Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 55,700 people employed as acupuncturists in the United States. The median annual salary is $82,400. Entry level employees earn approximately $43,200 per year and senior employees earn approximately $160,990 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime pay, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• Apply moxibustion directly or indirectly to patients using Chinese, non-scarring, stick, or pole moxa.
• Treat patients using tools, such as needles, cups, ear balls, seeds, pellets, or nutritional supplements.
• Analyze physical findings and medical histories to make diagnoses according to Oriental medicine traditions.
• Develop individual treatment plans and strategies.
• Adhere to local, state, and federal laws, regulations, and statutes.
• Insert needles to provide acupuncture treatment.
• 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.
• Collect medical histories and general health and lifestyle information from patients.
• Maintain and follow standard quality, safety, environmental, and infection control policies and procedures.
• Educate patients on topics, such as meditation, ergonomics, stretching, exercise, nutrition, the healing process, breathing, or relaxation techniques.
• Dispense herbal formulas and inform patients of dosages and frequencies, treatment duration, possible side effects, and drug interactions.
• Maintain detailed and complete records of health care plans and prognoses.
• Assess patients' general physical appearance to make diagnoses.
• Formulate herbal preparations to treat conditions considering herbal properties, such as taste, toxicity, effects of preparation, contraindications, and incompatibilities.
• Apply heat or cold therapy to patients using materials, such as heat pads, hydrocollator packs, warm compresses, cold compresses, heat lamps, or vapor coolants.
• Consider Western medical procedures in health assessment, health care team communication, and care referrals.
• Evaluate treatment outcomes and recommend new or altered treatments as necessary to further promote, restore, or maintain health.
• Treat medical conditions, using techniques such as acupressure, shiatsu, or tuina.

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