Chiropractor Salaries

A good idea for any student who is considering becoming a chiropractic physician should look into potential chiropractor salaries to determine if they would be satisfied financially in their career. It is often difficult to know exactly how much compensation one would receive as a chiropractor because salary searches give salary averages. According to a 2009 report in Chiropractic Economics magazine, the average salary for a chiropractic physician was $94,454. This average salary can be slightly misleading however, because if a new or seasoned doctor chooses to associate within an existing practice this average will most likely not represent the compensation that they will receive. In most cases, associateships will pay significantly less than a chiropractic physician who opens their own successful practice. The website bls.gov also mentions that salaried chiropractic physicians most often receive benefits along with a salary but this too is misleading; according to payscale.com, 56% of chiropractic physicians are not offered any type of health benefits. A chiropractic associate receiving health benefits is not generally standard practice and their salary is typically a base amount with options to receive bonuses based on productivity and the number of patient visits.

Chiropractic Medicine

The above information does not mean that the chiropractic profession should be avoided as a career choice. Chiropractic medicine is a rewarding career path that offers quality healthcare to many patients. It simply means that a prospective chiropractic student or a new doctor should become educated on what type of employment they would be most satisfied with as they will graduate with a high amount of student loan debt. According to healthcaresalaryonline.com, the lowest 10% of chiropractic salaries was reported at $32,750 and the upper 10% of salaries was more than $150,570.  As with most businesses, the role of business owner is generally the most highly compensated. Owning a business, of course, comes with slightly more stress than just being an employee of an existing clinic but the owner will profit financially if the practice is successful. Location also matters as well. Certain states report higher chiropractic salaries, states such as North Carolina, Nevada, Delaware, Tennessee and Wisconsin. The website glassdoor.com has many company comparisons of chiropractic income, showing both hourly wages and yearly incomes. Salary.com will also allow you to be more specific in your chiropractic salary search by entering in individual states to see what the income average is for a chiropractor in that state. Researching salaries of different areas and becoming aware of what forms of employment within the chiropractic field are most financially rewarding will help to create a more satisfying career.

References Cited in this Article

www.bls.gov                                       www.glassdoor.com

www.healthcaresalaryonline.com       www.acatoday.org