Healthcare Practitioners
Naturopathic Physicians
Also called: Doctor (Dr), Naturopathic Doctor, Naturopathic Endocrinologist, Naturopathic Medicine Doctor
US median pay
$115,210
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+5.5%
faster than average
Openings a year (US)
1,900
39,600 employed
Typical entry education
Master's degree
Preparation 5/5 · Extensive preparation
What this job is
Diagnose, treat, and help prevent diseases using a system of practice that is based on the natural healing capacity of individuals. May use physiological, psychological or mechanical methods. May also use natural medicines, prescription or legend drugs, foods, herbs, or other natural remedies.
What they do day to day
- Document patients' histories, including identifying data, chief complaints, illnesses, previous medical or family histories, or psychosocial characteristics.
- Educate patients about health care management.
- Advise patients about therapeutic exercise and nutritional medicine regimens.
- Conduct physical examinations and physiological function tests for diagnostic purposes.
- Administer, dispense, or prescribe natural medicines, such as food or botanical extracts, herbs, dietary supplements, vitamins, nutraceuticals, and amino acids.
- Interview patients to document symptoms and health histories.
- Diagnose health conditions, based on patients' symptoms and health histories, laboratory and diagnostic radiology test results, or other physiological measurements, such as electrocardiograms and electroencephalographs.
- Administer treatments or therapies, such as homeopathy, hydrotherapy, Oriental or Ayurvedic medicine, electrotherapy, and diathermy, using physical agents including air, heat, cold, water, sound, or ultraviolet light to catalyze the body to heal itself.
- Consult with other health professionals to provide optimal patient care, referring patients to traditional health care professionals as necessary.
- Order diagnostic imaging procedures such as radiographs (x-rays), ultrasounds, mammograms, and bone densitometry tests, or refer patients to other health professionals for these procedures.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Social Perceptiveness4.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0/5
- Service Orientation3.9/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.9/5
- Time Management3.1/5
- Systems Analysis3.1/5
- Persuasion3.1/5
- Instructing3.1/5
Knowledge
- Medicine and Dentistry5.0/5
- Psychology4.8/5
- Biology4.8/5
- Therapy and Counseling4.5/5
- Customer and Personal Service4.4/5
- English Language4.2/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 5 of 5 — Extensive preparation. Usually a graduate degree (master's, PhD, MD, JD) and extensive experience.
Typical entry education (BLS): Master's degree.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Doctoral degree96%
Who this job suits
Mostly Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Social
Helping, teaching and caring for people
Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.