How much do chiropractors make?

Chiropractor salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Chiropractors (SOC 29-1011) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Chiropractors in the US earned a median of $79,200 a year ($38.08 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $60,070 to $105,050.

Median annual pay: $79,200; Mean $90,520
Median hourly pay: $38.08; Mean $43.52
Typical range (10th–90th): $43.5K–$146K; $43,460 to $146,080
US jobs: 39,630; +8.7% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become a chiropractor: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: New Jersey

Chiropractor pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$43,460
25th percentile$60,070
Median$79,200
75th percentile$105,050
90th percentile$146,080

Half of all chiropractors earned more than $79,200 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $43,460; the top 10% made over $146,080. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $60,070 to $105,050.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$43,460	$20.90	$3,622
25th	$60,070	$28.88	$5,006
Median (50th)	$79,200	$38.08	$6,600
75th	$105,050	$50.51	$8,754
90th	$146,080	$70.23	$12,173
Mean (average)	$90,520	$43.52	$7,543

Chiropractor salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for chiropractors by state. Darker tiles pay more. A dash means BLS did not publish a figure.

Highest-paying states

1. New Jersey $134,990
2. New York $120,950
3. Maine $107,300
4. Washington $104,070
5. Alaska $103,500

Lowest-paying states

48. Utah $53,900
47. Kansas $57,600
46. Georgia $61,660
45. Wyoming $62,640
44. Missouri $65,090

Best after cost of living: New Jersey. Its median of $134,990 is worth about $124,066 at national-average prices.


Alabama	$80,990	19	$91,181	11	$38.94	430	0.20
Alaska	$103,500	5	$101,115	4	$49.76	90	0.26
Arizona	$100,260	6	$99,586	5	$48.20	1,050	0.33
Arkansas	$76,290	29	$87,753	17	$36.68	320	0.24
California	$75,470	33	$68,163	41	$36.28	2,760	0.15
Colorado	$74,040	37	$71,847	37	$35.60	1,340	0.47
Connecticut	$79,560	22	$76,788	33	$38.25	240	0.14
Delaware	—	—	—	—	—	140	0.29
District of Columbia	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Florida	$84,280	12	$81,498	26	$40.52	3,220	0.32
Georgia	$61,660	46	$64,034	46	$29.64	1,500	0.31
Hawaii	$72,800	38	$66,211	45	$35.00	220	0.35
Idaho	$80,770	20	$84,581	23	$38.83	220	0.25
Illinois	$66,650	42	$66,678	44	$32.04	2,190	0.36
Indiana	$77,790	27	$83,350	25	$37.40	780	0.24
Iowa	$75,050	34	$85,515	21	$36.08	970	0.63
Kansas	$57,600	47	$63,952	47	$27.69	570	0.40
Kentucky	$81,740	17	$90,662	13	$39.30	470	0.23
Louisiana	$80,280	21	$91,013	12	$38.59	370	0.19
Maine	$107,300	3	$110,562	3	$51.59	250	0.40
Maryland	$85,330	11	$81,298	28	$41.02	390	0.14
Massachusetts	$75,940	32	$71,806	38	$36.51	780	0.21
Michigan	$71,220	39	$74,020	35	$34.24	1,270	0.29
Minnesota	$79,510	23	$80,622	29	$38.23	1,160	0.39
Mississippi	$78,450	25	$90,221	14	$37.72	130	0.11
Missouri	$65,090	44	$71,672	39	$31.29	660	0.22
Montana	$76,120	31	$80,427	30	$36.60	240	0.47
Nebraska	$66,050	43	$73,305	36	$31.75	500	0.49
Nevada	$74,190	36	$74,206	34	$35.67	240	0.16
New Hampshire	$69,990	40	$67,191	43	$33.65	130	0.18
New Jersey	$134,990	1	$124,066	1	$64.90	1,370	0.32
New Mexico	$75,040	35	$81,378	27	$36.08	140	0.17
New York	$120,950	2	$112,073	2	$58.15	1,360	0.14
North Carolina	$91,540	7	$97,046	8	$44.01	1,020	0.21
North Dakota	$77,990	26	$87,670	18	$37.49	360	0.84
Ohio	$77,710	28	$83,763	24	$37.36	1,380	0.25
Oklahoma	$85,580	10	$97,424	6	$41.15	500	0.29
Oregon	$81,540	18	$78,889	32	$39.20	610	0.31
Pennsylvania	$67,230	41	$68,903	40	$32.32	1,770	0.29
Rhode Island	$81,840	16	$80,016	31	$39.35	170	0.34
South Carolina	$79,310	24	$84,598	22	$38.13	680	0.30
South Dakota	$76,210	30	$86,029	20	$36.64	260	0.57
Tennessee	$83,990	13	$91,423	10	$40.38	500	0.15
Texas	$87,520	9	$90,174	15	$42.08	2,840	0.20
Utah	$53,900	48	$54,519	48	$25.91	490	0.28
Vermont	—	—	—	—	—	120	0.41
Virginia	$88,030	8	$87,069	19	$42.32	900	0.22
Washington	$104,070	4	$97,250	7	$50.03	1,130	0.32
West Virginia	$83,160	14	$92,919	9	$39.98	60	0.09
Wisconsin	$83,020	15	$88,230	16	$39.91	1,210	0.41
Wyoming	$62,640	45	$67,579	42	$30.12	110	0.40

