102 Lower-income Occupations
For its 2017 report License to Work, the Institute for Justice documented the requirements to get a license for 102 lower-income occupations across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Read more about the research methods.
State Profiles
For its 2017 report License to Work, the Institute for Justice documented the requirements to get a license for 102 lower-income occupations across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Read more about the research methods.
Select A State
What is Occupational Licensing?
An “occupational license” is, put simply, government permission to work in a particular field. To earn the license, an aspiring worker must clear various hurdles, such as earning a certain amount of education or training or passing an exam. In the 1950s, only one in 20 U.S. workers needed the government’s permission to pursue their chosen occupation. Today, that figure stands at almost one in four.
Massage Therapist
License required in 44 states
59th most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations
22nd most heavily regulated occupation among moderate-income occupations
What They Do
Massage therapists perform therapeutic massages of soft tissue and joints. They may also assist in the assessment of range of motion and muscle strength or propose client therapy plans.Licensing
Forty-four states require a license to work as a massage therapist. On average, these laws require $372 in fees, 142 days in education and around one exam—the 59th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied. However, because most states license massage therapists, the occupation ranks as the 22nd most widely and onerously licensed.
License requirements are largely consistent across many states. Twenty-four states require 500 hours (about 117 days) of education, 34 states require one exam and 35 states set a minimum age of 18 years. However, there are some outliers. For example, Maine requires no education or experience, while Maryland requires over one and a half years (about 560 days, or 600 hours of massage therapy school and 60 hours of college credit). Fees also vary widely, from $140 in Hawaii to $805 in Alaska.
License to Work
The data and information here come from IJ’s License to Work report, released in November 2017.
States Ranked by Average Licensing Burden for 102 Lower-Income Occupations
More Burdensome Less Burdensom
Based on data released in November 2017| Burden Rank | State | States Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | 44 | $698 | 560 | 600 clock hours and 60 Credit Hours | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 2 | New York | 44 | $368 | 233 | 1000 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 | |
| 3 | Nebraska | 44 | $223 | 233 | 1000 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 19 | |
| 4 | Mississippi | 44 | $581 | 163 | 700 clock hours | 2 | 12 | 18 | |
| 5 | Ohio | 44 | $391 | 175 | 750 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 | |
| 6 | North Dakota | 44 | $345 | 175 | 750 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 | |
| 7 | New Hampshire | 44 | $305 | 175 | 750 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 | |
| 8 | Arizona | 44 | $412 | 163 | 700 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 | |
| 9 | New Mexico | 44 | $275 | 152 | 650 clock hours | 2 | 12 | 18 | |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 44 | $345 | 140 | 600 clock hours | 2 | 12 | 18 | |
| 11 | Oregon | 44 | $401 | 146 | 625 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 44 | $225 | 152 | 650 clock hours | 0 | 12 | 18 | |
| 13 | Alabama | 44 | $320 | 152 | 650 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 14 | Illinois | 44 | $370 | 140 | 600 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 15 | Kentucky | 44 | $320 | 140 | 600 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | 44 | $260 | 140 | 600 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 0 | |
| 17 | Utah | 44 | $295 | 140 | 600 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 18 | Arkansas | 44 | $375 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 2 | 12 | 18 | |
| 19 | Alaska | 44 | $805 | 117 | 4 clock hours and 500 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 20 | North Carolina | 44 | $405 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 | |
| 21 | South Carolina | 44 | $345 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 | |
| 22 | Montana | 44 | $335 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 | |
| 23 | Hawaii | 44 | $140 | 133 | 570 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 24 | Georgia | 44 | $320 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 | |
| 24 | Idaho | 44 | $320 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 | |
| 26 | South Dakota | 44 | $315 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 | |
| 27 | Texas | 44 | $346 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 28 | Washington | 44 | $336 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 29 | Nevada | 44 | $575 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 30 | Tennessee | 44 | $513 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 31 | D C | 44 | $457 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 32 | Delaware | 44 | $390 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 33 | Missouri | 44 | $365 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 34 | Florida | 44 | $350 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 35 | Michigan | 44 | $290 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 0 | |
| 36 | Virginia | 44 | $335 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 37 | Rhode Island | 44 | $295 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 38 | Connecticut | 44 | $575 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 39 | West Virginia | 44 | $545 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 40 | Louisiana | 44 | $421 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 41 | Iowa | 44 | $315 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 42 | Colorado | 44 | $315 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 43 | New Jersey | 44 | $176 | 117 | 500 clock hours | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 44 | Maine | 44 | $281 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 18 |