Melanoma is one of the most aggressive and deadly skin cancers and accounts for greater than 80% mortality in its advanced stages. The incidence of melanoma is increasing worldwide; however, beyond surgical removal of the tumor, there is currently no curative therapy available, especially for its advanced stages. This may in part be due to incomplete understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate melanoma initiation and/or progression to metastasis. The molecular mechanisms leading to melanoma development and progression are a focus of intense investigation, and many genetic/epigenetic alterations affecting melanoma progression and development have been identified. microRNAs (miRNA) are emerging as important causal modulators in melanoma development and progression. The understanding of miRNA-mediated regulation of tumors has grown immensely over the last several years, as they have been understood to regulate most biological processes. Here, we review the currently available data on miRNAs associated with melanoma, highlighting those deregulated miRNAs targeting important genes and pathways involved in the progression of melanocytes to primary and metastatic melanoma. We also review their potential clinical utility as biomarkers and their potential use in targeted therapy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.