Acupuncturists vs Chiropractors
Median pay is about $3k higher for Chiropractors. The usual entry education is master's plus license for Acupuncturists and doctoral (DC) plus license for Chiropractors.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Acupuncturists | Chiropractors |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $76,040 | $79,200, higher |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $55,380 | $60,070, higher |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $102,280 | $105,050, higher |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +8.6% Growing fast | +8.7% Growing fast, higher |
| Openings a year | 800 | 2,600 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Master's plus license | Doctoral (DC) plus license |
| Difficulty modeled | 3.6 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Low | Very low |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 51st pct | 35th pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Acupuncturists
- Monitoring
Only Chiropractors
- Science
Both lean on active listening, critical thinking, speaking, reading comprehension, writing.
More comparisons
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Compare Chiropractors with
Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.