Dental Hygienists
Median $98,100
Occupation · SOC 29-1291
Acupuncturists: pay and where the jobs are
What acupuncturists earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$76,040 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $87,020
- Median hourly wage
- $36.56
- Mean hourly wage
- $41.84
- Employment
- 7,830
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 29-1291.
Check your pay
See where your pay falls among acupuncturists nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Enter your pay to see where it falls.
Use these numbers
How much do acupuncturists make?
The median annual wage for acupuncturists was $76,040 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $38,830 and the highest-paid 10% more than $161,470. As an hourly rate, the median is $36.56. About 7,830 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Tennessee ($141,430), New Jersey ($125,260) and Indiana ($120,490). Tennessee also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for acupuncturists looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $38,830 | $18.67 | $3,236 | $2,782 |
| 25th percentile | $55,380 | $26.63 | $4,615 | $3,890 |
| Median | $76,040 | $36.56 | $6,337 | $5,194 |
| 75th percentile | $102,280 | $49.17 | $8,523 | $6,732 |
| 90th percentile | $161,470 | $77.63 | $13,456 | $10,136 |
Acupuncturists: pay by state
24 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$117,485 take-home in national prices
2
$96,508 take-home in national prices
3
$83,062 take-home in national prices
Where a median acupuncturist paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | Not published | $141,430 | $59,990 | $251,420 | $107,933 | $117,485 |
| New Jersey | 240 | $125,260 | $73,110 | $187,360 | $90,376 | $83,062 |
| Indiana | 30 | $120,490 | $62,050 | $127,300 | $90,070 | $96,508 |
| Maryland | Not published | $101,650 | $52,020 | $115,500 | $75,802 | $72,221 |
| Massachusetts | Not published | $93,360 | $52,970 | $149,080 | $69,631 | $65,841 |
| Missouri | Not published | $89,000 | $45,330 | $144,840 | $68,196 | $75,091 |
| New York | 1,160 | $86,120 | $55,380 | $142,240 | $64,959 | $60,191 |
| Arizona | 70 | $85,300 | $35,350 | $114,980 | $67,100 | $66,649 |
| Kentucky | 60 | $85,130 | $85,130 | $101,880 | $65,857 | $73,045 |
| Wisconsin | 170 | $84,820 | $63,240 | $107,240 | $64,974 | $69,052 |
| Washington | Not published | $83,200 | $75,350 | $139,930 | $66,207 | $61,868 |
| Maine | Not published | $83,040 | $45,070 | $134,570 | $62,906 | $64,818 |
| New Hampshire | Not published | $77,470 | $50,120 | $107,880 | $63,330 | $60,798 |
| North Carolina | 320 | $76,500 | $41,390 | $94,230 | $60,104 | $63,720 |
| California | 2,520 | $75,530 | $37,810 | $186,300 | $58,166 | $52,535 |
| Georgia | 140 | $73,980 | $23,800 | $99,360 | $57,932 | $60,162 |
| Florida | 900 | $69,990 | $36,570 | $198,010 | $58,068 | $56,151 |
| Minnesota | 210 | $69,690 | $39,990 | $134,570 | $54,335 | $55,095 |
| Texas | Not published | $66,530 | $31,470 | $90,420 | $55,634 | $57,321 |
| Michigan | Not published | $65,490 | $37,130 | $181,240 | $52,269 | $54,324 |
| Oregon | 360 | $64,870 | $51,740 | $104,000 | $49,565 | $47,953 |
| Hawaii | Not published | $64,570 | $64,560 | $102,740 | $50,636 | $46,053 |
| Utah | Not published | $58,620 | $58,480 | $88,270 | $47,113 | $47,655 |
| Colorado | Not published | $56,950 | $43,310 | $101,180 | $45,891 | $44,532 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 29-1291. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.