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What is a chiropractor and how to become one
Knowing which spot to press on and which vertebra to crack takes years of experience and training. For this reason, chiropractors spend a lot of time in school before they can apply chiropractic techniques to solve patients' musculoskeletal problems.
The most common procedure that a chiropractor does is chiropractic adjustment, which involves realigning the spine to improve spinal motion and the body's physical function. This procedure helps relieve patients from all sorts of body pain, making it a great alternative to other pain management methods. A chiropractor may also give chiropractic massages, which is a technique in massage therapy that aims to improve the spine and nervous system health.
To become a chiropractor, one must earn a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree as well as a state license. This can take anywhere from seven to ten years, depending on one's pace. Once one becomes a chiropractor, their income potential is around $35,000 to $67,000 a year, depending on one's credentials and level of expertise.
Avg. Salary $53,608
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 10%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.25%
Asian 7.10%
Black or African American 2.22%
Hispanic or Latino 6.30%
Unknown 4.10%
White 80.04%
Genderfemale 50.50%
male 49.50%
Age - 45American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 45Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is excellent
6.4 - fair
Chiropractor career paths
Key steps to become a chiropractor
Explore chiropractor education requirements
Start to develop specific chiropractor skills
Skills Percentages Patients 45.73% Medical Histories 23.25% Spine 12.41% Manual Adjustments 4.39% Musculoskeletal System 4.16% Complete relevant chiropractor training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New chiropractors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a chiropractor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real chiropractor resumes.Research chiropractor duties and responsibilities
- Manage AR and EOB's from insurance companies.
- Perform cervical whiplash protocols to manage pain and increase function.
- Set patients up for MRI's.
- Treat patients with chiropractic, physical therapy, exercise, and acupuncture
Prepare your chiropractor resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your chiropractor resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a chiropractor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose from 10+ customizable chiropractor resume templates
Build a professional chiropractor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your chiropractor resume.
Apply for chiropractor jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a chiropractor job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first chiropractor job
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Average chiropractor salary
The average chiropractor salary in the United States is $53,608 per year or $26 per hour. Chiropractor salaries range between $34,000 and $82,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do chiropractors rate their job?
Chiropractor reviews
Help relieve people’s pain.
It doesn’t pay well. Waste of an education and tuition. Patient don’t want to pay when they find out chiro is only covered after their deductible is met. Good luck making an income when all your revenue goes to overhead and you have to continuously and exhaustively market yourself at expos for new patients. What other model of healthcare depends on that to acquire patients? It’s a flawed system. Don’t become a chiropractor and expect to earn an income that will allow you to live debt free! Choose another career path!
People feeling well.
Chiropractic is often NOT known about in certain places, so there are alot of myths!
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Updated January 8, 2025
