List of professional designations in the United States
Many professional designations in the United States take the form of post-nominal letters. Certifications are usually awarded by professional societies or educational institutes. Obtaining a certificate is voluntary in some fields, but in others, certification from a government-accredited agency may be legally required to perform certain jobs or tasks.
Organizations in the United States involved in setting standards for certification include the American National Standards Institute and the Institute for Credentialing Excellence. Many certification organizations are members of the Association of Test Publishers.
Accounting and finance
Actuarial
Architecture, interior design, landscape architecture and planning
| Name | Post-nominal | Agency |
| Registered Architect | RA | state licensing board |
| Professional Landscape Architect | PLA | state licensing board |
| Professional Planner | PP | state licensing board |
| Registered Interior Designer | RID | state licensing board |
| National Council of Architectural Registration Boards Certified | NCARB | National Council of Architectural Registration Boards |
| National Council for Interior Design Qualification Certified | NCIDQ | National Council for Interior Design Qualification |
| Association of Licensed Architects Member | ALA | Association of Licensed Architects |
| Association of Licensed Architects Fellow | FALA | Association of Licensed Architects |
| American Institute of Architects Member | AIA | American Institute of Architects |
| American College of Healthcare Architects | ACHA | American College of Healthcare Architects |
| American College of Healthcare Architects Fellow | FACHA | American College of Healthcare Architects |
| American Institute of Architects Fellow | FAIA | American Institute of Architects |
| American Institute of Certified Planners | AICP | American Planning Association |
| American Society of Interior Designers Member | ASID | American Society of Interior Designers |
| American Society of Interior Designers Fellow | FASID | American Society of Interior Designers |
| Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture Member | CELA | Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture |
| Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture Fellow | FCELA | Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture |
| American Society of Landscape Architects Member | ASLA | American Society of Landscape Architects |
| American Society of Landscape Architects Fellow | FASLA | American Society of Landscape Architects |
| American Institute of Certified Planners Member | AICP | American Institute of Certified Planners |
| American Institute of Certified Planners Fellow | FAICP | American Institute of Certified Planners |
| Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional | LEED AP | U.S. Green Building Council |
| Construction Specification Institute Member | CSI | Construction Specifications Institute |
| Construction Document Technologist | CDT | Construction Specifications Institute |
| Certified Construction Contract Administrator | CCCA | Construction Specifications Institute |
| Certified Construction Specifier | CCS | Construction Specifications Institute |
| Certified Construction Product Representative | CCPR | Construction Specifications Institute |
| WELL Accredited Professional | WELL AP |
Association, credentialing, and not-for-profit management
Broadcast engineering
Communications
Contract management
Economics
Emergency management and public safety
Engineering
Genealogy
Geology, soil science, and other earth sciences
Geospatial and surveying
Government
Hospitality, tourism and recreation
Human resources professions
IT industry
Law
Additionally, many jurisdictions grant some or all judges the right to use postnomial letters, which they generally employ in lieu of "Esq." The most common is "J.", but more complex systems exist. For instance, in New Jersey, Judges of the New Jersey Superior Court are entitled to the postnomials "J.S.C.", except for the a Presiding Judges of the Family, Civil, Criminal, and General Equity Parts in a vicinage, a vicinage assignment judge, Appellate Division judges and the Presiding Judge of the Appellate Division. Justices of the Supreme Court of New Jersey are entitled to the simple postnomial "J.", except for the Chief Justice, who uses "C.J."Supply chain, logistics and transportation
Medicine and health care
| Name | Post-nominal | Agency |
| American Board of Professional Psychology | ABPP | Qualification beyond state licensure currently in 13 specialties, including clinical, school, and forensic psychology |
| Basic Life Support Instructor | BLS-I | Any credentialing organization that conforms to the recent International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation guidelines for Basic Life Support. |
| Certified Genetic Counselor | CGC | The American Board of Genetic Counseling is the credentialing organization for the genetic counseling profession in the United States and Canada. The ABGC certifies and recertifies qualified genetic counseling professionals. In this way, the work of the ABGC protects the public and promotes the ongoing growth and development of the genetic counseling profession. |
| Certified Nursing Assistant | CNA | Varies by state |
| Certified Health Education Specialist | CHES | National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. |
| Master Certified Health Education Specialist | MCHES | National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. |
| Master of Public Health | MPH | Accredited through the Council on Education for Public Health. Focuses on public health practice and includes health education and epidemiology. |
| Master of Health Informatics | MHI | Accredited through AMIA, a member of the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management. |
