A career in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine can be financially rewarding once you get a practice setup and well established. Earnings are related to the success of the practice and can be low during the first three to four years as it may take time to get established. Expect between one and four clients a day in the early stages, at about $50 a session.

In the early stages additional income from other employment may be required to cover living costs. Overheads and rental must be accounted for and may take the form of rent or a percentage of income. Once established, thirty to sixty clients a week is possible.
It is necessary to be very good at the job and self promotion, in order to compete successfully in areas where there are already a number of established acupuncture practices

Around 10,000 people in the US practice acupuncture. The majority are self-employed. They can set up practices anywhere in the US where there are enough patients to use their services. A few acupuncturists work alongside physicians, in hospitals, health centres or rehab facilities

Salary and other benefits:
These figures are only a guide, as actual rates of pay may vary,
depending on the employer and where people live.

An acupuncturist building a new practice may earn around $ 12,000 a year. Experienced acupuncturists with a number of regular patients may earn $ 20,000. Someone with a large, established practice may earn $40,000 - $100,000. Most acupuncturists are self-employed, so their income depends on the number of patients they see and the amount they charge for each session. This is usually between $30 and $80. Outgoings like rent, heating, lighting and transport will affect their income.

As acupuncture becomes more popular in the US, there has been a rise in numbers of people training as acupuncturists and there is a shortage of qualified practitioners in some areas. Most acupuncturists are self-employed and work from home or their own premises, or in multi-disciplinary complementary medical centres.