Become a Nurse in Massachusetts: Education, Licensure, Requirements

There are many paths to become a nurse in MA. The path you take will largely depend on the type of nurse you’d like to become and your current or prospective level of education. The higher your education level, the more options you’ll have to choose where and how to pursue your career in nursing.

Different states may have different nursing license requirements. The following guide covers general Massachusetts nursing license requirements, education requirements, Massachusetts nursing salaries and more.

Nursing requirements change rapidly. Be sure to confirm licensing requirements with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing before applying for licensure.

Steps to Become a Nurse in Massachusetts

While the requirements for becoming a nurse in MA vary depending on the specific field of nursing, the general steps are about the same. If you need more information about nursing in Massachusetts and how to begin this career, the following steps may help you learn more about the basic requirements.

Complete Minimum Education Requirements

The degree you’ll need depends on the type of nursing career you’re planning to pursue. RN and LPN applicants must graduate from an applicable Board-approved nursing program, while APRN authorization requires graduate-level nursing education and the certification appropriate to the specialty. Many APRNs complete a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree program, and online MSN programs are also available.

^{Graduate-degree requirements shown above reflect current Massachusetts regulations governing advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) categories.}

Pass Exam and Get a Nursing License in MA

To practice nursing in Massachusetts, RN applicants must pass the NCLEX-RN exam, and LPN applicants must pass the NCLEX-PN exam. APRN authorization follows the separate APRN education and certification pathway described later on this page. Refer to the state’s Bureau of Health Professions Licensure for information about the nursing license requirements.

Maintain and Renew Licensure in MA

To maintain a nursing license in Massachusetts, you must renew it every two years. RN and APRN licenses expire on your birthday in even-numbered years, while LPN licenses expire on your birthday in odd-numbered years. The Massachusetts license renewal fee is $120 for an RN or LPN license and $180 for those with advanced practice licenses. The Massachusetts RN/LPN license application-by-exam fee is currently $230.

All Massachusetts nurses must also complete 15 contact hours of continuing education within the two years before their license renews, regardless of license type — except for a nurse’s first renewal, which has no CE requirement.

The following nurse licensure information for Massachusetts was retrieved from Mass.gov.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in Massachusetts

Education: Master’s degree or higher from an APRN program accredited by a board-recognized national certification body

Examination: Varies with certification

Fees:

• $150 application fee
• Certification examination fee (varies for different certifications)

Certification Required:

• Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) from the National Board on Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA)
• Clinical Nurse Specialist from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
• Certified Nurse Midwife from American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB)
• Nurse Practitioner from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), ANCC, National Certification Corporation (NCC), Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB) or the American Association of Critical Care Nurses Certification Corporation (AACN)
• Psychiatric Nurse Mental Health Clinical Specialist from the ANCC

Endorsement: Available through verification by the board of nursing, subject to a verification fee. Contact the board of nursing in the state where the original license was held to determine the verification fee.

Additional Information: An active registered nurse license is required for application. Enrollment in MassHealth is mandatory for all Massachusetts APRNs.

Renewal: Renewal fees are $180 per renewal period.

Learn more about how to become an advanced practice registered nurse.

Registered Nurse (RN) in Massachusetts

Education: Completion of a board-approved registered nurse program

Examination: NCLEX-RN

Fees:

• $230 application fee
• $200 examination fee

Endorsement: Individuals with an equivalent licensure in another state may apply for licensure through endorsement, subject to a $275 application fee and a $30 license verification fee per license.

Renewal: Renewal fees are $120 per renewal period.

Learn more about how to become a registered nurse.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in Massachusetts

Education: Completion of an approved licensed practical nurse program

Examination: NCLEX-PN

Fees:

• $230 application fee
• $200 examination fee

Endorsement: Individuals with an equivalent licensure in another state may apply for licensure through endorsement, subject to a $275 application fee and a $30 license verification fee per license.

Renewal: Renewal fees are $120 per renewal period.

Learn more about how to become a licensed practical nurse.

Massachusetts Nursing Salaries and Job Growth

For every nursing career covered on this page, the median annual salary in Massachusetts is higher than the U.S. median for that occupation. The gap is widest for nurse anesthetists, both in dollar terms and as a percentage of the national median.

^{The nursing salary figures above were retrieved from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program (May 2025 release; U.S., Massachusetts statewide, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, Providence-Warwick, and Springfield figures accessed September 2026). Leominster-Gardner and New Bedford figures reflect the most recently available published data for those areas (2020 estimates, originally accessed November 2022); BLS has not published current data specifically for those two areas as of this update. Job-growth figures are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook: Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses, and Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives, and Nurse Practitioners (2025–2035 projections, pages updated August 27, 2026). The Handbook publishes national projections only and does not track clinical nurse specialists as a separate occupation.}

Projected Nursing Job Growth

Nationally, nurse practitioners have by far the fastest projected job growth among nursing careers, while licensed practical nurses have the slowest.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN): 3% projected growth, 2025–2035 (about as fast as the average for all occupations)

Registered Nurse (RN): 6% projected growth, 2025–2035 (faster than the average for all occupations)

Nurse Practitioner (NP): 41% projected growth, 2025–2035 (much faster than the average for all occupations)

Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS): The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish a separate employment projection for this specialty; clinical nurse specialists are covered nationally within the broader registered nurse occupational category.

Nurse Anesthetist: 10% projected growth, 2025–2035 (faster than the average for all occupations)

Nurse Midwife: 11% projected growth, 2025–2035 (faster than the average for all occupations)

^{These are national projections. A Massachusetts-specific projection could not be sourced from an approved authority for this update.}

Compact State Status

The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) status enables nurses who hold one license to practice in multiple states. This can be especially important for traveling nurses who want to work across state lines and become a nurse in MA.

As of September 2026, Massachusetts is not yet a Nurse Licensure Compact member state, but the Commonwealth’s participation is now underway rather than merely proposed. Massachusetts signed NLC-enabling legislation into law in November 2024, and the Board of Registration in Nursing has since received conditional federal approval for the background-check infrastructure the compact requires. Full implementation is targeted for May 2027.

Until then, nurses should continue to follow Massachusetts’s standard licensing process. Dozens of other states and U.S. territories already participate in the NLC. Once Massachusetts joins, eligibility for a multi-state license will require declaring an NLC state as your legal residence.

Prescriptive Authority in Massachusetts

According to the Massachusetts Board of Registered Nursing Regulation 244 CMR 4.00, some advanced practice registered nurses are eligible to engage in prescriptive practice with specific conditions set by the state.

If you want to become a nurse in Massachusetts, it’s important to become familiar with education and licensure requirements. Below, we address some commonly asked questions regarding nursing in Massachusetts.