| Certified Director of Assisted Living | CDAL | Senior Living Certification Commission is a nonprofit corporation, autonomous from Argentum, with its own governing Board of Commissioners. SLCC offers a voluntary certification program for assisted living executive directors. |
| Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator | CHSE | Society for Simulation in Healthcare |
| Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator | CHSE-A | Society for Simulation in Healthcare |
| Certified Healthcare Simulation Operations Specialist | CHSOS | Society for Simulation in Healthcare |
| Certified HIPAA Privacy Associate | CHPA | Basic level certification for covered entities and business associates employees, interns, volunteers and others. |
| Certified HIPAA Privacy Expert | CHPE | Intermediate level certification for covered entities and business associates employees who need to validate their HIPAA Privacy knowledge. This certification is mainly for HR staff, privacy consultants and Privacy compliance team members. |
| Certified HIPAA Privacy Security Expert | CHPSE | Highest level of certification for covered entities and business associates HIPAA compliance officer who need to validate their HIPAA Privacy & Security knowledge. This certification is mainly for compliance staff, HIPAA consultants, HIPAA auditors and HIPAA Compliance officer. |
| Certified HIPAA Professional | CHP | |
| Certified Professional in Infection Control | CIC | |
| Certified Hospice and Palliative Licensed Nurse | CHPLN | must hold a current, unrestricted practical/vocational nurse license in the United States or its territories and must have hospice and palliative licensed practical/vocational nursing practice of 500 hours in the most recent 12 months or 1000 hours in the most recent 24 months prior to applying for the examination. |
| Certified HIPAA Security Expert | CHSE | Intermediate level certification for covered entities and business associates employees who need to validate their HIPAA Security knowledge. This certification is mainly for IT staff, security consultants and Security compliance team members. |
| Certified HIPAA Security Specialist | CHSS | |
| Certified Tissue Banking Specialist | CTBS | |
| Certified Veterinary Assistant | CVA | - |
| Certified Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse | CWOCN, CWCN, COCN, CCCN, or CWON | Must hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and complete WOC Education Program accredited by the WOCN Society. Certification must be re-established every five years. |
| Doctor of Veterinary Medicine | DVM | A professional doctoral degree for veterinarians |
| Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine | DACVIM | Veterinary Internal Medicine specialists who have completed a professional doctoral degree in veterinary medicine, completed a post-doctoral internship, and an accredited residency program. |
| Doctor of Chiropractic | DC | A professional doctoral degree for chiropractic physicians. |
| Doctor of Dental Surgery | D.D.S. or DDS | |
| Doctor of Psychology | Psy.D. or PsyD | A professional doctoral degree for clinical psychologists. Clinical psychologists who complete additional research as a component of their academic training are awarded a PhD in Psychology. Either of these degrees may be listed postnominally with ABPP to designate completion of board specialization beyond licensure. |
| Dentariae Medicinae Doctoris | D.M.D. or DMD | |
| Doctor of Medicine | M.D. or MD | |
| Doctor of Nursing Practice | DNP | A terminal professional degree that focuses on the clinical aspects of nursing rather than academic research. The curriculum for the DNP degree generally includes advanced practice, leadership, and application of clinical research. The DNP is intended primarily to prepare registered nurses to become advanced practice registered nurses. Advanced practice roles in nursing include the nurse practitioner, certified registered nurse anesthetist, certified nurse midwife, the clinical nurse specialist, and Nursing Administrators. |
| Doctor of Occupational Therapy | OTD | |
| Doctor of Optometry | OD | A professional doctoral degree for Optometrists |
| Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine | D.O. or DO | A professional doctoral degree for physicians in the United States. Holders of the DO degree are known as osteopathic physicians and have equivalent rights, privileges, and responsibilities as physicians with a Doctor of Medicine degree. Osteopathic medical school curricula closely mirror those of Doctor of Medicine M.D.-granting medical schools. However, osteopathic physicians also receive an additional 300 – 500 hours in the study of hands-on manual medicine and the body's musculoskeletal system integrated into the medical curriculum, which is referred to as osteopathic manipulative medicine. |
| Doctor of Physical Therapy | DPT | A professional doctoral degree for Physical Therapists |
| Doctor of Podiatric Medicine | D.P.M. | A Doctor of Podiatric Medicine is a physician that specializes in diagnosing and treating conditions of the foot, ankle, and related structures of the leg. DPMs are also known as podiatric physicians or surgeons. They complete four years of training in a podiatric medical school and three years of hospital residency training. This training is similar to that of other medical or osteopathic doctors but with an emphasized scope on foot, ankle, and lower extremity. |
| Emergency Medical Dispatcher | EMD | Certified through the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International, the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch, and PowerPhone, Inc. |
| National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences | NBC-HIS | The achievement of this designation represents the initiative to excel beyond the normal requirements for operating a hearing instrument dispensing practice. The designation, BC-HIS, distinguishes the Board Certificant's outstanding skills and professional expertise needed for completion of the National Competency Exam. |
| Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Responder | NREMR | All require passage of the National EMS Certification Exam-EMR, developed by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians |
| Emergency Medical Technician - Basic | EMT-B | All require passage of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians EMT-Basic Exam, developed by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians |
| Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician | NREMT | All require passage of the National EMS Certification Exam-EMT, developed by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians |
| Emergency Medical Technician – Intermediate/85 | EMT-I/85 | All require passage of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians EMT-Intermediate/85 Exam, developed by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians |
| Emergency Medical Technician – Intermediate/99 | EMT-I/99 | All require passage of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians EMT-Intermediate/99 Exam, developed by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians |
| Nationally Registered Advanced Emergency Medical Technician | NRAEMT | All require passage of the National EMS Certification Exam-Advanced EMT, developed by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians |
| Emergency Medical Technician - Paramedic | EMT-P | All require passage of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians EMT-Paramedic Exam, developed by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians |
| Nationally Registered Paramedic | NRP | All require passage of the National EMS Certification Exam-Paramedic, developed by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians |
| Board Certified Critical Care Paramedic | CCP-C | International Board of Specialty Certification |
| Board Certified Flight Paramedic | FP-C | International Board of Specialty Certification |
| Board Certified Community Paramedic | CP-C | International Board of Specialty Certification |
| Mobile Intensive Care Paramedic | MICP | MICPs are currently licensed by the Alaska State Medical Board |
| Licensed Paramedic | LP | Licensure by Texas Department of State Health All require passage of the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians- EMT-Paramedic or National EMS Certification Exam-Paramedic, developed by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians All require an associate degree in emergency medical services, a baccalaureate degree, or a postgraduate degree |
| Licensed Practical Nurse Licensed Vocational Nurse | LPN LVN | Licensure by individual state nursing boards All require passage of the National Council Licensure Examination-Practical Nurse, developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing |
| Registered Nurse | RN | Licensure by individual state nursing boards All require passage of the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse, developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing |
| Advanced Practice Nurse Advanced Practice Registered Nurse | APN APRN | Various |
| Certified Massage Therapist | CMT | Certification by individual state boards |
| Licensed Massage Therapist | LMT | Licensure by individual state boards Requires passing of NCETMB or MBLEx |
| Licensed Clinical Massage Therapist | LCMT | Licensure by individual state boards Requires passing of NCETMB or MBLEx Clinical education specialized for health care practice |
| Certified Traditional/Non-traditional Reiki Master | RM | Qualification can be given by certified Traditional/Non-traditional Reiki Masters for the capacity to teach and practice reiki |
| Licensed Midwife | LM | state or provincial licensing |
| Certified Midwife | CM | Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education American Midwifery Certification Board American College of Nurse-Midwives |
| Certified Professional Midwife | CPM | North American Registry of Midwives |
| Certified Nurse-Midwife | CNM | Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education American Midwifery Certification Board American College of Nurse-Midwives |
| Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist | CRNA | American Association of Nurse Anesthetists Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs AANA Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists AANA Council on Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists |
| Nurse Practitioner | NP | State licensure |
| Marine Physician Assistant | MPA | Federal Certificate of Registry U.S.C.G. |
| Music Therapist- Board Certified | MT-BC | |
| Occupational Therapist | OT | State licensure |
| Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant | COTA | State licensure |
| Physician Assistant | PA-C | National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants |
| Registered Veterinary Technician | RVT | - |
| Physical Therapist | PT | State licensure |
| Physical Therapy Assistant | PTA | State licensure |
| Certified in Public Health | CPH | National Board of Public Health Examiners |
| Medical Laboratory Scientist | MLS | American Society for Clinical Pathology |
| Medical Technologist | MT | State Licensure, American Medical Technologists |
| Medical Laboratory Technician | MLT | State Licensure, American Society for Clinical Pathology, American Medical Technologists |
| Licensed Professional Counselor | LPC or LCPC | State licensure |
| Licensed Associate Counselor | LAC | State licensure |
| Licensed Master Social Worker | LMSW | State licensure |
| Licensed Clinical Social Worker | LCSW | State licensure |
| Traumatic Event Manager | TEM | Military Certification |
| Licensed Veterinary Technician | LVT | |
| Qualified Clinical Social Worker | QCSW | National Association of Social Workers |
| Certified Tissue Bank Specialist | CTBS | American Association of Tissue Banks |
| Certified Hypnotherapist | CHt | |
| Certified Handwriting Analyst | CHA | |
| Certified Advanced Handwriting Analyst | CAHA | |