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure (3 states). State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for chiropractors

177 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$130,870	$116,264	—
Sheboygan, WI	$120,440	$128,109	30
Anchorage, AK	$118,080	$112,009	50
Green Bay, WI	$115,380	$123,950	70
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	$113,560	$110,525	90
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$105,290	$94,742	620
Raleigh-Cary, NC	$104,330	$106,289	210
Oklahoma City, OK	$103,490	$114,470	190
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$103,090	$96,644	130
Huntsville, AL	$102,560	$110,194	80

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	1,470	$72,440	$69,926
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	1,110	$97,580	$94,655
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	1,060	$52,000	$51,970
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	870	$79,450	$77,471
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	830	$102,110	$98,833
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	810	$98,630	$94,093
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	750	$84,100	$79,503
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	740	$78,000	$77,312
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	640	$51,990	$46,467
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	620	$105,290	$94,742

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves chiropractor pay: employers and settings

Whether a chiropractor owns a practice or works for someone else is the biggest pay question, and it is one our figures only partly capture. BLS projections count 36.3% of chiropractors as self-employed, and the wage figures here cover only those on a payroll. Practice owners keep the profit after rent, staff, equipment and insurance costs, so their income depends on patient volume and how the business is run.

Among salaried chiropractors, 92% work in offices of health practitioners, with a median of $78,560 for that group. The few in hospitals and outpatient care centers earn more: general medical and surgical hospitals report a median of $118,060 and outpatient care centers a median of $104,810 for that setting. Local government employs very few, at a median of $120,550 for that group.

Location matters too. New Jersey has the highest state median, $134,990, followed by New York at $120,950, while Utah sits at the bottom of the list at $53,900. Insurance matters as well: what Medicare and private insurers cover for chiropractic care limits how much a practice can bill. Across the occupation, the 10th percentile is $43,460, and the 90th percentile is $146,080, a wide range that reflects these differences.

Where chiropractors work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Offices of Other Health Practitioners	92%	$78,560
Outpatient Care Centers	1.3%	$104,810
Management of Companies and Enterprises	0.5%	$102,120
Employment Services	0.5%	$81,940
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	0.3%	$118,060
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	0.1%	$86,600

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	39,590	$79,180
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	40	$120,550

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Chiropractor pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$79.2K $64.4K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $64,440 in 2015 to $79,200 in 2025, up 23% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $87,110 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay fell 9% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What chiropractors do

A chiropractor is a licensed health practitioner who treats problems of the spine, joints and muscles, most often low back pain, neck pain and headaches, without drugs or surgery. A visit usually starts with a health history and a physical exam that tests posture, reflexes, range of motion and nerve function. Many chiropractors take and read their own x-rays to rule out fractures, tumors or other conditions that need a medical doctor instead.

The main treatment is the spinal adjustment, also called spinal manipulation: a quick, controlled push by hand or with an instrument to move a joint. Chiropractors also use soft tissue work, heat, ice, electrical stimulation and home exercises, and they advise patients on posture, sleep, nutrition and activity. Most work in small private offices, often their own, and many treat a steady list of returning patients. A growing number work alongside physical therapists and physicians in multidisciplinary clinics, hospitals or the VA, and they refer patients to medical providers when symptoms point to something outside their scope.

