Chiropractors Salary
Chiropractors in Ames, IA make a median of $56,890 a year, or about $27.35 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $116K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.83), which stretches that salary to about $64,044 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,153/month, about 30.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $57K get you in Ames?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Ames’s Regional Price Parity (88.83). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About chiropractors
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What this looks like in Ames
Pay for chiropractors in Ames runs about 28% below the U.S. median of $79K. Rent runs $1,153/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.83 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for chiropractors in metros near Ames, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $75K | $82K |
| Cedar Rapids | $77K | $87K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $65K | $72K |
| Iowa City | $78K | $85K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Ames, IA
Entry-level chiropractors (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $116K or more, a $80K spread from bottom to top.
Chiropractors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Chiropractors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $135K | +70% | 1,370 |
| New York | $121K | +53% | 1,360 |
| Maine | $107K | +35% | 250 |
| Washington | $104K | +31% | 1,130 |
| Alaska | $104K | +31% | 90 |
| Arizona | $100K | +27% | 1,050 |
| North Carolina | $92K | +16% | 1,020 |
| Virginia | $88K | +11% | 900 |
| Texas | $88K | +11% | 2,840 |
| Oklahoma | $86K | +8% | 500 |
| Maryland | $85K | +8% | 390 |
| Florida | $84K | +6% | 3,220 |
| Tennessee | $84K | +6% | 500 |
| West Virginia | $83K | +5% | 60 |
| Wisconsin | $83K | +5% | 1,210 |
| Rhode Island | $82K | +3% | 170 |
| Kentucky | $82K | +3% | 470 |
| Oregon | $82K | +3% | 610 |
| Alabama | $81K | +2% | 430 |
| Idaho | $81K | +2% | 220 |
| Louisiana | $80K | +1% | 370 |
| Connecticut | $80K | +0% | 240 |
| Minnesota | $80K | +0% | 1,160 |
| South Carolina | $79K | +0% | 680 |
| Mississippi | $78K | -1% | 130 |
| North Dakota | $78K | -2% | 360 |
| Indiana | $78K | -2% | 780 |
| Ohio | $78K | -2% | 1,380 |
| Arkansas | $76K | -4% | 320 |
| South Dakota | $76K | -4% | 260 |
| Montana | $76K | -4% | 240 |
| Massachusetts | $76K | -4% | 780 |
| California | $75K | -5% | 2,760 |
| Iowa | $75K | -5% | 970 |
| New Mexico | $75K | -5% | 140 |
| Nevada | $74K | -6% | 240 |
| Colorado | $74K | -7% | 1,340 |
| Hawaii | $73K | -8% | 220 |
| Michigan | $71K | -10% | 1,270 |
| New Hampshire | $70K | -12% | 130 |
| Pennsylvania | $67K | -15% | 1,770 |
| Illinois | $67K | -16% | 2,190 |
| Nebraska | $66K | -17% | 500 |
| Missouri | $65K | -18% | 660 |
| Wyoming | $63K | -21% | 110 |
| Georgia | $62K | -22% | 1,500 |
| Kansas | $58K | -27% | 570 |
| Utah | $54K | -32% | 490 |
Showing 1–10 of 48 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track chiropractors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Ames numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a chiropractor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Ames?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 30.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,153/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for chiropractors in Ames?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new chiropractors typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,180/month. At HUD’s $1,153/month FMR, rent would take 53% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is chiropractor a high-paying job in Ames?
Local pay runs 28% below the national median — $57K here vs. $79K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Ames compare to the national average for chiropractors?
Ames pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $79K — that’s -28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.83), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — below the national median.
How much do chiropractors make in Ames, IA?
The median is $56,890 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,340, and experienced chiropractors can clear $116,320. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Ames?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,744/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,153/month, which eats 30.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a chiropractors salary go in Ames?
Ames has a Regional Price Parity of 88.83 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median chiropractors salary is worth about $64,044 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do chiropractors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.