| National Board Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist | NBCCH | National Board for Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists |
| National Board Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist in Public Service | NBCCH-PS | National Board for Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists |
| National Board Certified Diplomate in Clinical Hypnotherapy | NBCDCH | National Board for Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists |
| National Board Certified Diplomate in Clinical Hypnotherapy in Public Service | NBCDCH-PS | National Board for Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists |
| National Board Certified Fellow in Clinical Hypnotherapy | NBCFCH | National Board for Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists |
| National Board Certified Fellow in Clinical Hypnotherapy in Public Service | NBCFCH-PS | National Board for Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists |
| Licensed Acupuncturist | L.Ac. | State licensure |
| Diplomate in Acupuncture | Dipl.Ac. | National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine |
| Diplomate in Oriental Medicine | Dipl.O.M. | National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine |
| Diplomate of the American Board of Family Medicine | DABFM | American Board of Family Medicine |
| Diplomate of the American Board of Venous & Lymphatic Medicine | DABVLM | |
| Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians | FAAFP | American Academy of Family Physicians |
| Fellow of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition | FASPEN | American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition |
| American Geriatrics Society Fellow | AGSF | American Geriatrics Society |
| Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology | FAAN | American Academy of Neurology |
| Fellow of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists | FASHP | American Society of Health-System Pharmacists |
| Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians | FACEP | American College of Emergency Physicians |
| Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association | FAsMA | Aerospace Medical Association |
| Associate Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association | AFAsMA | Aerospace Medical Association |
| Certified Aerospace Physiologist | CAsP | Aerospace Medical Association |
| Aviation Medical Examiner | AME | Federal Aviation Administration |
| Senior Aviation Medical Examiner | SAME | Federal Aviation Administration |
| Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics | FAAP | American Academy of Pediatrics |
| Fellow of the American College of Cardiology | FACC | American College of Cardiology |
| Fellow of the American College of Dentists | FACD | American College of Dentists |
| Fellow of the American College of Endocrinology | FACE | American College of Endocrinology |
| Fellow of the American College of Physicians | FACP | American College of Physicians |
| Fellow of the American Vein & Lymphatic Society | FACPh | |
| Fellow of the American College of Surgeons | FACS | American College of Surgeons |
| Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians | FACOFP | American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians |
| Fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists | FACOG | American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists |
| Fellow of the Health Advocacy and Medical Exploration Society | FHAMES | Post-nominal title granted by the and sponsored by one of six councils representing personal and professional exemplary dedication and service to healthcare, medicine, science, legislation, or advocacy. |
| Doctor of Pharmacy | PharmD | Colleges of pharmacy |
| Certified Pharmacy Technician | CPhT | Pharmacy Technician Certification Board |
| Registered Pharmacist | R.Ph. or RPh | State boards of pharmacy |
| Registered Respiratory Therapist | RRT | National Board for Respiratory Care |
| Registered Respiratory Therapist, Neonatal & Pediatric Specialist | RRT-NPS | National Board for Respiratory Care |
| Registered Respiratory Therapist, Sleep Disorder Specialist | RRT-SDS | National Board for Respiratory Care |
| Registered Respiratory Therapist, Adult Critical Care Specialist | RRT-ACCS | National Board for Respiratory Care |
| Respiratory practitioner | RP, RCP | State Boards of Respiratory Care |
| Certified Respiratory Therapy Technician | CRTT | National Board for Respiratory Care |
| Certified Respiratory Therapist | CRT | National Board for Respiratory Care |
| Certified Phlebotomy Technician | CPT | National Healthcareer Association |
| Certified Personal Trainer | CPT | Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, National Academy of Sports Medicine, American Council on Exercise, National Strength & Conditioning Association |
| Certified Athletic trainer | ATC | Board of Certification, Inc. May be restricted by state licensure. |
| Certified Medical Assistant | CMA | American Association of Medical Assistants |
| Nutrition and Dietetics Technician, Registered | NDTR, DTR | |
| Registered Dental Hygienist | RDH | A licensed dental professional who specializes in preventive oral healthcare Requirements: Graduation from an accredited dental hygiene program; Successful completion of the written National Board Dental Hygiene Examination; Successful completion of a regional or state clinical board examination |
| Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist | RD, RDN | |
| Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | RDMS | American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography |
| Registered Vascular Technologist | RVT | American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography |
| Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer | RDCS | American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography |
| Registered Musculoskeletal Sonographer | RMSKS | American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography |