Chiropractors: salary, outlook & degrees
Assess, treat, and care for patients by manipulation of spine and musculoskeletal system. May provide spinal adjustment or address sacral or pelvic misalignment.
Middle half $60,070–$105,050. 39,630 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
97% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $67,032.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 2,600 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Extensive preparation (usually a graduate degree).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | 26% | Biology |
| Physical Fitness Parks Recreation And Leisure | 19% | Kinesiology / Exercise Science · Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies |
| General Medical And Health Services | 6% | Health Sciences |
| Multi-Disciplinary Or General Science | 5% | Biological and Physical Sciences |
| Physiology | 4% | Physiology |
| Psychology | 3% | Psychology |
| Treatment Therapy Professions | 3% | Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences |
| Nursing | 2% | Nursing |
| Biochemical Sciences | 2% | Biochemistry |
| Nutrition Sciences | 2% | Nutrition Science |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $134,990 |
| New York | $120,950 |
| Maine | $107,300 |
| Washington | $104,070 |
| Alaska | $103,500 |
| Arizona | $100,260 |
| North Carolina | $91,540 |
| Virginia | $88,030 |
| Texas | $87,520 |
| Oklahoma | $85,580 |
| Maryland | $85,330 |
| Florida | $84,280 |
| Tennessee | $83,990 |
| West Virginia | $83,160 |
| Wisconsin | $83,020 |
| Rhode Island | $81,840 |
| Kentucky | $81,740 |
| Oregon | $81,540 |
| Alabama | $80,990 |
| Idaho | $80,770 |
| Louisiana | $80,280 |
| Connecticut | $79,560 |
| Minnesota | $79,510 |
| South Carolina | $79,310 |
| Mississippi | $78,450 |
| North Dakota | $77,990 |
| Indiana | $77,790 |
| Ohio | $77,710 |
| Arkansas | $76,290 |
| South Dakota | $76,210 |
| Montana | $76,120 |
| Massachusetts | $75,940 |
| California | $75,470 |
| Iowa | $75,050 |
| New Mexico | $75,040 |
| Nevada | $74,190 |
| Colorado | $74,040 |
| Hawaii | $72,800 |
| Michigan | $71,220 |
| New Hampshire | $69,990 |
| PR | $69,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $67,230 |
| Illinois | $66,650 |
| Nebraska | $66,050 |
| Missouri | $65,090 |
| Wyoming | $62,640 |
| Georgia | $61,660 |
| Kansas | $57,600 |
| Utah | $53,900 |
Florida metro areas
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$78,000
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$97,300
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$96,150
- North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$91,980
- Jacksonville$99,280
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers$66,670
- Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach$79,900
- Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville$82,690
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$97,800
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$82,240
- Richmond$81,760
- Roanoke$79,130
California metro areas
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$51,990
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$74,860
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$80,560
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$95,990
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$103,090
- Santa Rosa-Petaluma$74,930
- Bakersfield-Delano$74,340
- Modesto$73,640
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
Knowledge used
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Customer and Personal Service
- Biology
- Therapy and Counseling
- Administration and Management
Work styles
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cooperation
- Cautiousness
- Empathy
People in this job tend to have Social (helping), Realistic (hands-on), Investigative (analytical) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Chiropractors: questions
How much do chiropractors make?
Chiropractors earn a U.S. median $79,200 a year; the middle half earn $60,070 to $105,050 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $67,032 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is chiropractors a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 8.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,600 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a chiropractor?
BLS lists the typical entry education as doctoral or professional degree. In O*NET's survey, 90% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is biology (26%).
How much do chiropractors make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $84,280 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $79,200 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 29-1011. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Chiropractors: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/chiropractors.