Have you ever wondered what chiropractors make?
The typical chiropractor salary is about $100,000 per year.
But there are some factors that can make a big difference.
For example, if you’re a solo practitioner, you’ll make about $68,000 per year.
If you’re in a group practice, you could make $144,000 per year.
If you’re a hospital-based chiropractor, you can make $164,000 per year.
Of course, you’ll also have to consider the cost of living in your city and state.
What is a chiropractor?
Chiropractors are medical doctors who specialize in chiropractic care.
Chiropractors are trained to diagnose, treat, and help ease ailments.
The type of care that chiropractors give is known as chiropractic care.
With chiropractic care, a patient will typically visit a chiropractor at least once per month.
Chiropractors are supposed to establish a relationship with a patient to learn their individual medical history, take x-rays, diagnose a problem, and determine the proper treatment to fix the issue.
And when you visit a chiropractor, you’ll typically have an appointment which will usually last 45 minutes.
Chiropractors make a lot of money and have job security because:
There are so many people suffering from back pain.
How much do chiropractors make?
Salaries for chiropractors vary by region.
Most primary care physicians, registered nurses and other health care professionals make more than chiropractors.
Unfortunately, the salaries are also much lower than what you can expect in many other professions, including law, medicine, and finance.
This is because most chiropractors only work part-time.
It may sound crazy, but chiropractors spend their entire day caring for patients.
If a client needs a treatment, he or she will often ask for a consultation or refer the patient to another provider.
Then, the doctor might come back to do the procedure.
In many cases, clients’ insurance will pay a flat rate for a treatment.
Because chiropractors aren’t full-time employees, they often pay very low overhead and fees.
Solo practitioner
If you’re a solo practitioner and you’re paying $1.50 for a newspaper, you can expect to make around $10,000 per month.
However, most of your income is made during busy months.
Those busy months will probably average around $25,000 per month.
When you do your paperwork at home or in your office, you’ll likely make $60 per hour.
Fellow practitioners in the same location
Another factor that might come into play is if you share office space with other chiropractors.
The same rule of thumb applies.
That means that you’ll have to make $60 per hour.
In larger groups, the average income is likely higher.
In one facility, chiropractors might make around $200 per hour.
Nationally, the average income per hour is around $120 per hour.
Group practice
While it’s common for most chiropractors to have a solo practice, group practices make up a big portion of the chiropractic profession.
A great group practice is pretty simple. You work together with other chiropractors.
Then, you bill clients on the same billable hours.
In other words, you only charge clients for the time you actually spend at the office, so you only have to bill for the work you do, rather than the entire day you spent at the office.
Another advantage of a group practice is that you have more control over the billing.
You can split your time evenly between groups and individual patients.
Some chiropractors with a group practice will bill a percentage of the profits.
Unfortunately, this is just about the only business model I’ve heard of.
Location can also affect salary
In some cities, such as San Francisco and San Diego, salaries can be comparable to what you might see if you did a Ph.D. in engineering or economics.
In some rural areas, the pay may be comparable to what a nurse or doctor makes.
In some midwestern and northeast areas, salaries might even be comparable to what a city kid makes.
If you’re considering a career in chiropractic, the salary isn’t the only thing you should consider.
But it’s important to know how much chiropractors make.
Visit Top 10 Franchises To Own For more information on how much to expect to make in your career in chiropractic, visit our salary calculator and see what other top franchises make.
City vs state of residence
If you’re an experienced chiropractor, it’s definitely worth considering whether you should live in a metropolitan area where the competition for patients is fierce or a more rural area where you have more freedom to make your own hours and set your own schedule.
If you have a family, moving to a more rural area may be difficult.
On the other hand, if you’re the only chiropractor in town and have a spouse and/or family to support, then a big metropolitan area may not be necessary for you.
Healthcare in Chiropractic
There are some key differences in the healthcare system between the chiropractic profession and other medical disciplines.
Chiropractors are paid a percentage of a patient’s fees for services rendered. This fee is called a "PAC," or "pain and illness fund.
