Requirements to Teach Massage in Alaska

Requirements to Teach Massage in Alaska, if you want to become an instructor of massage in the state of Alaska, it takes some effort, time, training, and a bit of experience. In most cases, a massage school instructor will begin as a massage therapist.

You have to train and become certified in massage therapy before you are able to become an instructor.

To become a massage therapist, you need to register with the Board of Massage Therapists.

You’ll need to pay an application fee of $200, and you’ll need $350 for a massage therapist license fee, and $60 for the fingerprint processing fee.

When you’re registered, you will receive licensure by the Board.

If you don’t register, then you’re working illegally.

To receive your license.

So you have to work a minimum of five hundred hours in a supervised classroom and also, clinic work at a Board-approved school.

You also have to pass the national exam.

You’ll need current CPR certifications and have been fingerprinted and passed a criminal background check.

Massage therapists in Alaska often earn an average wage of $84,270.

Education Requirements – Requirements to Teach Massage in Alaska

In order to become a massage instructor, you must first become a massage therapist.

To become a massage therapist, you have to follow the steps mentioned above.

This comes to a total cost of $610, plus your tuition fees for your chosen school.

Once you have graduated from an accredited massage therapy school, you will have worked five hundred hours as a massage therapist in a classroom setting.

You must also pass the licensure exam.

To become a massage therapist instructor, you must have a minimum of three to five years practising as a massage therapist, have your massage therapist license, and have completed continuing education courses as a massage therapist.

In the state of Alaska, you do not have to have a college degree in order to practice as a massage instructor.

But many institutes prefer a Bachelor’s degree.

You also have to take four hours of safety education in bloodborne pathogens and universal precautions.

Working Years in the Industry/Experience Requirements

To become a massage therapist instructor, you must have a sufficient amount of years working as a massage therapist first.

This is up to the institute that would like to hire you as there are no regulations on how many hours you have to work as a massage therapist in order to become an instructor.

At the bare minimum, you may want to work three to five years as a massage therapist before you decide to teach.

Your work experience must be well-documented as it will be verified by the institute that will be hiring you.

This means you should have a list of references of managers who have overseen your work.

As well as a list of happy customers if you had your own practice.

Superiors will contact the school board to determine if your references are accurate.

Continuing Education Requirements

The state of Alaska requires all massage therapist instructors to take continuing education courses.

You are required to take twelve hours of continuing education for your first renewal cycle only.

Your CPR license must also be current.

The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork requires that a massage therapist take twenty-four hours of continuing education every two years.

These twenty-four hours must include three hours of ethics training, three hours of research.

And also, a limit of four hours allowed in the self-care coursework.

The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork accepts twenty-four hours of online courses.

The license must renew every two years with twenty-four hours of continuing education completed.

Licensing Requirements – Requirements to Teach Massage in Alaska

Instructors need to acquire a license after they have gone through all the training mentioned in the previous education section.

The application fee is $200, and the total cost is $410 biennially in the state of Alaska.

Your license has to renew every two years with twenty-four hours of continuing education courses.

If you fail to present with the twenty-four hours of continued education, you will lose your license and must go through the entire process again.

You will receive a form from your accreditation school and continued education school to send in with your application for your license.

Massage therapists and instructors have to license by the Board of Massage Therapists in Alaska, found here:

https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardofMassageTherapists.aspx.

To renew your license, you can use this form found here:

https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardofMassageTherapists/ApplicationsForms.aspx.

Insurance Requirements – Requirements to Teach Massage in Alaska

It’s a good idea to have insurance as a massage therapist instructor.

The institution you work at, if you’re not running your own, will have insurance.

However, if you choose to run courses as a sole proprietor.

It may be a good idea to obtain liability insurance for your students and you in case something were to go wrong.

You can find out more about policies here: http://www.massage-exam.com/massage-insurance.php.

Neal Lyons is a founding member and volunteer contributor at the MTSI Institute, an information based portal dedicated to guiding and assisting aspiring massage therapists establish a successful career in massage. Neal is a published author and has collaborated on several mobile applications that serve the massage profession. You can view his published work on Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Sony and Kobo. You can connect with him on Facebook, Twitter and on Google+

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