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Other Alternative Medical Services

Any instructional program in alternative and complementary medical support services not listed above.

Types of Degrees Other Alternative Medical Services Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Other Alternative Medical Services have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	52

What Other Alternative Medical Services Majors Need to Know

Studies in Other Alternative Medical Services develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Other Alternative Medical Services graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Other Alternative Medical Services emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Other Alternative Medical Services program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Other Alternative Medical Services careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Other Alternative Medical Services graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Documenting/Recording Information	4.7 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.5 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Other Alternative Medical Services professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
MAX Systems Max-Gold Medical Clinic Software	Medical software	—
HTS Vision HTS2 Computerized Binocular Home Eye Exercise System	Eye tracking software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Computer perceptual processing software	Computer based training software	—
Eye Tracking Exercises Enterprises Track with Letters	Eye tracking software	—
Computer Aided Vision Therapy CAVT	Medical software	—
SeeRite Flash and Match	Computer based training software	—
Therapeutic orthoptic software	Medical software	—
HTS Vision CVS2	Eye tracking software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Other Alternative Medical Services graduates include:

• Naturopathic Doctor
• Naturopath
• Kinesiologist
• Reflexologist
• Hematologist
• Flight Surgeon
• Herbologist
• Intern
• Otolaryngologist
• Doctor
• Naprapath
• Holistic Health Practitioner
• Oculist
• Medical Specialist
• Gastroenterologist

What Can You Do With a Other Alternative Medical Services Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Other Alternative Medical Services commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Healthcare Diagnosing or Treating Practitioners, All Other	1.0%	$138,809	$116,859–$160,758
Orthoptists	4.8%	$135,811	$108,351–$163,270
Naturopathic Physicians	6.6%	$138,086	$113,456–$162,716

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Other Alternative Medical Services graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	45.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	41.6%
First professional degree	3.8%
Bachelor’s degree	3.8%
Master’s degree	1.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.9%
Post-doctoral training	1.9%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Other Alternative Medical Services?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 92.3% of Other Alternative Medical Services degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	48	92.3%
Men	4	7.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Other Alternative Medical Services graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	26	50.0%
Asian	3	5.8%
Hispanic or Latino	2	3.8%
Black or African American	16	30.8%
Two or More Races	1	1.9%
Race Unknown	3	5.8%
International Students	1	1.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Other Alternative Medical Services Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Other Alternative Medical Services graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$48,470
4 years	$29,990
5 years	$38,727

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $38,727 — roughly -20% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Other Alternative Medical Services Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Other Alternative Medical Services graduates earn a median of $29,990 four years after completion — about 21% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine	1,485
Holistic/Integrative Health	481
Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy	235
Ayurvedic Medicine/Ayurveda	141
Alternative and Complementary Medical Support Services	126
Herbalism/Herbalist	113
Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems, Other	107
Direct Entry Midwifery	74
Aromatherapy	8
Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems	—
Energy and Biologically Based Therapies, Other	—
Homeopathic Medicine/Homeopathy	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.