Average Acupuncturists Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Acupuncturists is $76,040 per year. The middle 50% earn between $55,380 and $102,280, with 7,830 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 24 states and 26 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Acupuncturists pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $38,830
- 25th
- $55,380
- Median
- $76,040
- 75th
- $102,280
- 90th
- $161,470
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Pay is well above the national median for all US workers. This is an upper-income occupation.
The pay band is unusually wide for this occupation. Experience, employer, and specialization can double or even triple an early-career salary, so what acupuncturists earn depends heavily on where they are in their career and who they work for.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for acupuncturists from 2024 to 2034. Growth is above the US average of about 4% across all occupations. This is an expanding field.
- Projected growth
- +6.8%
- 1,000 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 900
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
A master's degree is the typical entry point, which tends to limit supply and support higher pay.
Where Acupuncturists earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where acupuncturists work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is Tennessee at $141,430, about 86.0% above the national median. At the metro level, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH leads with a median of $107,880.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | $141,430 | N/A |
| New Jersey | $125,260 | 240 |
| Indiana | $120,490 | 30 |
| Maryland | $101,650 | N/A |
| Massachusetts | $93,360 | N/A |
| Missouri | $89,000 | N/A |
| New York | $86,120 | 1,160 |
| Arizona | $85,300 | 70 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $107,880 | N/A |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $105,850 | N/A |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $101,390 | N/A |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $100,920 | 160 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $100,550 | 1,210 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $99,360 | N/A |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $98,240 | N/A |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $91,350 | 50 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see acupuncturists pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2021 and 2025, the national median salary for Acupuncturists rose from $60,570 to $76,040, a gain of +25.5% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +18.8%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2021 median of $60,570 would need to be worth $71,964 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $76,040 is $4,076 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +5.7% in purchasing power.
Real wages have outpaced inflation by 5.7%, a modest but real gain in purchasing power.
- Nominal change
- +25.5%
- 2021–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +18.8%
- US CPI, 2021–2025
- Real change
- +5.7%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Acupuncturists median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $76,040
- 2024
- $78,140
- 2023
- $78,220
- 2022
- $72,220
- 2021
- $60,570
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2020, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Dental Hygienists
- $98,100
- Pediatricians, General
- $210,040
- Family Medicine Physicians
- $244,180
- Neurologists
- $248,560
- General Internal Medicine Physicians
- $256,560
- Physicians, All Other
- $265,930
- Psychiatrists
- $281,870
Common salary questions for Acupuncturists
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Acupuncturists workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.