Chiropractors: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical · SOC 29-1011 · O*NET 29-1011.00
Chiropractors fall under the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical category in the U.S. occupational classification. Chiropractors earn a median salary of $79,200 per year, ranking in the top 28% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +8.7% job growth through 2035, projected to grow faster than the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree followed by a professional doctorate (such as MD, DO, JD, DDS, or PharmD), with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do chiropractors earn?
The median annual wage for chiropractors is $79,200. That puts chiropractors at #228 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
Is chiropractors a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for chiropractors is +8.7%, projected to grow faster than the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 61K positions in 2024 to 67K in 2034, a net change of 6K. Faster-than-average growth means hiring is consistently outpacing the labor market overall. New entrants generally find their first roles faster than peers in stable fields.
What education does my child need to become chiropractor?
Becoming a chiropractor typically requires a bachelor's degree followed by a master's, doctoral, or professional degree, plus state licensure or board certification depending on specialty. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about chiropractors
What is the median salary for chiropractors?
The median annual salary for chiropractors is $79,200 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is chiropractors a growing career?
BLS projects +8.7% growth for chiropractors from 2025 through 2035, which is fast growth projected to grow faster than the US average.
What education does my child need to become chiropractor?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree followed by a professional doctorate (such as MD, DO, JD, DDS, or PharmD), plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to chiropractors?
Related occupations within the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 release.