Holistic Doctor Salary & Career Information
Considering a career as a holistic doctor? Here are the basics of what you need to know before making your decision, including holistic doctor salary and the different practice areas available.
Job Description
There are various different types of holistic doctors, and each one has its own area of expertise and practice, but all holistic doctors work to support health and wellness in their patients through non-intrusive natural techniques under the belief that the body functions as an interconnected system where body, mind, and spirit must achieve a balance for optimal health.
Salary
Holistic doctors at the beginning of their career usually earn an annual salary of about $50,000. This number increases steadily as experience increases, and many later-career holistic doctors make well over $150,000 annually over the course of their career. Holistic doctors who run their own practice usually make a higher salary than employees.
Education
Just as there are many different types of holistic doctors, there are various levels of education required for each position. To determine the education level needed for the type of holistic medicine you are interested in, look at specific holistic schools.
What is the Difference Between
Naturopathic and Holistic Doctors?
“Holistic doctor” is an umbrella term that encompasses all of the different types of alternative medicine practitioners, which includes naturopathic doctors (NDs). While a naturopathic doctor is a type of holistic doctor, the two terms are not interchangeable. NDs have completed an education in naturopathic medicine, which includes coursework, research, and hands-on clinical experience. Other holistic doctors have different educational backgrounds, depending on the requirements of their field.
More and more people are interested in receiving care from holistic health practitioners either in tandem with or as an alternative to conventional medical intervention. The benefits of holistic medicine include gentle, non-invasive treatments, a focus on collaboration and education, and an emphasis on prevention. See our list of Holistic Medicine Schools.
What are the Different Types of Holistic Doctors?
Many people interested in pursuing a career in holistic medicine are unsure of which specific path they should take at first. There are many different types of holistic medicine practitioners, so look into each one and consider what would be the best fit for your lifestyle, career goals, and personal interests. The following are the most common types of holistic doctors and their typical salary ranges in the United States.
Ayurvedic Practitioners
An Ayurvedic practitioner uses the ancient Indian system of medicine called Ayurveda, a sanskrit word meaning “knowledge of life.” Ayurvedic practitioners work to balance the doshas, or life energies, through various lifestyle changes and alternative treatments.
Typical salary range: $40,000-$80,000
Source: 1
Traditional Chinese / Asian Medicine Practitioner
A practitioner of traditional Chinese/Asian medicine (TCM) uses lifestyle changes, herbal medicine, and acupuncture to address health problems. TCM is based on the idea that the body has a life force called Qi, and that health issues arise when the Qi is blocked or imbalanced.
Typical salary range: $60,000-$77,000
Source: 2
Naturopathic Doctor
Naturopathic doctors combine modern science with the wisdom of nature. They guide patients to health, honoring the body’s capacity for self-healing, and addressing the root cause of medical issues of all kinds. NDs look at the whole person–including the body, mind, and spirit–in order to support health through changes in diet, lifestyle, and integrative treatments. NDs can also study traditional Chinese/Asian medicine and Ayurveda in naturopathic medicine school and integrate these into their medical practice if they wish.
Typical salary range: $80,000-$150,000+
Source: 3
Some people who have a passion for holistic medicine decide not to pursue it as a career for fear of impracticality or a lack of financial stability, but becoming an ND is actually a reliable way of securing a stable, sizable income for your whole career, and licensed naturopathic doctors are increasingly in demand.
