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Chiropractic Assistant

Chiropractic assistants do a variety of tasks to help chiropractors with patient care.

Also Known As

Administrative Support Personnel, Health Care Assistant, Medical Assistant

NOC Codes

In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.

The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used.

Here is how this occupation has been classified over time.

2006 NOC

  • 3414.2: Therapy Assistants

2006 NOC-S

  • D313: Other Assisting Occupations in Support of Health Services

2011 NOC

  • 3414: Other assisting occupations in support of health services

2016 NOC

  • 3414: Other assisting occupations in support of health services

2021 NOC

  • 33109: Other assisting occupations in support of health services

2023 OaSIS

  • 33109.03: Rehabilitation aides
Duties
Updated Mar 31, 2018

Chiropractic assistants work under a chiropractor’s supervision. Their work may be mostly clerical or a mix of clerical and helping with patients. It depends on the size of the office. The larger the practice, the more likely chiropractic assistants will specialize in a specific type of work. Larger clinics may cross-train chiropractic assistants in a variety of roles. Some assistants also do marketing and public relations for the clinic.

In general, chiropractic assistants:

  • Perform routine reception and clerical duties, such as answering the phone, booking appointments, keeping patient records, and ordering supplies (to learn more, see the Administrative Assistant profile)
  • Greet patients and show them to a room
  • Help patients complete related health records (if necessary)
  • Perform objective clinical assessments
  • Apply ice packs and heat packs
  • Keep waiting and treatment rooms tidy
  • Accept payments
  • Do routine bookkeeping tasks, such as bank deposits and payroll (to learn more, see the Accounting Technician profile)
  • Process patient insurance claims
Working Conditions
Updated Mar 31, 2018
  • Strength Required Lift up to 10 kg

Chiropractic assistants might work weekdays, some evenings, or Saturdays. It depends on the office schedule. Some work part-time. They may spend much of their time on their feet.

Interests & Abilities

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2006 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.

Therapy Assistants

2006 NOC: 3414.2

Interest Codes

Interest Codes for This NOC Group
METHODICAL

Interest in copying information to assist patients as directed by health care professionals

SOCIAL

Interest in assisting patients by helping elderly and incapacitated patients to dress and undress, by accompanying patients to treatment rooms and by supporting them in other activities

objective

Interest in handling to prepare and maintain work materials and supplies; and in assisting patients in the use of therapeutic equipment

Your Interest Codes

To identify or change your interest codes, complete the Interests Exercise in CAREERinsite.

Reading Interest Codes
A Quick Guide

The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation. 

It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective, and Social.

Each set of 3 interest codes for this NOC group is listed in order of importance.

A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.

A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.

Learn About Interests

Abilities

Typical ability expectations for this NOC group
Your abilities

To fill in or change the values for your abilities, complete the Abilities Exercise in CAREERinsite.

Mental Abilities

General Learning Ability

Verbal Ability

Numerical Ability

Visual Abilities

Spatial Perception

Form Perception

Clerical Perception

Physical Abilities

Motor Coordination

Finger Dexterity

Manual Dexterity

Understanding Abilities

A Quick Guide

You are born with abilities that help you process certain types of information and turn it into action. These abilities influence which skills you can learn more easily.

The abilities or aptitudes shown for this NOC group come from the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). The GATB measures 9 aptitudes. It groups them into 3 categories: mental, visual, and physical.

The abilities scores range from 1 to 5, with 5 being stronger.

Learn About Abilities

Traits & Skills
Updated Mar 31, 2018

Chiropractic assistants need to possess:

  • A mature attitude
  • The ability to follow directions
  • Speaking and listening skills
  • The ability to multitask and work as part of a team
  • The ability to help patients feel strong when they’re in pain
  • An interest in natural healing practices
  • Compassion and empathy

They should enjoy working within guidelines and helping patients.

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.

Top 10 Skills Employers Are Looking For

Other assisting occupations in support of health services

2016 NOC: 3414

This chart shows which job skills are currently in highest demand for this occupational group. It was created using this occupation's 100 most recent Alberta job postings, collected between Dec 26, 2023 and Mar 27, 2024.

Review these skills to learn:

  • Whether or not this occupation matches your skill set
  • What training you may need to get these skills
  • What skills to highlight in your resumé, cover letter, and interview.
Tasks: Assist health care professionals
Experience: 1 year to less than 2 years
Tasks: Organize and maintain inventory
Tasks: Order supplies and equipment
Attention to detail
Tasks: Prepare and maintain equipment and supplies
Construction Specialization: Organized
Tasks: Maintain prescription records and inventories of medications and pharmaceutical products
Construction Specialization: Client focus
Tasks: Compound, package and label pharmaceutical products
Educational Requirements
Updated Mar 31, 2018
  • Minimum Education High school diploma

In general, chiropractic assistants train on the job. Most often, a high school diploma is required. Additional requirements vary depending on the position. Computer and bookkeeping skills are assets. There are no recognized chiropractic assistant programs in Canada. A therapy assistant diploma or a kinesiology background would be an asset.


