Chiropractor Career Guide

What is a chiropractor?

A chiropractor is a doctor who treats people by adjusting their spines. They focus on fixing the main cause of pain and discomfort, not just the symptoms. This approach helps reduce pain and improve how well people function without using drugs or surgery. They look at your entire lifestyle, like how you live and move, to help make you feel better. 

Duties and responsibilities

Chiropractors check and treat patients with back and neck issues. They start by asking about your health history and do a physical checkup. Sometimes, they use X-rays or MRIs to find out what’s wrong. They then make a treatment plan, especially for you, which might include spine adjustments, manual therapy, and advice on diet and exercise.

Work environment

Chiropractors mainly work in their own clinics but can also be found in hospitals and wellness centers. Their workplaces are clean and calm. They often work with other doctors like bone specialists and physiotherapists to take care of patients. 

Typical work hours

Chiropractors’ hours vary a lot. If they own their clinic, they can choose their own hours, sometimes working evenings or weekends to meet their patients’ needs. Those who work in hospitals usually follow a regular workday. They can work full-time or part-time.

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How to become a chiropractor

Becoming a chiropractor involves several steps, including school, exams, and getting a license. Here’s a quick guide to help you get started:

Step 1: Finish high school

Your first step is to graduate from high school. You’ll need this diploma to go to college.

Step 2: Go to college

You must go to college before you can be a chiropractor. Most chiropractic schools want you to have a bachelor’s degree, but some only need you to complete 90 hours of college courses. It’s a good idea to study things like exercise science or biology.

Step 3: Get a chiropractic degree

Next, you’ll need to get into a chiropractic school where you can earn your Doctor of Chiropractic degree. This takes about four years and includes lots of classes and hands-on training in anatomy and patient care.

Step 4: Pass your exams

You’ll have to take several tests to prove you know your stuff. These tests are spread throughout your school years, covering everything from basic sciences to hands-on patient care techniques.

Step 5: Get licensed

After passing your exams, you need to get a license to work as a chiropractor. Each state has different rules, so check what’s required where you live.

Step 6: Gain experience

Before jumping into your own practice, work with an experienced clinic to gain skills and build a list of patients.

Step 7: Keep learning

Stay updated with new techniques and knowledge by taking courses. Here are a few:

• Chiropractic Course on Udemy: Learn more about being a chiropractor with real-life insights from an experienced professional.
• Integrative Health and Medicine Specialization on Coursera: Understand how different health therapies work.
• How to Do Chiropractic Adjustments: The Fundamentals: A course that teaches you the basics of spine adjustments.
• Anatomy: Musculoskeletal and Integumentary Systems on Coursera: Refresh your knowledge about how our bodies move and protect themselves.
• Chiropractic Approach to Spinal Manipulation on Udemy: Improve your skills in spinal manipulation.

Step 8: Specialize

If you’re interested, consider specializing in areas like acupuncture or nutrition, which require additional training and certification.

Step 9: Start your own practice

When you’re ready, you can start your own practice. This means learning about business management and marketing, too.

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How much do chiropractors make?

Chiropractors’ compensation varies based on their location, experience, and the setting in which they practice. Some may also earn bonuses or commissions, mainly if they run their own practice. Educational background and additional certifications in specialized techniques can further differentiate salaries.

Browse chiropractor salary data by market

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Types of chiropractors

Chiropractors usually fall into two main types based on the techniques they use and how they view their practice.

• Straight chiropractor: These chiropractors stick to traditional methods, mainly focusing on correcting spinal issues (known as vertebral subluxations). They don’t usually mix their methods with other medical treatments and are less common today.
• Mixer: Most chiropractors today are mixers. They combine traditional chiropractic techniques with other treatments like exercise, massage, and hot and cold therapies. 

Special types of chiropractic care:

• Symptom-relief chiropractor: These chiropractors focus on quickly reducing pain or fixing a specific problem. Patients usually see them for a short period until their particular issue is resolved.
• Wellness chiropractor: Wellness chiropractors aim to improve overall health by adjusting misaligned vertebrae in the spine, which they believe enhances overall wellness and posture. They also give advice on nutrition and general health.
• Specialty chiropractor: Chiropractors can specialize in various fields, such as sports, pediatrics, radiology, and workplace health. There are even chiropractors for animals. 

