How to hire an acupuncturist

How to hire an acupuncturist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step acupuncturist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an acupuncturist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new acupuncturist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the acupuncturist you need to hire. Certain acupuncturist roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An acupuncturist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, acupuncturists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of acupuncturists.

   Type of Acupuncturist	Description	Hourly rate
   Acupuncturist		$17-70
   Chiropractor	A chiropractor is a healthcare professional who provides care and relief to patients with neuromusculoskeletal problems by re-aligning the spine and adjusting other joints. Your duties typically include working with patients on their lifestyle, guiding them on nutrition, exercise, and sleeping habits, and evaluating patients' condition based on their medical history and symptoms... Show more	$16-39

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Patient Care
   • Acupuncture Services
   • Physical Therapy
   • Rehabilitation
   • Integrative Medicine
   • Pain Management
   • Blood Pressure
   • Chronic Pain
   • Traditional Chinese Medicine
   • Medical History
   • Medical Professionals
   • Patient Education
   • Mental Health

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Specialize in the treatment of pain management, sports injury and rehabilitation.
   • Administer full body and auricular acupuncture treatments, moxibustion, cupping, magnet therapy, Tui -na and TCM counseling.
   • Record patients' case history details, conduct physical examinations, create individualize treatment plans and rehabilitative protocols for patients.
   • Train OSHA & HIPPA practitioner.
   • Maintain HIPAA compliant confidentiality standards at all times.
   • Treat cancer patients for pain and chemotherapy side effects.

   More acupuncturist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your acupuncturist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An acupuncturist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, acupuncturists' average salary in hawaii is 39% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level acupuncturists 75% less than senior-level acupuncturists.
   • Certifications. An acupuncturist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an acupuncturist's salary.

   Average acupuncturist salary

   $73,120yearly

   $35.15 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level acupuncturist salary

   $36,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 1, 2026

   Average acupuncturist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$106,808	$51
   2	New York	$98,741	$47
   3	Virginia	$97,929	$47
   4	Minnesota	$92,670	$45
   5	Georgia	$82,574	$40
   6	Illinois	$79,053	$38
   7	Washington	$78,918	$38
   8	Texas	$78,872	$38
   9	Arizona	$78,641	$38
   10	Oregon	$77,529	$37
   11	California	$76,727	$37
   12	Florida	$66,469	$32

   Average acupuncturist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Essentia Health	$225,651	$108.49	14
   2	Allina Health	$224,645	$108.00	1
   3	UC Health	$222,300	$106.88	9
   4	PeaceHealth	$171,212	$82.31	5
   5	Kaiser Permanente	$153,580	$73.84	35
   6	Beaumont Health	$147,143	$70.74
   7	Massachusetts General Hospital	$142,583	$68.55
   8	New Bridge Foundation	$132,953	$63.92
   9	Emory Healthcare	$128,207	$61.64	20
   10	Comprehensive Spine and Sports Center	$123,706	$59.47
   11	St. Tammany Health System	$123,122	$59.19	1
   12	Mindbody	$117,891	$56.68
   13	Spectrum Healthcare Resources	$115,541	$55.55
   14	Novant Health	$114,850	$55.22	12
   15	Mayo Clinic	$112,591	$54.13	4
   16	Sutter Health	$106,494	$51.20	7
   17	New Hope Integrated Behavioral Healthcare	$102,755	$49.40
   18	Best Doctors	$101,394	$48.75
   19	Northern California Medical Associates	$97,910	$47.07	2
   20	UC Merced	$95,859	$46.09

4. Writing an acupuncturist job description

   A good acupuncturist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an acupuncturist job description:

   Acupuncturist job description example

   This is a International Shipboard Position on cruise ships
   
   The Company
   
   OneSpaWorld is a worldwide provider and innovator in the fields of beauty, wellness, rejuvenation and transformation across the globe on cruise ships and on land. The company is dedicated to maintaining the highest quality standards and service delivery and is continually evolving to include all aspects of health and beauty while focusing on new advances within the spa, salon, fitness and wellness industry. Services include traditional and alternative massage, body and skincare treatment options, Ayurvedic treatments, comprehensive hair and nail services, mindfulness programs, fitness, acupuncture, herbal medicine, pain management, and Medi-Spa.
   
   OneSpaWorld is looking to hire acupuncturists to work in their spas on board cruise ships throughout the world. Share your knowledge of acupuncture with the global community! Meet new cultures and see the world while you gain experience in your profession. This is an incredible opportunity to earn income while traveling the world! The position is commission based with a min. guarantee. Room/board are provided as well as acupuncture supplies. Acupuncturists have their own room on board. Flights to and from the ship on your first contract are included.
   
   Position Summary:
   
   An Acupuncturist administers the highest quality Acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatments to our on-board guests. They must possess a thorough knowledge of Chinese Medicine modalities (acupuncture, herbs, nutrition, etc.), and be able to communicate those concepts to guests. In addition, they must also possess a general understanding of all body treatments. They must have excellent communication skills and be able to learn the product and service knowledge necessary to effectively provide wellness solutions to meet the needs of our guests.
   
   Duties and Responsibilities:
   
   * To be on time for work, prompt with each appointment and to perform services within the appropriate time allocated.
   * Provide consistent professional TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) services and treatments.
   * Effectively inform and educate our guests about specific wellness concerns.
   * Be flexible with scheduling, supporting the needs of the spa and guest.
   * To properly care for equipment and use proper amounts of product to assist with cost control.
   * Have complete knowledge and understanding of all services and products offered.
   * Uphold the standards of sanitation and sterilization as directed by law, the vessel and the spa's policies and procedures.
   * Properly clean and restock room as required.
   * Handle guests' questions and concerns professionally and courteously.
   * Possess the ability to work without direct supervision.
   * Maintain a positive attitude and contribute toward a quality work environment.
   * Regularly attend, participate in and support training and staff meetings for the spa.
   
   Position requirements:
   
   * Must have acupuncture diploma or credential
   * Must be able to give an effective presentation as it relates to acupuncture and TCM.
   * Enjoy working with people and possess a friendly and outgoing personality.
   * Excellent communication and listening skills, as well as basic computer knowledge.
   * Must be a team player.
   
   Education and Experience Requirements: United States acupuncturists must hold a current valid state license and/or be certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM).
   
   Acupuncturists educated outside the
   
   United States must have graduated from a program that is educationally equivalent to that of the United States. Degree programs are reviewed on a case by case basis and should include approximately 2000 hours worth of classroom and clinical study in the field of acupuncture.
   
   Regular attendance in conformance with the standards, which may be established from time to time, is essential to the successful performance of this position. Employees with irregular attendance will be subject to disciplinary action up to, and including, termination of employment.
   
   BEHAVIORAL COMPENTENCIES
   
   * Customer focused - Make service excellence a primary focus of one's actions; effectively meets service excellence; develops and sustains positive and productive service excellence; and takes responsibility for service excellence and loyalty.
   * Builds trust - Interacts with others in a way that gives them confidence in one's intentions and those of the organization.
   * Influencing others and facilitating decisions - Uses appropriate interpersonal styles and communication methods to gain acceptance of products, service, or ideas from prospects and guests (customers).
   * Collaboration and partnering - Identifies opportunities and takes action to build relationships between individuals, teams, departments, units, or organizations to help achieve business goals.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find acupuncturists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your acupuncturist job on Zippia to find and recruit acupuncturist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit acupuncturists, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new acupuncturist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the acupuncturist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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