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Chiropractor

$79,200
median / year
$43,460 – $146,080
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Treat problems of the spine and joints through hands-on adjustments and posture and exercise advice.

You may also see this posted as: Chiropractic Doctor (DC), Chiropractic Neurologist, Chiropractic Physician.

Where you work

Private practices and clinics.

The hours

Full-time, with some evening or weekend hours

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • 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.

Good fit if you like…

Social

helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people

Realistic

working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world

Investigative

solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work

O*NET job zone 5 of 5

Extensive preparation—often graduate education and significant experience—is common.

Work styles that matter most

Attention to DetailDependabilityCooperationCautiousness

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordACOM Solutions RAPID EMRAcrendo A.I.med

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$79,200
per year
Hourly median
$38.08
per hour
What most earn
$43,460–$146,080
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~2,800
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+9.5%
Much faster than average
Working in the U.S.
39,630
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 34.7% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Doctoral / professional degree

Training path: Doctoral degree + license.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: None.

License or certification

Chiropractors need a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and a state license.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

Manual adjustmentPatient assessmentAnatomy knowledgeBusiness sense

The honest take

Many run their own practice, so pay swings with how well the business is built.

Standard Occupational Classification 29-1011. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.