Healthcare practitioners
Acupuncturist
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.
Median pay
$76,040
Growth to 2035
+9%
faster than average
Openings a year
800
Time to qualify*
2 years
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Acupuncturist
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Exposure to disease
Acupuncturist: 4% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- 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.
Also called: Acupuncture Doctor · Acupuncture Physician · Acupuncture Provider · Acupuncturist · Chinese Medical Doctor (Chinese MD) · Chinese Medicine Doctor · Herbalist · Licensed Acupuncturist (LAC)
Outlook and AI
Acupuncturists held 14,800 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 16,000 by 2035 (+9%, faster than average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Acupuncturist vs. Healthcare diagnosing or treating practitioners, all other
- Acupuncturist vs. Chiropractor
- Acupuncturist vs. Massage therapist
- Acupuncturist vs. Cardiologist
- Acupuncturist vs. General internal medicine physician
- Acupuncturist vs. Physician (other specialties)
- Acupuncturist vs. Nurse practitioner
- Acupuncturist vs. Family doctor
- Acupuncturist vs. Emergency medicine physician