With its vibrant wellness culture and veritable array of outdoor recreation opportunities, chiropractors have the chance to establish a thriving career in Colorado. The requirements to become a chiropractor are set by each individual state, but most states have similar requirements. Even so, if you’re thinking of starting a chiropractic career in Colorado or transferring your career there, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the state’s laws and regulations before you dive in.
The requirements to be a licensed chiropractor in Colorado are set forth by the Colorado Board of Chiropractic Examiners. They state that anyone wishing to get licensed as a chiropractor in Colorado must satisfy the following:
Be at least 21 years old
Have a high school diploma or equivalent education
Graduate from a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) program accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE)
Pass Parts I-IV exams administered by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE)
Submit an application and pay the appropriate fee
Keep up with continuing education and follow all applicable laws and regulations to maintain licensure
Education and training requirements
In Colorado, chiropractors must have a high school diploma or equivalent education and graduate from a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) program accredited by the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE). The program must consist of at least 4,000 resident classroom hours over a four-year period. Unfortunately there are no DC programs available within the state, so you’ll have to get your education elsewhere before you can work in Colorado.
In order to be admitted to a DC program, you’ll need to already have a certain number of undergraduate credits in the health sciences as determined by each school’s admission requirements. In most cases, students applying to DC programs already have a bachelor’s degree in biology, exercise science, kinesiology or something similar. However, there are some combined bachelor’s and DC programs that allow you to earn your bachelor’s and DC degree concurrently and in less time overall.
Dr. RJ Gelinas, Past President of the Colorado Chiropractic Association, said that it’s important to start thinking early about where you want to work after graduation while you’re still in school.
“Let’s not wait until they have their license—that should be done in the eighth or ninth trimester (or 10th, 11th or 12th quarter, depending on what school they go to). They should be looking at locations, they should be looking at job opportunities.”
It’s also during this final year or so of chiropractic college that students participate in a preceptorship where they gain real clinical experience under the supervision of a licensed chiropractor. “That’s where they should be going and finding docs that they want to potentially work for,” Dr. RJ said.
Dr. RJ said there are a lot of preceptorship opportunities in Colorado where, for example, students can come and work in his office while they’re still in school. However, many people don’t always realize they can do their preceptorship wherever they want and end up taking one close to their chiropractic school, when in reality they can start branching out sooner than they think.
Exam and licensing requirements
Colorado chiropractors must pass the Part I through Part IV exams (four exams total) administered by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE). Each part builds on the next, meaning you must take and pass the exams sequentially.
You don’t have to wait until you’ve graduated from your DC program to take the exams. In fact, you can take Part I as early as your second year of chiropractic school. For more information about when you can take each exam, refer to the NBCE’s website.
Continuing education for chiropractors in Colorado
Colorado chiropractors must renew their license every two years (odd numbered years). Each renewal period, chiropractors must complete at least 30 continuing education (CE) hours. They must also have an active and valid health care provider level CPR certification.
Legal considerations for chiropractors in Colorado
Reciprocity for out-of-state chiropractors
If you’re already a licensed chiropractor in another state and need to get licensed in Colorado, the process is fairly straightforward. You can apply for a license by endorsement, and as long as the requirements to get licensed in your original state are substantially equivalent to Colorado’s requirements, you should be able to get a Colorado license.
Scope of practice
The Colorado Revised Statues defines the practice of chiropractic as the following:
“’Chiropractic’ means that branch of the healing arts that is based on the premise that disease is attributable to the abnormal functioning of the human nervous system. It includes the diagnosing and analyzing of human ailments and seeks the elimination of the abnormal functioning of the human nervous system by the adjustment or manipulation, by hand or instrument, of the articulations and adjacent tissue of the human body, particularly the spinal column, and the use as indicated of procedures that facilitate the adjustment or manipulation and make it more effective and the use of sanitary, hygienic, nutritional and physical remedial measures for the promotion, maintenance and restoration of health, the prevention of disease and the treatment of human ailments.”
For the rest of the definition and to find more information, consult the Chiropractors Practice Act of the Colorado Revised Statutes. The policies of the Colorado Board of Chiropractic Examiners also includes more information.
Professional conduct and ethical guidelines
As health care professionals, chiropractors must always act professionally and adhere to firm ethical boundaries to best serve their patients. Colorado’s Chiropractors Practice Act outlines many of these rules which mostly consists of actions that would be grounds for the suspension or revocation of a chiropractor’s license. This includes things like practicing without a valid license, engaging in sexual misconduct with a patient, promoting false or misleading advertising and more.
