---

Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy

A program that prepares individuals for the independent professional practice of naturopathic medicine, an holistic therapeutic approach combining medical knowledge with noninvasive natural, homeopathic, and non-Western therapies and emphasizing disease prevention, wellness, and self-healing. Includes instruction in the basic medical sciences, epidemiology, neuroscience, biostatistics, public and community health, laboratory and clinical diagnosis, pharmacognosy, botanical medicine, homeopathy, principles of Oriental medicine and Ayurveda, manipulative therapy, naturopathic therapeutics, therapeutic nutrition, case analysis and management, philosophy of naturopathy, patient counseling, practice management, and professional standards and ethics. Examples: [Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy (ND)]

Types of Degrees Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	10
Doctor’s Degree	225

What Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy Majors Need to Know

Studies in Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy 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

The skill set emphasized by a Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 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 Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

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

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy 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 Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy graduates include:

• Naturopathic Doctor
• Naturopath
• Otorhinolaryngologist
• Public Health Doctor
• Doctor of Medicine
• Herbalist
• Medical Resident
• Emergency Medicine Specialist
• Orthopedist
• Medicine Worker
• Doctor of Osteopathy
• Medicine Man
• Homeopathic Doctor
• Medical Specialist
• Sanipractic Physician

What Can You Do With a Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy 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 Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy 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%
Bachelor’s degree	3.8%
First professional 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 Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 81.3% of Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	191	81.3%
Men	44	18.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	132	56.2%
Asian	23	9.8%
Hispanic or Latino	41	17.4%
Black or African American	6	2.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.9%
Two or More Races	17	7.2%
Race Unknown	11	4.7%
International Students	3	1.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy 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	$31,185
4 years	$30,904
5 years	$35,897

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $35,897 — roughly 15% above the 1-year mark.

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

Is a Degree in Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Naturopathic Medicine/Naturopathy graduates earn a median of $30,904 four years after completion — about 19% 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
Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems	3,019
Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine	1,485
Holistic/Integrative Health	481
Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chinese Herbology	165
Ayurvedic Medicine/Ayurveda	141
Herbalism/Herbalist	113
Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems, Other	107
Direct Entry Midwifery	74
Alternative and Complementary Medical Support Services, Other	52
Aromatherapy	8
Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems	—
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.