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Hypnotherapy

A program that prepares individuals to employ the controlled inducement of altered states of consciousness, or trance, to reduce pain, resolve emotional conflicts, and enhance communications as part of diagnostic and treatment programs. Includes instruction in the principles of hypnosis and suggestion, induction and deepening, post-hypnotic suggestion, awakening techniques, regression, pacing and leading, resistance transformation, client testing and management, practice management and regulation, and professional standards and ethics.

Types of Degrees Hypnotherapy Majors Are Earning

Those studying Hypnotherapy may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	64
Master’s Degree	335

What Hypnotherapy Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Hypnotherapy emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Hypnotherapy program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Learning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Hypnotherapy careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Hypnotherapy graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Hypnotherapy professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Articulate Rapid E-Learning Studio	Computer based training software	—
Adobe Presenter	Computer based training software	—
Turning Technologies TurningPoint	Multi-media educational software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
TechSmith Snagit	Graphics or photo imaging software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Hypnotherapy graduates include:

• Pharmacology Teacher
• Dietetics Teacher
• Public Health Professor
• Dental Hygiene Instructor
• Radiologic Technology Teacher
• Urology Teacher
• Radiology Teacher
• Optometry Teacher
• Clinical Sciences Professor
• Dental Laboratory Technology Teacher
• Surgical Technology Instructor
• Immunology Teacher
• Dental Hygiene Teacher
• Recreation Therapy Aides Teacher
• Medicine Teacher

What Can You Do With a Hypnotherapy Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Hypnotherapy commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	10.7%	$46,663	$40,304–$53,022

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

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	35.9%
Doctoral degree	24.9%
Post-doctoral training	19.1%
Bachelor’s degree	12.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.6%
Postsecondary certificate	2.9%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Hypnotherapy?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 78.2% of Hypnotherapy degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	312	78.2%
Men	87	21.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	213	53.4%
Asian	21	5.3%
Hispanic or Latino	53	13.3%
Black or African American	39	9.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.5%
Two or More Races	48	12.0%
Race Unknown	20	5.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Hypnotherapy Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Hypnotherapy graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$26,390
4 years	$24,770
5 years	$33,461

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $33,461 — roughly 27% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Hypnotherapy Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Hypnotherapy. 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
Associate’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.}

Is a Degree in Hypnotherapy Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Hypnotherapy graduates earn a median of $24,770 four years after completion — about 35% 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
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other	2,445
Movement and Mind-Body Therapies and Education	575
Advanced General Dentistry	238
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences, Other	150
Yoga Teacher Training/Yoga Therapy	98
Movement Therapy and Movement Education	75
Movement and Mind-Body Therapies and Education, Other	3

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.