How to earn $250k a year as an acupuncturist (or $135k, or $175K)
It’s currently late Summer in Chinese Medicine—and that means damp, sticky, stuck.
AKA messy season.
In the midsts of all that messy, I like to create clarity with concrete numbers. AND with recommitting to how I want to FEEL in my life and practice.
And, as a profession, the conventional wisdom is that it’s hard to earn a living wage as an acupuncturist. I’d like to clear up some misconceptions around that and share what’s ENTIRELY possible. For you. With numbers.
These are the numbers I've identified as "sweet spots" for owning a practice. Income, patient numbers, expenses, time off, hours worked each week. By “sweet spot” I mean, everything is optimized for you to flow, easefully.
The real magic is in marrying these numbers with how you want to FEEL in your practice, and in your life. Because you practice Chinese Medicine, this isn't a business that's going to feel good with you "on the grind" all the time. (Also, that’s just bad medicine).
We want flow. Nourished, resourced flow. In every area.
Honoring the numbers, the qi, and your time is what makes practice magic.
So here are my "sweet spot" numbers, in terms of annual income (that’s what YOU take home!):
$135K: solo practioner, no admin support
$175K: solo practitioner, admin support
$250K: practitioner with one Associate and admin team support
That's YOUR annual income (AFTER expenses!!). And they are ALL possible working about 32 hours a week.
ALL of these real life scenarios are for a practice where the average return visit price is $95 (cash or insurance), and the practitioner takes six weeks off per year. (For REAL!!--because “qi math” engenders money math). The weekly schedule for seeing patients is 3.5 days a week, or about 28 hours of patient facing time. This allow for 2-4 hours a week of admin / meeting times outside of patient facing hours. So, a 32 hour a week job. Because I don't think anyone should work 5 days a week!!
Here’s the breakdown, so you can understand what’s possible for YOU to earn as a successful acupuncturist:
1. Solo Practitioner: $135k / year income
Number of rooms: 2
Number of patients per week /average: 45
Number of patients per day: 13 on full days, 6 on half day
Breaks: one 30 minute break blocked off for lunch.
Average Shift: 8:45-5:15, with a 15 minute buffer before first patient, and 15 minutes after last patient leaves
Average Acupuncture Income: 45x95=$16,031.25 / month average(working 45 weeks a year)
Average Herbs / Supplements sales: 33% of patients purchase herbs / supplement / topical at $30/ product, 15 per week, $1688/month average
TOTAL Clinic Revenue AVERAGE: $17,719.25
Average Monthly Expenses $6400: $475 CC processing fees, $1800 rent, $200 malpractice, licensing, CEU's, $350 utilities, $1800 supplies (needles, office, supplements, accounting, EHR software), $1200 coaching, $575 marketing
Average Annual Income: $135,828 (pre-tax)
2. Solo Practitioner with Admin Support: $175k / year income
Number of rooms: 3
Number of patients per week /average: 70
Number of patients per day: 20 on full days, 10 on half day
Breaks: one 30 minute break blocked off for lunch.
Average Shift: 8:45-5:15, with a 15 minute buffer before first patient, and 15 minutes after last patient leaves, first patient at 9, last patient in at 4
Average Acupuncture Income: 95x70=$24,937 / month average (working 45 weeks a year)
Average Herbs / Supplements sales: 33% of patients purchase herbs / supplement / topical at $30/ product, 21 per week, $2363/month average
TOTAL Clinic Revenue AVERAGE: $27,300
Average Monthly Expenses $12,695: $685 CC processing fees, $2500 rent, $250 malpractice, licensing, CEU's, $400 utilities, $2500 supplies (needles, office, supplements, EHR software, QB online, accounting services), $1200 coaching, $1000 marketing, $4160 / office manager front desk ($24/hour, 32 hours/ week)
Average Annual Income: $175,260.00 (pre-tax)
3. $250K: practitioner with one Associate and Admin team support
Number of rooms: 4
Number of patients per week /average: 125 clinic total
Number of patients per day: 25, 3 days for Clinic Owner, 2 days for Associate
Breaks: one 30 minute break blocked off for lunch. 2 15 minute breaks, one in am and one in afternoon
Average Shift: 8:45-5:15, with a 15 minute buffer before first patient, and 15 minutes after last patient leaves
Average Acupuncture Income: 125x95=$45322.92 / month average, Clinic Director seeing patients 45 weeks a year, Associate seeing patients 47 weeks / year with 2 weeks of paid time off, 3 weeks unpaid
Average Herbs / Supplements sales: 33% of patients purchase herbs / supplement / topical at $30/ product, 15 per week, $4807/month average
TOTAL Clinic Revenue AVERAGE: $50,129.92
Average Monthly Expenses $29,266: $1254 CC processing fees, $3600 rent, $500 malpractice, licensing, CEU's, $550 utilities, $6000 supplies (needles, office, supplements, EHR subscription, accounting services), $1250 coaching, $2000 marketing, $5070 Office Manager, at $26/hour, 36 hours a week, $1620 part time office assistant, 18 hours a week at $18/hour, $7422/ month for Associate, including their paid time off for the year.
