Naturopath
Naturopaths work with clients on health concerns using herbal medicine, nutritional supplements and lifestyle advice.
- Median salary*
- $62,400
4.0%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 2,400
4.3%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +34%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Low
- automation risk
- Average hours
- 41/wk
+1h vs all jobs
- Shortage status
- Not in shortage
national
Most naturopaths see clients in private practice or in a clinic shared with other complementary practitioners, and some combine clinical work with shifts in a health food shop while they build a caseload. The role differs from a herbalist's because naturopathy draws on several therapies at once rather than plant medicine alone. Naturopathy is not a registered health profession in Australia, so practitioners join a professional association and seek private health fund accreditation instead of holding a government licence.
How much do naturopaths earn?
The median full-time salary for a naturopath is $62,400 per annum, before tax, up $13,000 since 2018.
Earnings follow the caseload, so a naturopath in an established clinic with long-standing clients and health fund rebates can bill far more hours than someone filling a new booking sheet. Part-time work is common, and a practice that is still growing may bring in little for the first year. Some practitioners add income by selling supplements or running group programs.
What does a naturopath do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Taking a detailed case history covering health, diet, sleep and stress
- Prescribing herbal medicines and nutritional supplements
- Advising on diet and lifestyle changes and explaining why they help
- Preparing and dispensing herbal mixtures such as tinctures and teas
- Referring clients to a GP or allied health practitioner when something needs medical investigation
What skills do naturopaths need?
Employers look for patient care and support, clinical assessment and treatment, health education and advice, backed by Cliniko fluency and strong written communication.
Specialist skills
- Patient care and support
- Clinical assessment and treatment
- Health education and advice
- Counselling and support work
- Care planning and coordination
Software and tools
- Cliniko
- PracSuite
- PowerDiary
- Natural Medicines Database
- Microsoft Excel
General skills
- Written communication
- Attention to detail
- Empathy and interpersonal care
Is the job growing?
About 2,400 people work as naturopaths in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 34% over the decade to 2035. That's very strong growth. Few roles in Australia are expanding this fast, and it points to solid demand for years to come.
How do you become a naturopath?
Here's the path most naturopaths take, step by step.
- 1Complete a qualification in naturopathy
The usual route is a three or four year Bachelor of Health Science (Naturopathy), which includes supervised hours in a student clinic. Advanced diplomas take about two years and are accepted by some associations, though a growing number of employers and health funds use the degree as their benchmark.
- 2Finish your supervised clinical hours
Clinical placement is part of the course, and you treat real clients under a supervisor. It is the first place you practise case taking, prescribing and follow up, and the hours count towards association membership.
- 3Join a professional association
Bodies such as the National Herbalists Association of Australia, the Australian Traditional-Medicine Society and the Australian Natural Therapies Association set standards, offer insurance and list members for the public. Membership usually requires your qualification, clinical hours and first aid certificate.
- 4Apply for private health fund accreditation
Health funds recognise providers through approved associations, so accreditation is what lets clients claim a rebate on your consultations. It also shapes how many people book, because many clients check the fund list before choosing a practitioner.
- 5Build a caseload
Most naturopaths start in an established clinic, rent a room a few days a week, or work in health food retail while referrals build. Word of mouth and repeat visits do most of the work of growing a practice.
Ready to apply as a naturopath?
Whether you're working toward becoming a naturopath or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a naturopath move to?
None of the roles naturopaths typically move into pay more than the role itself. Hypnotherapist is the closest match. If a bigger salary is the goal, moving up into a senior or principal position within the role is usually the faster route than moving sideways.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hypnotherapist Naturopaths' consultation skills and holistic approach suit hypnotherapy, with minimal extra training to add this modality. | +$0 | 83% | minimal |
| Kinesiologist Naturopaths' holistic assessment and client care carry into kinesiology, so the move needs little extra training.Known move | −$1,000 | 79% | minimal |
| Herbalist Naturopaths already use herbal medicine and nutrition, so they can specialise as herbalists with little extra study. | −$2,600 | 79% | minimal |
| Reflexologist Naturopathic training in complementary therapies supports reflexology, but focused reflexology study is needed to practise.Known move | −$7,800 | 41% | reskill |
| Homoeopath Naturopaths' case taking and complementary medicine knowledge transfer to homoeopathy, needing only minimal additional training. | −$10,400 | 74% | minimal |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a naturopath?
