Private Survey Shows Income Increase

• The 11th annual salary and expense survey conducted in 2010 by "Chiropractic Economics" magazine shows income is on the rise. "It shows increases in billings, collections net practice income and total DC compensation," the magazine reports. The magazine noted that more than 14 percent of chiropractors who participated in the survey had billings of $1 million or more, while less than 6 percent had billings of under $100,000. The median average billing was $380,000, up from $300,000 in 2007. The median net practice income, after taxes and expenses were deducted, was $107,000, up from $88,000 in 2007.
  
  

Groups Make More Money

• The "Chiropractic Economics" survey also reported that chiropractors who worked in groups or had associates made more money than those who are in solo practice. Groups had median annual billings of $750,000 compared to $300,000 for a solo practitioner. The survey does note that groups have higher expenses than solos.
  
  

Federal Survey

• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which tracks earnings by occupation, reported 2009 statistics that showed chiropractors had a median hourly wage of $32.53 with a median annual wage of $67,650, although some chiropractors had hourly wages of $72.39 with annual incomes topping more than $150,000.
  
  The bureau's "Occupational Outlook Handbook" notes that earnings for chiropractors depend on where they practice and their experience. For example, BLS information shows that chiropractors in Tennessee had annual mean wages of $112,060, while those in Wisconsin had mean annual wages of $102,030 in 2009. Furthermore, the BLS found that chiropractors who practiced in the Charlotte, North Carolina, metropolitan area had an annual mean wage of $138,320, while those who practiced in the Chattanooga, Tennessee, metropolitan area had an annual mean wage of $122,630.
  
  

Job Description

• Chiropractors work with a patient's musculoskeletal system, treating problems that may affect the patient's nervous system, notes the "Occupational Outlook Handbook." Treatment generally centers around manipulation of the spine.
  
  

Requirements to Become a Chiropractor

• The "Occupational Outlook Handbook" says potential chiropractors need at least two years of college (four is preferred) to be admitted to a four-year program at a chiropractic school. Before seeing her first patient, the chiropractor must be licensed by the state where she'll be practicing. The National Board of Chiropractic Examiners administers the licensing test.