Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 29-1011

Chiropractors

The published band from $43,460 to $146,080 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Surgeons, All Other.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Chiropractors: Surgeons, All Other ($414K) , Psychiatrists ($282K) , Physicians, Pathologists ($312K) , Dermatologists ($329K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Chiropractors publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 29-1011 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Evaluate the functioning of the neuromuscularskeletal system and the spine using systems of chiropractic diagnosis
  2. 2. Diagnose health problems by reviewing patients' health and medical histories, questioning, observing, and examining patients and interpre…
  3. 3. Perform a series of manual adjustments to the spine or other articulations of the body to correct the musculoskeletal system
  4. 4. Obtain and record patients' medical histories
  5. 5. Maintain accurate case histories of patients
  6. 6. Advise patients about recommended courses of treatment
  7. 7. Analyze x-rays to locate the sources of patients' difficulties and to rule out fractures or diseases as sources of problems
  8. 8. Counsel patients about nutrition, exercise, sleeping habits, stress management, or other matters
  9. 9. Consult with or refer patients to appropriate health practitioners when necessary
  10. 10. Recommend and arrange for diagnostic procedures, such as blood chemistry tests, saliva tests, x-rays, or other imaging procedures
  11. 11. Suggest and apply the use of supports such as straps, tapes, bandages, or braces if necessary

Chiropractors: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 29-1011 - lead skill Active Listening at 4.0 ; lead knowledge Medicine and Dentistry. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 4.0
  2. 2. Reading Comprehension 3.9
  3. 3. Speaking 3.9
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 3.9
  5. 5. Writing 3.8
  6. 6. Social Perceptiveness 3.8
  7. 7. Complex Problem Solving 3.6
  8. 8. Service Orientation 3.5

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Medicine and Dentistry 4.3
  2. 2. English Language 4.1
  3. 3. Customer and Personal Service 4.1
  4. 4. Biology 3.9
  5. 5. Psychology 3.8
  6. 6. Administration and Management 3.8
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$43,460 to $146,080
median $79,200 · ~3.4× spread
$79K
National median
↑ +10%
Growth 2024-2034
2,800
Annual openings
39,630
Estimated US jobs
Surgeons, All Other
Highest-pay peer · $414K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Doctoral or professional degree

Top Paying States for Chiropractors

1. Oklahoma $85,580
2. Virginia $88,030
3. Arizona $100,260
4. Alaska $103,500
5. Washington $104,070
6. New Jersey $134,990
7. Texas $87,520
8. New York $120,950
9. North Carolina $91,540
10. Maine $107,300

Other Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations titles

  1. 1. Physicians, Pathologists $312,400
  2. 2. Dermatologists $328,730
  3. 3. Surgeons, All Other $414,010
  4. 4. Obstetricians and Gynecologists $292,910
  5. 5. Anesthesiologists $391,490
  6. 6. Psychiatrists $281,870

The OEWS band for Chiropractors runs from $43,460 (10th) to $146,080 (90th), about 3.4× wide, with median $79,200. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +10% change between 2024 and 2034 (much faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 2,800 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Doctoral or professional degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Oklahoma at $85,580. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Surgeons, All Other at $414,010. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Chiropractors pay-rank #47 in Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

Chiropractors sits at pay-rank #47 of 71 detailed Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Chiropractors is unusually wide, so the state map and peer comparison carry more signal than the median alone.

Chiropractors salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 29-1011

Oklahoma · top state for Chiropractors

$86K published median

Virginia · #2 state pay

$88K · behind Oklahoma

Surgeons, All Other

Highest-pay peer vs Chiropractors · $414K

Psychiatrists

Lower-pay peer beside Chiropractors · $282K

Compare Chiropractors

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Chiropractors with another occupation →

Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Chiropractors mid-table among Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #47 of 71 detailed Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Radiologic Technologists and Technicians ($80K), Therapists, All Other ($78K), Orthotists and Prosthetists ($81K), Respiratory Therapists ($82K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do chiropractors do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Chiropractors. Leading ones include: Evaluate the functioning of the neuromuscularskeletal system and the spine using systems of chiropractic diagnosis; Diagnose health problems by reviewing patients' health and medical histories, questioning, observing, and examining patients and interpre…; Perform a series of manual adjustments to the spine or other articulations of the body to correct the musculoskeletal system; Obtain and record patients' medical histories. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for chiropractors? ▼
For SOC 29-1011, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (4.0), Reading Comprehension (3.9), Speaking (3.9), Critical Thinking (3.9). Knowledge areas emphasize Medicine and Dentistry, English Language, Customer and Personal Service. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How wide is the published pay band for Chiropractors? ▼
OEWS places the 10th percentile at $43,460 and the 90th at $146,080 for Chiropractors (3.4× spread). The national median is $79,200. OEWS does not isolate experience, employer, or geography as the cause of that spread.
What employment change does BLS publish for Chiropractors? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Chiropractors is +10%. Projected annual openings: about 2,800. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: much faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Chiropractors? ▼
BLS assigns Doctoral or professional degree as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Chiropractors. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Chiropractors? ▼
Oklahoma ($85,580), Virginia ($88,030), Arizona ($100,260) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Chiropractors card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 29-1011. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Chiropractors. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics