Naturopathic Physicians

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.

Most important skills

Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Writing
Social Perceptiveness
Judgment and Decision Making
Service Orientation

Key knowledge

Medicine and Dentistry
Biology
Psychology
Therapy and Counseling
Customer and Personal Service
English Language
Chemistry
Education and Training

What the work involves

Perform mobilizations and high-velocity adjustments to joints or soft tissues, using principles of massage, stretching, or resistance.
Maintain professional development through activities such as postgraduate education, continuing education, preceptorships, and residency programs.
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.
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.
Administer, dispense, or prescribe natural medicines, such as food or botanical extracts, herbs, dietary supplements, vitamins, nutraceuticals, and amino acids.
Conduct physical examinations and physiological function tests for diagnostic purposes.
Interview patients to document symptoms and health histories.
Educate patients about health care management.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Investigative, Social, Realistic.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Doctoral Degree (96% of respondents)
Related experience: None (37.5%)
On-the-job training: None or short demonstration (32%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 5: Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Naturopathic Physicians is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Projection education uses SOC 29-1299 (detailed_parent); it may describe a broader group.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	High	Higher on contact with others than 69% of occupations compared	60% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others”
Dealing with the public	Very high	Higher on dealing with the public than 81% of occupations compared	56% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important”
Teamwork	Very low	Lower on teamwork than 94% of occupations compared	36% of surveyed respondents chose “Important”
Freedom to make decisions	Very high	Higher on freedom to make decisions than 90% of occupations compared	80% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom”
Time pressure	Moderate	Higher on time pressure than 51% of occupations compared	44% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day”
Conflict situations	High	Higher on conflict situations than 72% of occupations compared	36% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Moderate	Higher on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 51% of occupations compared	44% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Consequence of error	High	Higher on consequence of error than 78% of occupations compared	33% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: moderate
Conflict situations: high
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: moderate
Consequence of error: high

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions