Chiropractor vs chiropractic physician

The differences between chiropractors and chiropractic physicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a chiropractor and a chiropractic physician. Additionally, a chiropractic physician has an average salary of $150,690, 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 a chiropractic physician are patients, physical therapy, and rehabilitation.

Chiropractor vs chiropractic physician overview

	Chiropractor	Chiropractic Physician
Yearly salary	$53,608	$150,690
Hourly rate	$25.77	$72.45
Growth rate	10%	10%
Number of jobs	17,584	38,760
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 45%	Doctoral Degree, 55%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

Chiropractor vs chiropractic physician salary

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

	Chiropractor	Chiropractic Physician
Average salary	$53,608	$150,690
Salary range	Between $34,000 And $82,000	Between $69,000 And $327,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Cambridge, MA
Highest paying state	Vermont	Vermont
Best paying company	Hess	Hartford HealthCare Medical Group
Best paying industry	Professional	Non Profits

Differences between chiropractor and chiropractic physician education

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

	Chiropractor	Chiropractic Physician
Most common degree	Doctoral Degree, 45%	Doctoral Degree, 55%
Most common major	Chiropractic	Chiropractic
Most common college	University of Bridgeport	Stanford University

Chiropractor vs chiropractic physician demographics

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

	Chiropractor	Chiropractic Physician
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 49.5% Female, 50.5%	Male, 70.5% Female, 29.5%
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, 2.2% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 6.4% Asian, 7.2% White, 79.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between chiropractor and chiropractic 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.

Chiropractic physician example responsibilities.

Utilize medical devices such as traction, interferential, ultrasound, infrare, hot/cold therapeutics for musculoskeletal injuries.
Perform patient history/assessments, complete exams, consult with patients, and developed/implement treatment plans with strong focus on patient education.
Use mechanical traction and electric stimulation for pain.
Implement and educate staff on proper usage of HIPAA guidelines within the facility.
Use interferential muscle stimulation, therapeutic ultrasound, infrare, and hot/cold therapies to treat musculoskeletal injuries.
Educate patients and demonstrate the validity and effectiveness of chiropractic medicine, which result in a highly profitable business.

Chiropractor vs chiropractic physician skills

Common chiropractor skills

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

Common chiropractic physician skills

Patients, 33%
Physical Therapy, 8%
Rehabilitation, 7%
Diagnosis, 6%
Soft Tissue, 4%
Physical Exams, 3%

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Chiropractor vs Chiropractic Physician

Updated January 8, 2025

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