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Aromatherapy

A program that prepares individuals to provide therapeutic care through the preparation and application of extracted essential oils from plants, including flowers (botanicals), roots, berries, and bark. Includes instruction in aromatherapy history and theory, basic physiology of absorption, aromachemistry, organic chemistry, botanical taxonomy, carrier oils, essential oils, extraction methods, blending techniques, application methods, safety, client consultation and treatment planning, business management, professional standards and ethics, and applicable regulations.

Types of Degrees Aromatherapy Majors Are Earning

Those studying Aromatherapy can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	8

What Aromatherapy Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Aromatherapy develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Aromatherapy graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Aromatherapy 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 developed in a Aromatherapy 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

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Aromatherapy careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

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

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Aromatherapy 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
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	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 Aromatherapy professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Aromatherapy graduates include:

• Naturopathic Doctor
• Naturopath
• Heart Specialist
• Otolaryngologist
• Immunologist
• Doctor of Osteopathy
• Otorhinolaryngologist
• Osteopathic Resident
• Cardiologist
• Laryngologist
• Doctor of Medicine
• Herb Doctor
• Osteopath
• Nephrologist
• Medical Resident

What Can You Do With a Aromatherapy Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Aromatherapy 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 Aromatherapy 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 Aromatherapy?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 75% of Aromatherapy degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	6	75.0%
Men	2	25.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Aromatherapy graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	6	75.0%
Hispanic or Latino	2	25.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Aromatherapy Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Aromatherapy 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	$16,376

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

Online Aromatherapy Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Aromatherapy. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

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
Energy and Biologically Based Therapies	121
Herbalism/Herbalist	113
Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems, Other	107
Direct Entry Midwifery	74
Alternative and Complementary Medical Support Services, Other	52
Energy and Biologically Based Therapies, Other	—
Polarity Therapy	—
Reiki	—

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.