Chiropractors and Osteopaths

ANZSCO ID 2521

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
10,900
Future Growth
19.2%
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
45%
Female Share
44%
Average age
38

Summary

Chiropractors and Osteopaths diagnose and treat physiological and mechanical disorders of the locomotor system and tissue strain, stress and dysfunction that impede normal neural, vascular and biochemical mechanisms, and provide advice on preventing these disorders.

Tasks

  • administering a variety of neurological, musculoskeletal and functional tests to identify and assess physical problems and ailments of patients

  • planning and discussing effective management of patients' dysfunction

  • designing, reviewing, monitoring, assessing and evaluating treatment programs

  • assisting and improving the function of all body systems such as musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, endocrine and genitourinary systems

  • recording detailed patient medical histories, treatments delivered and the patients' responses and progress to treatments

  • referring patients to specialists and liaising with other Health Professionals in relation to patients' problems, needs and progress

  • educating patients, their partners, family and friends in therapeutic procedures, such as home exercises and lifestyle changes, to enhance patients' health and wellbeing

Characteristics

Job Type
Professionals
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
Below average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
Interests
  • Practical
  • Analytical
  • Helping
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary
  • Light

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:

  • is expected to grow very strongly
  • is likely to reach 13,000 by 2026.
  • Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

    Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

    Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
19.2%
(or 2,100 jobs)
From
10,900
in 2021
To
13,000
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 4,100
2012 4,200
2013 3,000
2014 3,500
2015 7,700
2016 6,900
2017 6,600
2018 2,800
2019 6,800
2020 6,600
2021 10,900
2026 13,000

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 52% of people employed as Chiropractors and Osteopaths work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 14 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 43 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Health Care and Social Assistance
98.0%
2
Education and Training
1.0%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

31.4% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

35.1% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

14.3% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

6.2% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

9.7% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.6% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.4% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.3% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Chiropractors and Osteopaths All Jobs Average
NSW 31.4 31.6
VIC 35.1 25.6
QLD 14.3 20.0
SA 6.2 7.0
WA 9.7 10.8
TAS 1.6 2.0
NT 0.4 1.0
ACT 1.3 1.9


  • Around 65% of Chiropractors and Osteopaths live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    Victoria has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    The region with the largest share of workers is Sydney - North Sydney and Hornsby.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
38
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
44%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Chiropractors and Osteopaths is 38 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 44% of the workforce. This is 4 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Chiropractors and Osteopaths All Jobs Average
15-19 0.0 5.0
20-24 3.0 9.3
25-34 34.9 22.9
35-44 30.5 22.0
45-54 17.3 21.6
55-59 6.0 9.0
60-64 3.9 6.0
65 and Over 4.3 4.2
Median Age 38 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A university degree in chiropractic science or osteopathy is needed to work as a Chiropractor or Osteopath. Many workers have a postgraduate qualification.

Registration with the Chiropractic Board of Australia or the Osteopathy Board of Australia is required.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Chiropractors and Osteopaths All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 59.6 10.1
Bachelor degree 36.2 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 2.9 11.6
Certificate III/IV 0.1 21.1
Year 12 1.1 18.1
Year 11 0.0 4.8
Year 10 and below 0.1 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Chiropractors and Osteopaths who are caring and empathetic and can work well in a team, with the ability to communicate with a diverse range of people.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 64%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 59%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 59%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 55%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 55%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 55%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 55%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 54%

    Science

    Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

  • 54%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 52%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 52%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 48%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 48%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 46%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 46%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 46%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 45%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 45%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 45%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 41%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 78%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 69%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 66%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 64%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 64%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 63%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 62%

    Medicine and dentistry

    Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.

  • 62%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 61%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 60%

    Therapy and counselling

    Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.

  • 56%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 55%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 49%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 47%

    Sociology and anthropology

    Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • 44%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 39%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 39%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 39%

    Philosophy and theology

    Philosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.

  • 37%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 35%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 68%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 68%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 63%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 63%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 61%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 61%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 57%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 55%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 55%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 52%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 48%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 46%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 45%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 45%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 43%

    Trunk strength

    Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.

  • 43%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 43%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 43%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 43%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • 41%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 80%

    Helping and caring for others

    Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.

  • 78%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 75%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 70%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 70%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 70%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 69%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 68%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 67%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 67%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 67%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 65%

    Managing payments and orders

    Monitoring and controlling resources and the spending of money.

  • 64%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 62%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 62%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 61%

    Providing office support

    Doing day-to-day office work such as filing and processing paperwork.

  • 59%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 58%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 53%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 53%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 86%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 81%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 76%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 38%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 29%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 29%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 90%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 90%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 81%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 79%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 71%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 57%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 100%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 100%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 99%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 99%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 99%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 97%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 96%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 95%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 92%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 91%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 85%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 85%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 85%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 81%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 79%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 78%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 74%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 73%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 72%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 72%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 29-1011.00 - Chiropractors.


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