Duties
As an herbalist, you will learn about different alternative medicine methods that can be used by extracting from plants and using them to treat illnesses and diseases. Some of the ailments that herbalism is known to help with include high cholesterol, insomnia, allergies, digestive issues and hypertension.
Training
Just like with other areas of health care, you will have to obtain some training to learn about the field of herbalism. Getting to know the different herbs and their effects on the human body is vital for doing your job correctly. There are degrees that can be taken online. Most programs can take between six months to three years to complete. Some even have you complete apprenticeships. Some of the courses that you will have to study include nutrition, botanical terminology, herbal terminology, medical terminology, human anatomy, drying plants and storing plants.
Job Opportunities
In this field, you can work in a variety of areas, including research, consulting and teaching. In some instances, herbalists are known to work with doctors here and there. It is required that you have a couple years of experience to work in these fields.
Compensation
The amount you can make working in this field ranges between $20,000 and $120,000. Those that are self-employed reported making between $60 and $280 hourly, while those that worked in a health store made between $8 and $15 hourly. The herbalists that work as sales reps reported earnings between $24,000 and $75,000.
