaws | 20 months full-time (5 semesters); 32 months part-time | Start: Full-time: Jan 4, May 3, Aug 30 2027 source | $35,000 full-time / $38,000 part-time domestic; +$8,000 international source | Program page |
| West Coast College of Massage Therapy New Westminster · Private | Registered Massage Therapy Program Recognized education program, CCHPBC Bylaws (April 1, 2026) Table 2 source | 20 months, 5 x 15-week terms | Not published | $34,750 domestic / $41,250 international source | Program page |
| West Coast College of Massage Therapy Victoria · Private | Registered Massage Therapy Program Recognized education program, CCHPBC Bylaws (April 1, 2026) Table 2 source | 20 months, 5 x 15-week terms | Not published | $34,750 domestic / $41,250 international source | Program page |
No. Massage therapists are now regulated by CCHPBC. Some school pages still name CMTBC; we flag those below.
CCHPBC lists $1,970 in total: a Clinical Knowledge Test ($490), a Performance-Based Assessment ($1,040) and a Legislation and Ethics paper ($372). The application is $225.
Published domestic tuition runs from about $31,292 (Langara, minimum duration) to $41,731 tuition ($44,727 with fees) at Vancouver Career College. Programs are 20 to 24 months.
500 practice hours in 3 years, $5 million liability insurance and the annual fee.
This page relies on the official pages below. Rules, fees and processes change, so check the authority before you apply or spend money.
Links checked November 1, 2026. Found an error or a broken link? Report it.