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Everything You Need to Know
to Become a Chiropractor
Chiropractic School & Career Guide
to Become a Chiropractor
Chiropractic School & Career Guide
| | Among the fastest growing holistic and natural health degree professions, chiropractic focuses on the relationship between the spinal column and the nervous system. When we suffer interference or misalignment in these systems, we make ourselves more susceptible to disease. We may show symptoms such as chronic pain, headaches and body aches—the root cause of which chiropractors can help to relieve through the manipulation of those areas of the spine that have fallen out of alignment. |
Chiropractic Education
In general, chiropractic schools recommend that students complete a 4-year bachelor's degree prior to starting their chiropractic education. Some chiropractic colleges in the United States now offer bachelor's degree programs for students who know early on that they want to pursue a career in chiropractic medicine.
Earning your Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree typically involves a minimum of 4,200 hours of combined classroom, laboratory and clinical experience, and takes an average of four years to complete. The first two years generally emphasize classroom and lab work in anatomy, physiology, pathology and other sciences. During the last two years, chiropractic colleges focus on clinical experience, providing students with the opportunity to perform spinal adjustments and diagnoses.
Tuition at chiropractic schools can range from $11,000 to $20,000, depending on the program. Some schools run year round, while others run nine months of the year, which accounts for the wide variation in tuition costs.
Professional Chiropractic Licensure
Most states will grant licenses to chiropractors who have completed a 2- or 4-year undergraduate program, earned their DC degree from an accredited chiropractic college, and passed state and national board exams. An increasing number of states have started to require a four-year undergraduate degree. You should thoroughly research your state's chiropractic licensure requirements prior to starting your chiropractic education.
Nearly all states have established continuing education requirements for chiropractors to maintain their licensure, and DCs can find classes that meet these requirements at accredited chiropractic colleges and through chiropractic associations. Some chiropractic schools and associations also offer postdoctoral training in areas such as orthopedics, pediatrics, family practice, nutrition and neurology that can lead toward clinical specialist status through the Chiropractic Association.
Chiropractor Salaries
The majority of chiropractors in the United States work in independent practices, which, by nature, means that as their practice grows, so do their earnings. According to Salary.com, average salaries for chiropractors range from $67,641 to $101,492 annually, with the lowest 10 percent earning $52,885 per year, and the top 10 percent making over $117,000 per year.
In general, self-employed chiropractors make a higher income than salaried ones. Geographic location plus the chiropractor's individual qualities, level of experience and accomplishments also influence earnings.
Chiropractor Career Outlook
The public's increasing demand for alternative health care continues to drive the high rate of job growth that the chiropractic profession enjoys. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate for chiropractors will increase by 14 percent through 2016. As a testament to their practice, the majority of chiropractors remain in their profession until retirement.
Exceptional job growth, lifelong learning opportunities and the chance to help people heal every day—chiropractic medicine promises a long-term career filled with exceptional professional and personal rewards. Earning your credentials and building your chiropractic practice will take dedication and commitment, but if the statistics hold true, you will never have to look for another job again.
Sources:
CareerOverview.com, 2008
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