Chiropractor vs acupuncture physician

The differences between chiropractors and acupuncture physicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an acupuncture physician has an average salary of $205,867, which is higher than the $53,608 average annual salary of a chiropractor.

The top three skills for a chiropractor include patients, medical histories and spine. The most important skills for an acupuncture physician are patients, treatment plan, and chronic pain.

Chiropractor vs acupuncture physician overview

	Chiropractor	Acupuncture Physician
Yearly salary	$53,608	$205,867
Hourly rate	$25.77	$98.97
Growth rate	10%	28%
Number of jobs	17,584	38,190
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 45%	Master's Degree, 47%
Average age	45	49
Years of experience	2	-

Chiropractor vs acupuncture physician salary

Chiropractors and acupuncture physicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Chiropractor	Acupuncture Physician
Average salary	$53,608	$205,867
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $82,000	Between $106,000 And $398,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	-
Highest paying state	Vermont	-
Best paying company	Hess	-
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between chiropractor and acupuncture physician education

There are a few differences between a chiropractor and an acupuncture physician in terms of educational background:

	Chiropractor	Acupuncture Physician
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 45%	Master's Degree, 47%
Most common major	Chiropractic	Alternative And Complementary Medicine And Medical Systems
Most common college	University of Bridgeport	Boston University

Chiropractor vs acupuncture physician demographics

Here are the differences between chiropractors' and acupuncture physicians' demographics:

	Chiropractor	Acupuncture Physician
Average age	45	49
Gender ratio	Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5%	Male, 43.2% Female, 56.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 6.3% Asian, 7.1% White, 80.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 6.3% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 20.3% White, 58.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	9%	12%

Differences between chiropractor and acupuncture physician duties and responsibilities

Chiropractor example 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
Used techniques including diversify, activator, drop piece, Graston and acupuncture.
Treat patients in all aspects of chiropractic care as well as acupuncture care.

Acupuncture physician example responsibilities.

Manage and oversee tuberculosis surveillance and clinic operations.
Work with pediatric populations, associate pediatric illness perform suturing orthopedic emergencies fracture care, reduction, splint and cast placement.
Review on a daily basis the reports of new providers add into the IPD with incomplete address and/or demographic information.

Chiropractor vs acupuncture physician skills

Common chiropractor skills

Patients, 46%
Medical Histories, 23%
Spine, 12%
Manual Adjustments, 4%
Musculoskeletal System, 4%
Patient Care, 3%

Common acupuncture physician skills

Patients, 61%
Treatment Plan, 9%
Chronic Pain, 6%
Pain Management, 5%
Private Practice, 5%
Hippa, 5%

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Chiropractor vs Acupuncture Physician

Updated January 8, 2025

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