Current Status

These changes have allowed chiropractors to solidify their social position. One recent national random survey found that 8.5% of U.S. residents had used chiropractic (or osteopathic) manipulation in the previous 12 months (Peregoy et al., 2014). (This survey did not differentiate between chiropractors and osteopaths, but a parallel survey conducted in 2002 found that 7.5% reported using chiropractors alone.) Public interest in chiropractic continues to increase, and the job outlook is much better than for most occupations. Around 45,000 chiropractors work in the United States, most in solo or group practice. The mean annual income for chiropractors is $67,000— considerably below physicians’ incomes but for a much shorter workweek and with considerably less and less expensive education required to enter the field. These figures alone suggest chiropractic’s success.