Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Doctoral or professional degree
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These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Chiropractors work in a specialized healthcare role that combines scientific knowledge with strong people skills. Nationally, there are about 57,000 chiropractors, and the field is projected to grow by 9.5%, with around 3,000 openings each year. This combination of an established workforce and ongoing openings suggests a continuing need for new professionals. The career calls for strength in problem solving and decision making, as well as critical and analytical thinking, reflecting the need to evaluate information and make sound judgments. Interpersonal and customer service skills are also central, pointing to frequent, direct interaction with patients. Chiropractors typically need to be detail oriented and adaptable, and may draw on leadership and project management abilities, especially in settings that involve coordinating work or managing a practice. Overall, this career can appeal to those interested in science-based healthcare who also enjoy working closely with people over time.
The national median annual salary for chiropractors is $79,000, but earnings vary by location. Among the top states by opportunity score, median salaries range from $74,040 in Colorado to $120,950 in New York. Washington and New York stand out on the higher end, with Washington at $104,070 and New York at $120,950, while California, Massachusetts, and Colorado cluster in the mid-$70,000s. At the metro level, median pay ranges from $74,860 in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont area to $105,290 in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue. Several metros, including San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, show median salaries near or just above the national median. These figures indicate that chiropractors’ earning potential can differ substantially depending on the state or metro where they practice, even within regions that score well for overall opportunity.
Chiropractors have a national employment base of about 57,000, with projected employment growth of 9.5%. This projected growth, paired with an estimated 3,000 annual openings, signals steady demand for new chiropractors entering the field. The presence of annual openings suggests that opportunities may arise both from growth and from turnover or replacement needs. The 9.5% projected growth rate is consistent across the highlighted states and metro areas, indicating a broadly similar growth expectation in multiple regions rather than growth being concentrated in just one area. For students and career changers, this means that the occupation offers both an existing job market and room for expansion over time. Professionals already in healthcare who have skills aligned with the role may find that the combination of a defined workforce size, ongoing openings, and projected growth supports long-term career planning in this field.
Location choices can significantly shape the chiropractic career experience. Among states with strong CareerGPS opportunity scores, California, Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, and Washington all show the same projected growth of 9.5%, but differ in pay and employment levels. New York and Washington offer higher median salaries of $120,950 and $104,070, while California, Massachusetts, and Colorado are in the mid-$70,000s. California has the largest employment among these states at 2,760 chiropractors, followed by Colorado and Washington, with Massachusetts and New York having smaller employment counts. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara leads in opportunity score (77.42) with a median salary of $95,990, while Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue has the highest listed metro median salary at $105,290. Other strong metros include San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, each offering a distinct mix of salary, employment size, and opportunity score for chiropractors.
Chiropractors typically need a doctoral or professional degree, indicating a significant level of formal education and training before entering practice. This educational path aligns with the occupation’s emphasis on science skills, supporting the ability to understand and apply scientific concepts in a healthcare context. The role also makes strong use of problem solving and decision making, critical and analytical thinking, and being detail oriented, all of which fit well with advanced professional education. Interpersonal and customer service skills are important for working effectively with patients, while writing and reading skills support the communication and documentation aspects of professional practice. Leadership and project management abilities can be valuable for chiropractors who take on responsibilities such as coordinating work or managing a practice. Adaptability is also highlighted, suggesting that graduates of chiropractic programs benefit from being able to adjust to different patient needs, work environments, and professional situations over time.
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