Average Annual Income: $250,367.04 (pre-tax)
These scenarios are not the ONLY way to do it. However, I share these with you to see that there IS A WAY TO DO IT! It's a matter of mapping out what you want, and then structuring your time, qi, and systems to SUPPORT you in getting there, sustainably.
Numbers are no scarier than pattern differentiation in Chinese Medicine. If your numbers aren't adding up to a vital practice, figure out where they are off, and treat the pattern. (If you have a hard time figuring out where to start with "treating the pattern" of your practice, my kind of holistic business coaching may be for you.)
The same thing goes for your business qi.
If you are feeling drained, look at the math and see where you can tweak things, simply by playing with the number so that you have a more nourishing practice.
With paid time off. With hours that support you and your life. With support in house. With marketing help.
I recognize this is WAY easier said than done.
I mean, this IS why I'm a coach.
Because there's emotion there. And emotion is important--it's qi after all. But sometimes the emotional pattern IS the root of the issue.
Patterns like: "I'm not good enough" "I don't deserve it" "If I did this...then...my practice would fall apart."
I help my coaching clients forge a path forward so that their practices are BEYOND what they dreamed. I LOVE helping people find the way forward in having it all make sense. Not in a formulaic way, but in a highly personalized, just right for you way.
In a way that leads to best case scenarios:
...Like having a 61.9% increase in patient visits over last July, WHILE taking a personal week off and being down a clinical team member in July.
...Like having the July be their most successful month in business, EVER (I heard that quite a few times in the past week!!!)
...Like taking meaningful vacations with loved ones and NOT have their clinic and team fall apart while they were gone for over 2 weeks, out of the country. As a matter of fact, the clinic did great, and she's on to the next level of leadership, knowing that she can trust her team and herself to thrive without burning out.
...Like moving into a beautiful new space and getting EXACTLY what she dreamed of in a bigger, more supportive space.
...Like hiring their first Associate, who is a just right fit.
...Like being present and RESOURCED even when big life events--unexpectedly losing a team member due to relocation, family health issues, major growth curves that show up in growing a team, moving to a bigger space, and consistently showing up for a solid patient schedule.
These are literally just examples of what my coaching clients have experienced IN THE PAST WEEK! This is not unusual. When I work with coaching clients, transformation happens in our collaboration together. The internal work we do shows up in their practice, in their life, in them stepping more fully into their potency.
I'm here for that.
Are you ready for a practice transformation, that will support YOU as you grow?
I have three spaces in my Lifeflow Leadership Program, for practitioners who have, or want to hire, clinical team members. This is a program for thoughtful leaders who are ready to grow beyond the treatment room and into greater intentional leadership while ethically maximizing profits. All while designing a healthy, thriving team culture happy while delivering excellent Chinese Medicine.
I have four spaces in RECALIBRATE, my small group coaching program for practitioners who want to 1. see more patients per hour OR increase your patient numbers from your usual number of 25-35 patients a week 2. hire admin team members 3. move into a bigger / more supportive clinic space 4. are curious about revamping their business to make it more nourishing, sustainable, and profitable. You don't need to do ALL of these, but if 1-2 of these resonate, RECALIBRATE is right for you.
Are you ready to do things differently, in a way that honors the systemic whole, your unique life, and your vision?
This is my mission.
I've got space on my calendar for a free 20 minute Q&A call if you are interested in this kind of transformation. (If you don't see a time available, you can fill out this brief form and we will find one that works for both of us.)
Your'e already working--together, we can make it feel better, all around.
I believe in you. And you doing you, thriving. Nourished. Resourced. Profitable. Heart Centered.
In deepest care,
Julie
Curious about my coaching approach? Check out my private FB group and follow me on Instagram for daily inspiration, insight and new practice perspectives.