Acupuncturists
Diagnose, treat, and prevent disorders by stimulating specific acupuncture points within the body using acupuncture needles. May also use cups, nutritional supplements, therapeutic massage, acupressure, and other alternative health therapies.
Also called: Acupuncture Doctor · Acupuncture Physician · Acupuncture Provider · Acupuncturist · Chinese Medical Doctor (Chinese MD) · Chinese Medicine Doctor
Median pay (national)
$78,140
$41,840–$158,540 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
8,440
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+6.8%
~900 openings/yr
Typical entry
Master's degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for acupuncturists shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $158,540 versus $41,840 at the bottom 10% — 3.8x. The median of $78,140 leaves roughly 103% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +6.8% from 2024 to 2034 — faster than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 900 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 24 states with released data, Florida pays the most for this role (median $183,530, +135% vs the national median), while Idaho sits lowest at $37,430 — a 390% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Speaking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Monitoring
- Writing
- Active Learning
- Learning Strategies
- Science
- Mathematics
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Maintain and follow standard quality, safety, environmental, and infection control policies and procedures.
- Treat patients using tools, such as needles, cups, ear balls, seeds, pellets, or nutritional supplements.
- Adhere to local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and statutes.
- Identify correct anatomical and proportional point locations based on patients' anatomy and positions, contraindications, and precautions related to treatments, such as intradermal needles, moxibustion, electricity, guasha, or bleeding.
- Develop individual treatment plans and strategies.
- Insert needles to provide acupuncture treatment.
- Evaluate treatment outcomes and recommend new or altered treatments as necessary to further promote, restore, or maintain health.
- Collect medical histories and general health and lifestyle information from patients.
- Maintain detailed and complete records of health care plans and prognoses.
- Educate patients on topics, such as meditation, ergonomics, stretching, exercise, nutrition, the healing process, breathing, or relaxation techniques.
Tools & technology
- Microsoft Windows
- AcuPartner Professional
- Electronic health record EHR software
- Miridia Technology AcuGraph
- Qchart
- Qpalm Acupuncture
- QPuncture II
- Trigram Software AcuBase Pro
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Word
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Psychology
- Biology
- English Language
- Administrative
- Therapy and Counseling
- Administration and Management