By: Natural Healers Staff

Updated: February 2, 2026

Home / Blog / Neuro Linguistic Programming Training (NLP)

Neuro-Linguistic Programming Training (NLP)

neuro linguistic programming training

Developed in the early 1970s, neurolinguistic programming (NLP) is based on the premises that behavior has structure and that the words we use reflect our subconscious perception of our problems. In other words, our attitudes toward past experiences directly affect how we behave today and in the future.

Through careful analysis and close attention to the verbal and body language that patients use, neurolinguistic therapists help patients remodel their thoughts and mental associations.

In turn, patients can overturn their preconceived notions or attitudes toward their problems and achieve success in areas of their lives that they’d struggled with in the past.

Career Overview

As a form of psychotherapy, neurolinguistic programming involves one-on-one sessions with patients where practitioners listen carefully not only to what patients say but the precise words and phrases they use.

Facial expressions, posture, body movements—neurolinguistic therapists scrutinize these signs and more to determine the root causes of the problems in a patient’s perceptions.

In terms of natural health care, neurolinguistic programming can be used to help patients suffering from a range of health conditions, including chronic pain, heart conditions and cancer.

NLP therapists look at how people see themselves and their attitudes toward illness, which directly impacts the body’s self-healing ability. Helping patients see their condition in a different light can induce self-healing and reverse what they’d perceived as a hopeless situation.

Learn how neurolinguistic programming is related to hypnotherapy.

Training and Education

What You’ll Study in Neurolinguistic Programming School

You can learn neurolinguistic programming in advanced training seminars available through NLP training schools. Although classes will vary from school to school, you can expect NLP training course work to cover the following:

  • History and origins of NLP
  • Subjective experience
  • Understanding how the brain learns
  • Association/dissociation
  • NLP communication model
  • Changing personal history
  • Perceptual positions

Average Length of Study

Depending on the program, you can learn neurolinguistic programming in one to two weeks of seminar time. Some schools may offer different levels of NLP training for advanced practitioners and life coaches looking to learn specialized neurolinguistic programming skills.

Average Tuition

Tuition for neurolinguistic programming school ranges from $2,500 to $6,000 per one- to two-week seminars. Schools typically offer seminars through the course of the year and in different regions of the country to allow students to learn neurolinguistic programming on a more flexible schedule.

Neurolinguistic Programming Certification

Certification in neurolinguistic programming is available through seminar programs, several of which offer certification in both NLP and life coaching.

Career Outlook

Under the category of mental health counselors, the closest match for NLP professionals (and even life coaches), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) current Occupational Outlook Handbook shows a much faster than average job growth rate (16.8% through 2034, much faster than the 5% job growth rate for all careers).

The public’s increased emphasis on mental health and finding natural healing alternatives to conventional medicine will be the main contributing factors to the increase in employment for this job category.

Neurolinguistic Programming Salary

NLPs are part of the larger field of mental health counselors. If you practice NLP as a psychologist, your annual salary may be more. You can research salaries and job growth by state or nationally here:

Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors

National data

Median Salary: $59,190

Projected job growth: 16.8%

10th Percentile: $39,090

25th Percentile: $47,170

75th Percentile: $76,230

90th Percentile: $98,210

Projected job growth: 16.8%

State data

State Median Salary Bottom 10% Top 10%
Alabama $48,880 $35,940 $73,050
Alaska $79,220 $52,790 $129,990
Arizona $63,830 $42,130 $95,860
Arkansas $49,990 $31,600 $102,400
California $61,310 $44,190 $118,970
Colorado $59,190 $40,570 $98,030
Connecticut $62,960 $43,030 $98,660
Delaware $49,680 $38,960 $78,510
District of Columbia $66,140 $44,210 $101,130
Florida $56,830 $38,790 $83,330
Georgia $55,320 $39,020 $93,200
Hawaii $54,390 $48,910 $158,310
Idaho $65,240 $43,550 $85,960
Illinois $59,570 $42,500 $107,630
Indiana $49,280 $36,650 $78,920
Iowa $60,880 $43,840 $89,840
Kansas $57,760 $36,710 $80,720
Kentucky $51,790 $33,970 $89,690
Louisiana $40,200 $29,170 $66,560
Maine $60,970 $43,810 $93,070
Maryland $57,820 $41,160 $97,050
Massachusetts $59,030 $43,220 $91,260
Michigan $59,530 $37,200 $89,170
Minnesota $58,720 $45,210 $75,530
Mississippi $46,810 $32,590 $78,480
Missouri $56,640 $35,630 $80,160
Montana $58,660 $32,930 $80,870
Nebraska $64,410 $37,660 $100,090
Nevada $59,470 $43,490 $92,440
New Hampshire $58,520 $39,520 $85,800
New Jersey $64,710 $40,680 $118,320
New Mexico $70,770 $47,910 $92,520
New York $62,070 $43,160 $101,910
North Carolina $56,470 $38,440 $83,790
North Dakota $66,450 $42,520 $86,550
Ohio $56,990 $39,210 $83,200
Oklahoma $58,610 $33,860 $94,980
Oregon $69,660 $48,570 $103,380
Pennsylvania $58,320 $38,760 $87,540
Rhode Island $49,770 $38,990 $90,350
South Carolina $50,720 $34,730 $84,190
South Dakota $53,400 $40,410 $74,250
Tennessee $48,170 $30,890 $75,240
Texas $60,630 $38,720 $96,260
Utah $65,920 $34,560 $111,470
Vermont $60,410 $45,960 $80,480
Virginia $58,410 $39,150 $96,230
Washington $64,220 $45,450 $100,210
West Virginia $46,710 $32,000 $77,260
Wisconsin $62,470 $44,660 $98,290
Wyoming $61,640 $36,110 $102,550

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2024 median salary; projected job growth through 2034. Actual salaries vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.

NLP practitioners who are self-employed enjoy a higher degree of flexibility but also must account for the costs to operate their business.

Is a Neurolinguistic Programming Career Right for You?

A career in neurolinguistic programming requires advanced training in language, brain processes and communication. Earning a living as a neurolinguistic therapist takes compassion, understanding and the ability to market your practice in order to continue to build a client base.

If you want to learn neurolinguistic programming, take a closer look at NLP training courses. Then choose the neurolinguistic programming school that meets your personal and professional needs.

Sources: Global NLP Training, Holisticonline.com, Neurolisticprogramming.com, NLPTraining.com