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Acupuncturist: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 26, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$76,040median pay per year, or $36.56 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $38,830lowest 10% earn less
  2. $55,38025th percentile
  3. $76,040median
  4. $102,28075th percentile
  5. $161,470top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[4]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[2]

The median acupuncturist earned $76,040 a year in May 2025, above the $50,980 median for all occupations[1][2]. Jobs are projected to grow 8.6% from 2025 to 2035[3].

Job growth, 2025–35
+8.6%[3]
Openings per year
800[5]
Typical entry education
Master's degree[6]

How much do acupuncturists make?

The median wage for acupuncturists was $76,040 a year, or $36.56 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. The average was $87,020 a year, or $41.84 an hour[7]. For comparison, the median for all occupations was $50,980[2].

Pay spreads out a lot from the bottom to the top.

Measure Annual Hourly
Lowest-paid 10% earned less than[4][8] $38,830 $18.67
Lowest-paid 25% earned less than[4][8] $55,380 $26.63
Median[1] $76,040 $36.56
Highest-paid 25% earned more than[4][8] $102,280 $49.17
Highest-paid 10% earned more than[4][8] $161,470 $77.63

A percentile is a boundary. BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[9]. These figures cover wage and salary workers only. They leave out the self-employed, bonuses and the cost of benefits[10]. That matters here, because 46.2% of acupuncturists were self-employed in 2025[11].

Pay by state and city

Among the 24 states with published data, Tennessee listed the highest median wage at $141,430, followed by New Jersey at $125,260 and Indiana at $120,490[12]. Some states rest on small job counts. Indiana, for example, had 30 jobs[12]. At the bottom of the list were Utah at $58,620 and Colorado at $56,950[12].

The most jobs were in California (2,520), New York (1,160) and Florida (900)[13]. California's median was $75,530 and New York's was $86,120[12].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area had the highest median at $100,920, then the New York-Newark-Jersey City area at $100,550[14]. The New York area had the most jobs, at 1,210[15].

Show median pay in 24 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
Tennessee[12]$141,430n/a
New Jersey$125,260240
Indiana$120,49030
Maryland$101,650n/a
Massachusetts$93,360n/a
Missouri$89,000n/a
New York$86,1201,160
Arizona$85,30070
Kentucky$85,13060
Wisconsin$84,820170
Washington$83,200n/a
Maine$83,040n/a
New Hampshire$77,470n/a
North Carolina$76,500320
California$75,5302,520
Georgia$73,980140
Florida$69,990900
Minnesota$69,690210
Texas$66,530n/a
Michigan$65,490n/a
Oregon$64,870360
Hawaii$64,570n/a
Utah$58,620n/a
Colorado$56,950n/a

How to become an acupuncturist

BLS lists the typical path into this job like this[6]:

In an O*NET survey of 28 workers, 68% said a master's degree is required[16]. Another 14% said a doctoral degree, 7% a post-secondary certificate and 7% a first professional degree[16]. Because the survey is small, treat these shares as a rough picture only.

O*NET places the job in Job Zone Five, which it describes as needing extensive preparation[17].

What acupuncturists do

Acupuncturists treat and try to prevent health problems by placing needles at specific points on the body. Some also use cups, supplements, massage and acupressure[18]. Typical tasks include[19]:

Job outlook

BLS projects acupuncturist employment to grow 8.6% from 2025 to 2035, from about 14,800 to 16,000 jobs[3]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5%[20]. These counts include self-employed workers[3].

About 800 openings a year are projected on average[5]. Openings include jobs that open when people retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs[5]. Each year, 3.2% of workers leave the labor force and 1% move to a different occupation[21].

The 14,800 figure is larger than the 7,830 wage and salary jobs counted in the wage data[22]. The two numbers measure different things.

Is it a good fit?

The facts show pay above the all-occupations median, with a wide range from low to high[1][2][4]. Entry typically takes a master's degree[6]. Growth is projected to be faster than the all-occupations rate[3][20]. Nearly half of acupuncturists were self-employed, so readers will want to look beyond wage data when thinking about income[11][10]. Our data does not cover training costs, program length or licensing, so check those locally before deciding.

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[23].

Frequently asked questions

How much does an acupuncturist make an hour?
The median was $36.56 an hour in May 2025[1]. The average was $41.84 an hour[7].
What degree do you need to be an acupuncturist?
BLS lists a master's degree as the typical entry education[6]. In an O*NET survey of 28 workers, 68% named a master's degree[16].
Is acupuncturist in demand?
BLS projects 8.6% growth from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 800 openings a year[3][20][5].
What is the highest paying state for acupuncturists?
Tennessee had the highest median wage, $141,430, followed by New Jersey at $125,260[12].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Acupuncturists in the US was $76,040 per year and $36.56 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Acupuncturists is projected to grow 8.6% from 2025 to 2035, from about 14,800 to 16,000 jobs (a change of +1,300). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Acupuncturists: 10th percentile $38,830, 25th percentile $55,380, 75th percentile $102,280, 90th percentile $161,470. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 800 openings for Acupuncturists are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Acupuncturists: education needed for entry: Master's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Acupuncturists was $87,020 per year and $41.84 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Acupuncturists: 10th percentile $18.67, 25th percentile $26.63, 75th percentile $49.17, 90th percentile $77.63. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS Employment Projections: 46.2% of Acupuncturists were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  12. Median annual wage for Acupuncturists in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Acupuncturists jobs: California 2,520; New York 1,160; Florida 900; Oregon 360; North Carolina 320. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Acupuncturists (areas with at least 100 jobs): Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $100,920; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $100,550; Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $74,860; Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $67,210; San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $64,490; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $62,590; Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL $55,470. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Acupuncturists jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 1,210 (median $100,550); San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 450 (median $62,590); Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 380 (median $55,470); San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 300 (median $64,490); Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 270 (median $67,210); Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 160 (median $100,920). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. O*NET 29-1291.00 survey of workers (28 respondents), education level they say is required: Master's Degree 68%, Doctoral Degree 14%, Post-Secondary Certificate 7%, First Professional Degree 7% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  17. O*NET 29-1291.00: Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed. Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job. O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET description of Acupuncturists. O*NET OnLine
  19. O*NET task list for Acupuncturists. O*NET OnLine
  20. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  21. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Acupuncturists: 3.2% of workers leave the labor force each year and 1% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  22. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 7,830 people were employed as Acupuncturists in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  23. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.