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Chiropractic Assistant/Technician

What Chiropractic Assistant/Technician Majors Need to Know

Studies in Chiropractic Assistant/Technician emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Chiropractic Assistant/Technician graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Chiropractic Assistant/Technician emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Chiropractic Assistant/Technician program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Chiropractic Assistant/Technician careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Chiropractic Assistant/Technician graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.9 / 7
Working with Computers	4.7 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.7 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.6 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.6 / 7
Processing Information	4.5 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Chiropractic Assistant/Technician professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Billing software	Billing and invoicing software	—
Microsoft Exchange	Electronic mail software	—
Epic Systems	Medical software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Visual electro diagnostic software	Medical software	—
MEDITECH software	Medical software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Patient management software	Medical software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Electronic medical record EMR software	Medical software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Chiropractic Assistant/Technician graduates include:

• Orthopedic Medical Assistant
• Ophthalmic Assistant
• Chiropractor Assistant
• Podiatric Aide
• Medical Support Assistant
• Health Unit Clerk
• OB/GYN Medical Assistant (Obstetrics and Gynecology Medical Assistant)
• Optometric Assistant
• Doctor’s Assistant
• Family Medicine Medical Assistant
• Ocular Care Aide
• Podiatric Assistant
• Clinic Assistant
• Registered Medical Assistant (RMA)
• Doctor Assistant

What Can You Do With a Chiropractic Assistant/Technician Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Chiropractic Assistant/Technician commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Medical Assistants	-2.1%	$32,137	$26,862–$37,413

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Chiropractic Assistant/Technician graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Postsecondary certificate	44.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	20.5%
Bachelor’s degree	17.5%
Some college courses	17.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

How Much Do Chiropractic Assistant/Technician Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Chiropractic Assistant/Technician graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$27,434
4 years	$29,082
5 years	$32,352

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $32,352 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Chiropractic Assistant/Technician Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Chiropractic Assistant/Technician graduates earn a median of $29,082 four years after completion — about 23% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services	80,693
Medical/Clinical Assistant	52,819
Pharmacy Technician/Assistant	7,541
Physical Therapy Assistant	5,633
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services, Other	4,065
Emergency Care Attendant (EMT Ambulance)	3,923
Occupational Therapist Assistant	3,178
Radiologist Assistant	1,513
Medical/Health Management and Clinical Assistant/Specialist	1,195
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Assistant	614
Respiratory Therapy Technician/Assistant	431
Anesthesiologist Assistant	423

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.