The typical naturopath is 47 years old; 87% are women, 30% work full-time, and full-timers average 41 hours a week.
- 47
- Median age
- 87%
- Female share
- 30%
- Full-time
- +1h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a naturopath?
Naturopathy is a talking job as much as a prescribing one. Consultations run long by health care standards, and much of the work is listening, explaining a plan and keeping clients motivated between visits. That suits people who are comfortable with a slower, relationship-based form of care and with practising outside the mainstream medical system.
What people like
- Time with each client. Appointments are long enough to take a full history and follow a plan over months, rather than handing over advice in a few minutes.
- A broad toolkit. You can draw on herbal medicine, nutrition, supplements and lifestyle coaching within the one consultation, which keeps the work varied.
- Seeing a plan work. Clients usually come back, so you find out whether a treatment is helping and can adjust it rather than guessing.
- Control over your own practice. Once established, you set your own hours, choose your special interest and decide how many clients you see in a day.
What people find hard
- Income is uneven while you build. A new practice can take a year or more to fill, and a cancellation or no-show comes straight out of your day.
- Scepticism from the mainstream. Some doctors, pharmacists and family members question the evidence base for parts of the field, and you will field those conversations regularly.
- No national registration. Because naturopathy is not a registered profession, standards vary across the field and you carry more of the work of showing clients what your training involved.
- The administration is yours. Solo practitioners handle their own bookings, client records, insurance, stock and health fund claims, usually unpaid and often after hours.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ naturopaths?
Health Care and Social Assistance employs the largest share of naturopaths, followed by Retail Trade.
Top employing industries
- 1Health Care and Social Assistance
- 2Retail Trade
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Bachelor degree | 53.6% | |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 31.7% | |
| Postgraduate | 8.2% | |
| Year 12 or below | 2% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 1% |
Will AI replace naturopaths?
Naturopathy has low exposure to AI, because the core of the job is a long face-to-face consultation and a treatment plan built around one person's history and circumstances. Practice management software and herbal reference databases already handle part of the paperwork, and that side is likely to grow. What does not shift to software is the clinical reasoning across repeated visits and the relationship that keeps a client returning.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- Consultations and case takingAn initial appointment can run well over an hour, and picking up the details of diet, sleep, stress and medication from the way a client talks is not something software does.40%low
- Prescribing and dispensing herbal formulasDeciding on a tincture or powder, adjusting the dose at the next visit and weighing and bottling it in the dispensary all stay manual.25%low
- Treatment plans, follow up and client recordsSoftware such as Cliniko or PracSuite handles reminders and keeps notes searchable, but the plan for each client and the judgement behind it are still yours.20%moderate
- Practice administration and health fund claimsBookings, invoicing and rebate claims are increasingly automated, which saves time but also removes a task many solo practitioners billed for.15%moderate
Common questions about becoming a naturopath
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much do naturopaths earn?
$62,400 per year before tax is the median for full-time naturopaths, so treat it as a guide rather than a rate for any one practice. Caseload, how many days you work and whether clients can claim a health fund rebate move it most.
How do you become a naturopath?
Finish a naturopathy degree or advanced diploma, including the supervised clinical hours built into the course. After that, join a professional association for insurance and credibility, then apply for private health fund accreditation so clients can claim a rebate.
Are naturopaths in demand?
Naturopaths are currently not in shortage, and employment is projected to grow 34% over the decade to 2035. It is a small workforce of about 2,400 people, and most work is self-employed or within small clinics rather than advertised positions, so steady work usually comes from building your own client base.
Will AI replace naturopaths?
Unlikely in the near term, because the work runs on a long in-person consultation and a plan shaped around one person's history. Practice software already handles bookings, reminders, records and health fund claims, and herbal reference databases speed up checking interactions between herbs, supplements and medications. The clinical reasoning and the relationship with the client stay with the practitioner.
What else can a naturopath do?
Many naturopaths narrow into a single modality. Herbalists use the same plant medicine training with little extra study, and median pay for herbalists is $2,600 less; kinesiologists keep the holistic assessment side, with median pay for kinesiologists $1,000 less. Others go on to own or run their own clinic, which is often where earnings grow.
Do naturopaths need to be registered?
No. Naturopathy is not a registered health profession nationally, so there is no licence to hold and no single regulator. Most practitioners instead join an association such as the National Herbalists Association of Australia or the Australian Traditional-Medicine Society, which is usually required before a health fund will pay rebates.
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