Liability insurance requirements
Colorado chiropractors can lawfully practice only if they maintain professional liability insurance in an amount equal to or greater than $300,000 per claim with an aggregate liability limit for all claims during the year of $1 million. Exceptions to this rule can be found in Title 12, Article 215 (Chiropractors Practice Act) of the Colorado Revised Statutes.
Working as a chiropractor in Colorado
Chiropractor salary in Colorado
According to the 2024 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for chiropractors in Colorado is $80,900, which is less than the national median. However, it’s important to note that the BLS doesn’t usually include salary data for self-employed workers. Since private practice is often considered a more lucrative route for many healthcare professionals, the data from the BLS may not have all salaries from these self-employed chiropractors that run their own business.
Private practice chiropractors that wish to increase their earning potential might consider opening or working at more than one location, Dr. RJ said, but there are other ways, too.
“A lot of people just like sticking to chiropractic, but I know a lot of people that do really well by offering other modalities,” Dr. RJ said. Two popular examples he noted are SoftWave therapy (the use of unfocused shockwaves to promote the body’s natural healing processes) and functional medicine testing.
If you’re thinking about becoming a chiropractor in Colorado, check out some of the top-paying areas in the state:
Chiropractors
10%$41,610
25%$64,490
50%$80,900Median
75%$90,840
90%$99,820
Median Hourly Wage$39
Job growth9.5%
Total Employment1,260
Metro area
Median Salary
Bottom 10%
Top 10%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$80,900
$65,220
$103,030
Greeley, CO
$75,480
$41,610
$127,980
Boulder, CO
$75,230
$35,770
$99,010
Fort Collins-Loveland, CO
$64,490
$61,940
$82,920
Grand Junction, CO
$62,400
$29,990
$80,500
Colorado Springs, CO
$57,460
$29,990
$99,860
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2024 median salary; projected job growth through 2034. Actual salaries vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.
Job outlook and finding employment opportunities
The BLS estimates that the employment of chiropractors nationwide will grow 9.5% through 2034, which is faster than the average across all occupations.
“I think right now, more than ever, people want something different than the normal medical model. We went through the pandemic and people started to realize there’s other things out there,” Dr. RJ said.
One reason for this promising growth is the expanding complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) market. As people continue to seek out more natural solutions for their health problems, drugless interventions like chiropractic should experience an uptick in demand. Plus, Colorado’s booming wellness culture and active lifestyle make it an ideal location for chiropractic services, particularly in metropolitan areas like Denver, Colorado Springs and Boulder.
Dr. RJ said that while the state is full of outdoorsy, athletic, wellness-minded people, they don’t always seek out chiropractic services as much as you might think. In fact, he said that many people assume that because they’re so active they don’t need a chiropractor, or they seek out other professionals when they have muscular ailments. However, as neuromuscular experts, they can do a lot more to help than many people realize.
Setting up a private practice
Starting a private practice is a tremendous undertaking, but one that many chiropractors eventually take at some point in their career. Starting your own business begins with researching the small business laws in your area. In general, you’ll need to acquire a business license from your local municipality, county or possibly both. The Small Business Administration can be a helpful resource to find out more about starting a business and possibly receive loans from the government to get your business off the ground.
Resources for staying up to date on industry trends and developments
Joining a professional organization—or least exploring the free professional resources they have to offer—is a great way to learn more about the chiropractic profession, network with others and keep updated on any relevant developments within the industry.
The Colorado Chiropractic Association (CCA) is the largest professional membership organization for chiropractors in the state, offering numerous member benefits and professional resources for chiropractors.
The American Chiropractic Association (ACA) is the largest professional chiropractic organization in the United States, devoted to providing professional resources, lobbying for pro-chiropractic legislation and policies, supporting chiropractic research and more.
Chiropractic Economics is a publication devoted to the professional practice of chiropractors. The magazine publishes articles on many different topics including chiropractic industry news, research, business resources and much, much more.
Final say
A career as a chiropractor could be your chance to make a huge impact on people’s lives by helping them live their very best. Whether you know someone who has experienced the healing capabilities of chiropractic care or if that someone is you, many chiropractors—including Dr. RJ—have firsthand experience seeing just how beneficial chiropractic care can be. Colorado’s chiropractic laws are not much different than everywhere else, but it’s still worthwhile to explore the nuances of the state’s chiropractic landscape.
