Chiropractors: Career Overview
Assess, treat, and care for patients by manipulation of spine and musculoskeletal system. May provide spinal adjustment or address sacral or pelvic misalignment.
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What Tasks Do Chiropractors Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of chiropractors include:
- Evaluate the functioning of the neuromuscularskeletal system and the spine using systems of chiropractic diagnosis.
- Diagnose health problems by reviewing patients' health and medical histories, questioning, observing, and examining patients and interpreting x-rays.
- Perform a series of manual adjustments to the spine or other articulations of the body to correct the musculoskeletal system.
- Obtain and record patients' medical histories.
- Maintain accurate case histories of patients.
- Advise patients about recommended courses of treatment.
- Analyze x-rays to locate the sources of patients' difficulties and to rule out fractures or diseases as sources of problems.
- Counsel patients about nutrition, exercise, sleeping habits, stress management, or other matters.
What Chiropractors Need to Know
Successful chiropractors draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Chiropractors Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Chiropractic Doctor (DC)
- Chiropractic Neurologist
- Chiropractic Physician
- Chiropractor
Job Outlook
There are about 1,871,943 chiropractors working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -2.5% over the projection horizon.
Chiropractors Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $117,961 |
| Hourly median | $56.71 |
| 10th percentile | $68,684 |
| 25th percentile | $93,322 |
| 75th percentile | $142,599 |
| 90th percentile | $167,237 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $102,260 |
| New Jersey | $101,460 |
| Maine | $100,630 |
| Alaska | $99,560 |
| Louisiana | $97,450 |
| Oregon | $96,100 |
| Arizona | $95,580 |
| Virginia | $94,140 |
| Washington | $93,730 |
| Minnesota | $91,780 |
| Connecticut | $91,750 |
| Texas | $87,130 |
| California | $85,080 |
| New York | $82,640 |
| North Dakota | $81,780 |
| Ohio | $81,110 |
| New Mexico | $80,950 |
| Colorado | $80,900 |
| Florida | $80,740 |
| North Carolina | $80,350 |
| Mississippi | $79,990 |
| Nevada | $79,610 |
| Tennessee | $79,240 |
| Rhode Island | $79,210 |
| South Dakota | $79,200 |
| Indiana | $79,070 |
| Wisconsin | $78,890 |
| Maryland | $78,590 |
| Michigan | $78,440 |
| Arkansas | $77,780 |
| West Virginia | $77,780 |
| Massachusetts | $77,760 |
| Idaho | $76,910 |
| Montana | $76,490 |
| Kentucky | $76,180 |
| Oklahoma | $75,940 |
| Pennsylvania | $75,610 |
| Kansas | $74,670 |
| Alabama | $74,210 |
| South Carolina | $69,990 |
| Nebraska | $69,420 |
| Illinois | $67,610 |
| Puerto Rico | $66,560 |
| Iowa | $66,340 |
| New Hampshire | $65,780 |
| Wyoming | $61,410 |
| Georgia | $61,220 |
| Missouri | $61,020 |
| Utah | $59,920 |
Where Chiropractors Earn the Most
Pay for chiropractors shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $88,809 | 12.1% | 0.81 |
| Southwest | $88,078 | 12.2% | 1.03 |
| Middle Atlantic | $78,995 | 11.5% | 0.92 |
| Southeast | $77,866 | 24.5% | 1.09 |
| New England | $76,048 | 4.2% | 1.02 |
| Great Lakes | $75,734 | 17.2% | 1.28 |
| Rocky Mountains | $74,957 | 6.2% | 1.63 |
| Plains States | $73,578 | 11.8% | 1.83 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tulsa, OK | OK | $154,990 | 60 |
| Jackson, MS | MS | $145,130 | 30 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | MN | $117,830 | 660 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | CA | $112,700 | |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | CT | $109,580 | 70 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $105,210 | |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $104,690 | 1,210 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | FL | $104,000 | 440 |
Top Industries Employing Chiropractors
Most chiropractors are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 37,120 | $78,770 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 210 | $98,450 |
| Educational Services | 60 | $74,550 |
Below are examples of industries where chiropractors work:
Tech Stack
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The work environment for chiropractors tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
Getting Started in This Career
The role falls in Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Optometrists (Supplemental)
- Nurse Practitioners (Supplemental)
- Anesthesiologists (Supplemental)
- Cardiologists (Primary-Short)
- Dermatologists (Primary-Long)
- Emergency Medicine Physicians (Primary-Long)
- Family Medicine Physicians (Supplemental)
- General Internal Medicine Physicians (Primary-Long)
Degree Programs
Students preparing for chiropractors typically earn programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
References
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 29-1011.00 (Chiropractors).
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