Occupations · Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
Chiropractors
Assess, treat, and care for patients by manipulation of spine and musculoskeletal system. May provide spinal adjustment or address sacral or pelvic misalignment.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 29-1011.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 20% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $67,610 | 1,420 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $104,690 | 1,210 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $71,570 | 1,120 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $75,810 | 1,080 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $61,180 | 1,060 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $98,450 | 1,000 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $82,960 | 970 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $84,260 | 830 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | $80,900 | 670 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $117,830 | 660 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $59,430 | 610 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $97,630 | 530 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: Doctoral or professional degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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 interpreting x-rays.
- 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.
- Maintain accurate case histories of patients.
- Advise patients about recommended courses of treatment.
- Analyze x-rays to locate the sources of patients' difficulties and to rule out fractures or diseases as sources of problems.
- Counsel patients about nutrition, exercise, sleeping habits, stress management, or other matters.
- Consult with or refer patients to appropriate health practitioners when necessary.
- Recommend and arrange for diagnostic procedures, such as blood chemistry tests, saliva tests, x-rays, or other imaging procedures.
- Suggest and apply the use of supports such as straps, tapes, bandages, or braces if necessary.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2013-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2013-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Provide guidance to patients on exercises they can perform to improve mobility.
- Take x-rays.
O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 14
No longer listed 13
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| chiropractor | 2269.2 | exact |
| specialist chiropractor | 2269.10 | broader |
| chiropractic assistant | 3344.1 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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