Chiropractor Salary

Good news for aspiring chiropractors. The average chiropractor salary is increasing. Salaries range from USD 45, 000 per annum to USD 102, 000 per annum according to one source while another places the median annual income around USD 81, 500 per annum. As with most other categories, self-employed chiropractors earned higher than salaried chiropractors and the ones who had experience, qualifications and location on their side earned higher.

Chiropractors diagnose and treat problems related to muscular, nervous, skeletal and the spine using holistic, natural, drugless, non-surgical treatments. As a chiropractor, you would rely on a whole range of factors that influence health such as diet, rest, stress management, environment and heredity and then prescribe a holistic remedy taking into account the body’s recuperative abilities. Therapies used by chiropractors range from massage, ultrasound, water, light and heat treatments. Many musculoskeletal problems are addressed by the chiropractors by adjusting the spinal column manually. On some occasions hey use straps and braces for some corrective procedures.

But to be a chiropractor you must be licensed. The other catch is that you can practice only in the states in which you are licensed. To get a license you need 2-4 years of undergraduate education (English, social sciences or humanities, chemistry, biology, physics, and psychology), complete a 4-year chiropractic college course leading to a Doctor of Chiropractic degree and pass the National and State exam. Certification can be obtained in specialty areas such as orthopedics, neurology, sports injuries, occupational and industrial health, nutrition, diagnostic imaging, thermography, and internal disorders.

The future looks good for chiropractors as alternative, non-invasive methods are catching on. Now most insurance plans include chiropractic services as well. Though chiropractor salary may be low in the initial years, they pick up with increasing experience and credentials. Chiropractors work about 40 hours a week normally with about 130 patient visits per year, statistics that may vary on nature of practice. Other than setting up practice or taking up a job in hospitals and clinics, a chiropractor can also look for openings in the teaching sector and research.

To be a successful chiropractor you should be able to handle responsibility, work independently, be patient, understand and communicate well with your patients – traits that any medical practitioner would do well to possess.