A typical day

Take patient histories and do physical and neurological exams
Order, take and read x-rays to rule out fractures and disease
Perform spinal and joint adjustments by hand or with instruments
Teach patients stretches and strengthening exercises to do at home
Advise on posture, ergonomics, sleep and nutrition
Write treatment notes and handle insurance billing and documentation
Refer patients to physicians or other specialists when needed

Also called: chiropractic doctor (dc), chiropractic neurologist, chiropractic physician.

How to become a chiropractor

Full guide

To become a chiropractor, you complete at least 90 semester hours of college (usually a bachelor's degree), earn a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degree from a CCE-accredited program in about 3½ to 4 years, pass the NBCE Parts I-IV exams and get a state license, which takes about 7 to 8 years after high school in total.

Typical time: 7-8 years; Fastest: About 6⅓ years (3 years of college plus a year-round D.C. program of about 3⅓ years)
Minimum education: Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degree from a program accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE)
License: Required in all 50 states and DC
Typical training cost: $135K–$237K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a chiropractor: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 7-8 years; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $135K–$237K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $79,200; $28,220 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 170–300%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($28,220 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in about 4.8–8.4 years after training ends (7-8 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for chiropractors

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +8.7%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 61,700; 67,000 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 2,600; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 36.3%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects chiropractor jobs to grow 8.7% from 2025 to 2035, from 61,700 to 67,000, much faster than the 3.5% expected for all occupations. That works out to about 2,600 openings a year, many of them to replace chiropractors who retire or leave the occupation. Demand comes from people looking for drug-free, nonsurgical treatment for pain and from an aging population with more joint and back problems. Closer referral ties with physicians and physical therapists are also widening where chiropractors work. New graduates still compete with established local practices for patients, and many start as associates in someone else's clinic.

Related careers and their pay

Orthopedic Surgeon$358,550
Neurologist$248,560
Cardiologist$496,010
Dermatologist$328,730
Pediatrician$210,040
OB-GYN$292,910
Psychiatrist$281,870
Nurse Practitioner$132,300

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Chiropractor salary FAQ

How much do chiropractors make an hour?

The median hourly wage for chiropractors was $38.08 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $20.90 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $70.23. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays chiropractors the most?

New Jersey has the highest median pay for chiropractors, $134,990 a year, followed by New York ($120,950) and Maine ($107,300). After adjusting for each state's price level, New Jersey comes out ahead at about $124,066 in national-average dollars.

Do chiropractors make six figures?

Some do: based on the BLS percentiles, between 25% and 50% of chiropractors earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $79,200, and the top 10% earn more than $146,080. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

Are chiropractors real doctors?

Chiropractors earn a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) degree and use the title doctor, and every state licenses them to diagnose and treat patients. They are not medical doctors: they do not prescribe drugs or perform surgery, and their training and scope center on the spine, joints and nervous system. Patients can usually see a chiropractor without a referral, and chiropractors refer patients to physicians when a problem falls outside their scope.

Do most chiropractors own their own practice?

Many do. BLS counts 36.3% of chiropractors as self-employed, a much higher share than in most health careers. A common path is to start as an associate in an established clinic, learn the business side, then buy into a practice or open a new one. Others stay salaried in multidisciplinary clinics, hospitals, sports organizations or the VA, where they avoid the costs and risks of running a business.

Is chiropractic school worth the cost?

That depends heavily on how you plan to practice. Chiropractic graduates carry a median federal loan debt of $191,354, according to the College Scorecard data in our research, while recent graduates' median earnings four years after finishing are $61,163. Debt that large takes years to repay on a starting salary. Building a practice takes time, so compare program costs, look at clinic job offers in your area and plan the business side before enrolling.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 29-1011
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (29-1011.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Chiropractors, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
Council on Chiropractic Education, Council on Chiropractic Education · checked October 28, 2026
Tuition & Cost of Attendance; Admissions Requirements, Palmer College of Chiropractic · checked October 28, 2026
NBCE Exams, National Board of Chiropractic Examiners · checked October 28, 2026
Chiropractic Care, National Board of Chiropractic Examiners · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026
Overview of Changes to the Part IV Exam (FAQ), National Board of Chiropractic Examiners · checked October 28, 2026

Careers and Salaries is not affiliated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Found an error? Tell us; corrections are listed on the editorial policy page.