Acupuncture Schools – How Much Do Acupuncturists Make

How much do acupuncturists make is one of the first thoughts that come to mind when considering acupuncture as a profession. How much an acupuncturist makes today is substantially more than when people first started practicing in this field. Chinese acupuncture is now a widely accepted natural treatment. Many medical doctors, both conventional and alternative, including naturopaths, have incorporated it into their own practices and clinics.

The amount you make as an acupuncturist will first depend on whether you plan to work for yourself by opening your own office or clinic or whether you plan to work under someone else such as a doctor or specialist. If working for someone else you’ll be paid a salary and won’t have the overhead you’ll have if you set up your practice in your own space. Now you can keep expenses down if you’re sharing space with someone else or sub-letting space or find other ways to reduce the costs. In that case you may make more than if you were to work for someone else for a salary.

If you work for someone else you can plan to make anywhere from $44,000 to $67,000 per year depending on your experience. And certainly you would probably want to work for someone else for awhile after you’ve received your education and necessary licenses, if required in your state, just to get some hands-on experience and learn how the practice is run. Other factors depend on the type of practice you would be working in, how much education you have and of course how long you’ve been working as an acupuncturist if you’re not a new graduate.

Parts of the country can vary quite a bit in the salary range. For example in Houston, Texas you may make as little as $34,000 but in Los Angeles, California $63,000 per year. Florida, Massachusetts and Oregon fall in the mid-range and New York on the higher end just below California.

So it’ll depend a lot on where you plan to practice. You may want to call around and find out what alternative and conventional clinics are paying in terms of salary. With the right education you should have no problem getting a job and making acupuncture your career.

You want to make sure and pick an accredited acupuncture school because you may not be able to get a job if you’ve received your education from a school that isn’t accredited. So make sure you choose an accredited school if you plan to go.

So you can see that how much an acupuncturist makes is dependent on several factors. Also know there is plenty of money available, both federal and otherwise, to go to school. Plus there is plenty of money available for online courses as well. So make sure to check this out before you proceed to save yourself a lot of money. Grants and scholarships are available also. You may be able to get at least part of your education free.