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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.
Other titles employers use
Acupuncture Doctor · Acupuncture Physician · Acupuncture Provider · Acupuncturist · Chinese Medical Doctor (Chinese MD) · Chinese Medicine Doctor · Herbalist · Licensed Acupuncturist (LAC)
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- 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.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, analytical and practical work.
- Analytical
- Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
- Practical
- Building, repairing, using tools, or working outdoors
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Service Orientation
- Speaking
- Judgment and Decision Making
Subjects to know
- Customer and Personal Service
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Psychology
- Biology
- English Language
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Problem Sensitivity
- Deductive Reasoning
- Near Vision
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 4.9 | Arm’s length or closer, most of the day |
| On your feet | 3.8 | Up and down through the day |
| Talking face to face | 4.7 | Continuous — the job is conversations |
| Working with your hands | 4.5 | Handling tools, instruments or materials |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a master's degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A master's degree 68%
- A doctorate or professional degree 21%
- A certificate or some college 7%
- A four-year degree 4%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
- Operating system software
- Word processing software
- Medical software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 8,800
- Job openings each year
- 610
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 15.8%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 8,800 | 610 | 15.8% |
| Texas | 2,460 | 170 | 16.6% |
| New Jersey | 1,150 | 80 | 10.6% |
| Oregon | 1,120 | 80 | 10.9% |
| Colorado | 750 | 50 | 13.6% |
| Minnesota | 600 | 40 | 3.4% |
| North Carolina | 600 | 40 | 13.2% |
| Arizona | 590 | 40 | 13.5% |
| Maryland | 530 | 40 | 8.2% |
| Rhode Island | 530 | 40 | 8.2% |
| Maine | 430 | 30 | — |
| Indiana | 360 | 20 | 5.9% |
| Tennessee | 330 | 20 | 13.8% |
| Wisconsin | 260 | 20 | 4.0% |
| Alabama | 250 | 20 | 4.2% |
| South Carolina | 170 | 10 | 21.4% |
| Pennsylvania | 160 | 10 | 6.7% |
| Vermont | 160 | 10 | 6.7% |
| Nebraska | 40 | 0 | 33.3% |
| North Dakota | 30 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Metropolitan State University of Denver
- Degrees each year
- 29
- Admit rate
- 99%
- Annual cost after aid
- $15,000
Program entryOpen major
Open college NEUniversity of Nebraska at Omaha
- Degrees each year
- 23
- Admit rate
- 87%
- Annual cost after aid
- $12,000
Program entryOpen major
Open collegeCompare every college offering alternative and complementary medicine and medical systems