$78,000 a year after 5 years of practice...

Recently I came across a statistic which was being used as a well to sell acupuncture education.  Where this statistic came from, I am not sure. 

It said that after 5 years of practice the average income for an acupuncturist was $78,000 per year.

Is that really enough to live on?

Lets look at this figure a little further though....It should read 78,000 gross income. 

That means that after 5 years your acupuncture practice, on average, will gross $78,000 a year. Ok..so what does that mean.

Well lets look at a month in the life of an acupuncture practice:

Fixed expenses: New York City as an example, a two treatment room office
Average rent:......... 2500
Utilities/phone etc.....300
Supplies:................300
Misc:....................300

Total...................3700

Monthly gross income based on $78,000 yearly

6500.00 per month less expenses = 2800.00

That means your salary is about $700 per week.

Where can you live on that?  Certainly not New York City and the outer boroughs are becoming more and more expensive...

Comments

[Don Thompson]

What's interesting about this figure is that many acupuncturists would consider that a good salary. Most of us (acupuncturists) see patients that have been failed by traditional western medicine. Most have been to orthopaedic surgeons, physiatrists, neurosurgeons, etc. Know what their average salary ranges are? Try $200,000-1 million per year, after expenses and before taxes!!! It stands to reason that our salaries should be AT LEAST, $100,000, after expenses.
I'm curious--what do other acupuncturists think they should be making (after expenses)?

[Eric G. Schneider, D. Min.]

You are so right..it would be a good "salary." However in order to make that kind of salary after expenses, one has to mulitply that by three in order to get the gross sales target for the year!

I am not sure what other acupuncturists think of as a good enough salary....but I can guess!