Acupuncturists Career, Salary and Skills
Acupuncturists have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $76,040 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 7,830. Wage data is published for 48 locations.
Occupation description
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.
O*NET code
29-1291.00
Job zone
5
Typical education
Master's Degree
Experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$76,040
Hourly median
$36.56
Employment
7,830
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Service Orientation | 3.75 | 3.38 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Speaking | 3.62 | 3.88 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.25 | 3.88 |
| Monitoring | 3.25 | 3.50 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Active Learning | 3.12 | 3.00 |
Typical tasks
- 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 and follow standard quality, safety, environmental, and infection control policies and procedures.
Technology
- AcuPartner Professional
- Electronic health record EHR software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft Word
- Miridia Technology AcuGraph
- Qchart
- Qpalm Acupuncture
- QPuncture II
- Trigram Software AcuBase Pro
Acupuncturists salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Acupuncturists Salary in CAMedian $75,530 · Employment 2,520
- Acupuncturists Salary in New York, NYMedian $100,550 · Employment 1,210
- Acupuncturists Salary in NYMedian $86,120 · Employment 1,160
- Acupuncturists Salary in FLMedian $69,990 · Employment 900
- Acupuncturists Salary in San Francisco, CAMedian $62,590 · Employment 450
- Acupuncturists Salary in Orlando, FLMedian $55,470 · Employment 380
- Acupuncturists Salary in ORMedian $64,870 · Employment 360
- Acupuncturists Salary in NCMedian $76,500 · Employment 320
- Acupuncturists Salary in San Diego, CAMedian $64,490 · Employment 300
- Acupuncturists Salary in Portland, ORMedian $67,210 · Employment 270
- Acupuncturists Salary in NJMedian $125,260 · Employment 240
- Acupuncturists Salary in MNMedian $69,690 · Employment 210
Related careers
- Physical TherapistsNational median $102,760
- NeurologistsNational median $248,560
- Pediatricians, GeneralNational median $210,040
- PsychiatristsNational median $281,870
- UrologistsNational median $265,930
- Ophthalmologists, Except PediatricNational median $300,080
- Obstetricians and GynecologistsNational median $292,910
- DermatologistsNational median $328,730
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.