Education and Practice Standards for Licensed Acupuncturists

Acupuncture Institute Accreditation

The US Department of Education recognizes the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine (ACAHM) as a specialized accreditation agency to accredit professional non-degree and graduate degree programs, including professional doctoral programs, in the field of acupuncture and/or East Asian medicine, as well as freestanding institutions and colleges of acupuncture and/or East Asian medicine that offer such programs, including programs offered via distance education.

The ACAHM is a not-for-profit corporation in the United States charged to ensure that the accrediting body meets specific standards established by Congress. For a directory of ACAHM Accredited and Pre-accredited Programs/Institutions, visit https://acahm.org/directory-menu/directory/

The Secretary of Education is charged with reviewing accrediting bodies and providing recognition to those accrediting agencies that meet the Secretary of Education’s criteria.

Acupuncture Licensure

After completion of an accredited masters or doctorate degree, there are several requirements for acupuncture licensure.

1. Graduates are required to complete the Clean Needle course through the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine before being eligible to sit for any board exams.
2. There are several sections to the board exams. The California Board requires candidates to sit for all sections in one day while the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine board certification exams must be taken separately. Exams include Biomedicine, Herbology, Acupuncture location, and Foundations of Chinese Medicine. Visit https://www.nccaom.org and https://www.acupuncture.ca.gov/ for current information.
3. Each state has a medical license application that includes background check.

The above steps are required by most states to apply for licensure to practice medicine. Licensing standards are usually consistent with other medical practice applications and procedures to include continuing education requirements.

Continuing Education

Consistent with the standards of other licensed medical professionals, most licensed acupuncturists must adhere to national and or state requirements of continuing education.

Licensed Independent Practitioners

The United States Bureau of Labor and Statistics classify Licensed Acupuncturists as licensed independent practitioners that diagnose and treat.  Licensed acupuncturists are also recognized as preventing disorders by stimulating specific acupuncture points using acupuncture needles, nutritional supplements, therapeutic massage, and other therapeutic modalities. According to occupational employment and wages statistics compiled in May 2021, the national estimates, about 90% of acupuncturists reported earning about $126,440 annually.

Outside of self-employment and outpatient care centers, general and specialty hospitals were cited as top industries for licensed acupuncturists with an annual mean wage of over $100,000. One exception is the U.S Army that downgraded licensed acupuncturist to the level of technician, despite serving as independent practitioners, from GS-12 to GS-8 which averages under $50,000 annually.