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Top skills for chiropractors

If you’re aiming to become a chiropractor, here are the essential skills you need to develop:

• Deep knowledge of anatomy: Chiropractors need to know the body’s structure really well, especially the spine, muscles, and nerves. This helps them find out what’s wrong with a patient and choose the right treatment to fix pain and help patients move better.
• Diagnostic skills: Since they are often the first to check for bone and muscle problems, being able to figure out exactly what’s wrong is crucial. Good diagnostic skills mean they can quickly find the problem and start the right treatment, making patients feel better sooner.
• Manual dexterity: These doctors use their hands to adjust spines and joints. It’s super important to have precise control over their movements to be gentle yet effective without causing any harm.
• Communication skills: Talking clearly and listening well are key. They need to be able to break down complex health issues into simple explanations. 
• Business skills: Many run their own clinics, so knowing how to manage a business is important. Skills like marketing, customer service, and managing money help keep the clinic successful and allow the chiropractor to keep helping patients.

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Chiropractor career path options

Start as an associate

Many new chiropractors begin working at a clinic or as part of a healthcare team. This helps you learn the ropes, improve your skills, and start building relationships with clients.

Specialize

As you gain experience, you might want to focus on a specific area like sports medicine, children’s health, or bone health. Specializing usually requires more training and certifications.

Open your own clinic

With enough experience and a solid client base, you could open your own clinic. This gives you freedom but also adds responsibilities like marketing, hiring, and managing finances.

Move into academia or consulting

Experienced chiropractors might teach upcoming professionals or advise healthcare companies. These roles allow you to share your expertise on a larger scale.

Leadership roles

If you become well-known and respected, you might lead professional groups, write research articles, or help shape health policies. These opportunities usually come with financial and professional rewards, marking you as a leader in your field.

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Similar job titles

• Athletic Trainer
• Massage Therapist
• Occupational Therapist
• Physical Therapist
• Physical Therapy Assistant
• Registered Nurse
• Certified Nursing Assistant
• Medical Assistant
• Health and Safety Inspector

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Chiropractor position trends and outlook

Here’s what’s going on in the chiropractic field:

• Growing integration in healthcare: More medical facilities are incorporating chiropractic services, reflecting a broader acceptance of chiropractic care as essential to holistic health management. This integration into mainstream healthcare is likely to continue.
• Rise of telehealth: Telehealth is becoming more common in chiropractic care, allowing patients to receive help without needing to visit a clinic. This convenience makes services more accessible and opens new opportunities for chiropractic practices.

Employment projections

Jobs for chiropractors are expected to increase by 10% through 2031, faster than the average for all occupations. This growth is driven by greater demand for less invasive health solutions. Hospitals, sports teams, corporate offices, and veteran care facilities are increasingly hiring these doctors, highlighting diverse opportunities in the field.

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Chiropractor career tips

Soft skills and traits

Learn how to run and manage your business to start your own practice. Take business planning and accounting courses to help you expand your knowledge on the critical topics for operating a business. Check out software programs, like ChiroTouch, to help manage the business. Also, make sure you perfect your bedside manner when working with patients.

Commonly required skills and qualifications

Take good care of your hands. Chiropractors rely on their hands to do the work, so you must stretch and work out the muscles in your hand. Experience some treatments yourself. Make appointments to try out some of the services you are considering offering in your practice, whether it’s massage, heat therapy, or new tools, so you know what your patients can expect. Being in every patient’s situation is impossible, but having some personal references is good.

Study X-rays and practice interpreting these tests and other diagnostic tests. The more experience you have in reading these, the better you’ll be able to spot things with your own patients in the future.

Develop a professional network

Get involved with your community. Anyone that works to help people can offer resources to low-income or in-need people within their own town or neighborhood. Giving back is great, enabling you to build some name recognition in the area. Join at least one professional network to meet other chiropractors and share knowledge.

• Foundation for Chiropractic Progress
• Chiropractic Research Alliance
• International Chiropractors Association
• American Chiropractic Association

Be aware of referral relationships with personal injury lawyers. There can be some healthy relationships, but some lawyers do not have excellent reputations and tend to work the system in a less desirable way. If you plan to enter into these relationships, do your research.

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FAQs