Related Education

The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter the field.

Academy of Learning - Calgary Central
Academy of Learning - Calgary NE
Academy of Learning - Edmonton South
Academy of Learning - Edmonton West
Academy of Learning - Medicine Hat
Academy of Learning - Red Deer
Alberta Business & Health Institute
Alberta Business and Health Institute
Alberta Educational Centre
Alberta Paramount College
Alison College
CDI College of Business, Technology and Health Care - Calgary City Centre
CDI College of Business, Technology and Health Care - Calgary South
CDI College of Business, Technology and Health Care - Edmonton City Centre
CDI College of Business, Technology and Health Care - Edmonton North
CDI College of Business, Technology and Health Care - Edmonton South
CDI College of Business, Technology and Health Care - Edmonton West
CDI College of Business, Technology and Health Care - Red Deer
CDI College of Business, Technology and Health Care- Calgary North
CLI College of Business Health & Technology - Calgary
East-West College - Edmonton
East-West College of Business & Technology
Medical Reception College 1 Ltd. - Calgary
Medical Reception College 1 Ltd. - Edmonton
NorQuest College
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
QCom College of Technology (QCT)
Reeves College - Calgary City Centre
Reeves College - Calgary North
Reeves College - Edmonton
Reeves College - Lethbridge
Reeves College - Lloydminster
Reeves College Edmonton South
Robertson College - Calgary
Robertson College - Edmonton
The Royal Alberta College

To expand or narrow your search for programs related to this occupation, visit Post-Secondary Programs.

Completing a program does not guarantee entrance into an occupation. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should look into various sources for education options and employment possibilities. For example, contact associations and employers in this field.

Certification Requirements
Updated Mar 31, 2018
  • Certification Not Regulated

There is currently no provincial legislation regulating this occupation in Alberta.

Employment & Advancement
Updated Mar 31, 2018

Chiropractic assistants work for chiropractors in private clinics and multidisciplinary health clinics.

Prospects for advancement depend on clinic size. Most chiropractors employ only one or two assistants, so future openings are limited. Learning new skills is the most common form of growth.

Industry Concentration

This section shows the industries where the majority of people in this occupation work. The data is based on the 2016 Census.

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.

In the 3414: Other assisting occupations in support of health services occupational group, 83.7% of people work in:

Employment Outlook

Employment outlook is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

  • Time of year (for seasonal jobs)
  • Location in Alberta
  • Employment turnover (when people leave existing positions)
  • Occupational growth (when new positions are created)
  • Size of the occupation
  • Trends and events that affect overall employment, especially in the industry or industries from the previous list

In Alberta, the 3414: Other assisting occupations in support of health services occupational group is expected to have an above-average annual growth of 3.1% from 2019 to 2023. In addition to job openings created by employment turnover, 169 new positions are forecasted to be created within this occupational group each year.

Note
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For example, only some of the new positions to be created will be for this occupation. It also applies to other data for the NOC group such as number of people employed.

Source: 2019-2023 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook

Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.

Related Alberta Job Postings
Wage & Salary
Updated Mar 31, 2018

Earnings for chiropractic assistants are often lower than these figures suggest.

In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.

Other assisting occupations in support of health services

2016 NOC: 3414
Average Wage
$23.86
Per Hour
Average Salary
$39,005.00
Per Year
Average Hours
31.4
Per Week
Average Months on Payroll
12
Survey Methodology Survey Analysis

Source
2021 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey

NOC 3414 Wage Profile

Unless otherwise noted, the data shown here is for all industries and all regions in Alberta.

All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production), and other forms of compensation.

To see the full survey data for this NOC group, visit the wage profile.

Other wage sources
To make an informed wage and salary decision, research other wage sources [pdf] to supplement this data.

A: High Reliability
Data Reliability Code Definition

High Reliability, represents a CV of less than or equal to 6.00% and 30 survey observations and/or represents 50% or more of all estimated employment for the occupation.


Hourly Wage

For full-time and part-time employees
  • Low
  • High
  • Average
  • Median
Starting
Overall
Top

Hourly Wage

For full-time and part-time employees
Wages* Low (5th percentile) High (95th percentile) Average Median
Starting $15.00 $35.81 $21.03 $20.39
Overall $16.64 $38.84 $23.86 $23.26
Top $18.00 $47.67 $26.87 $25.95

Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.

* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.

Pay brackets for hourly wages

  • Starting pay: average pay offered for entry-level positions
  • Overall pay: average pay across all employees in this occupation
  • Top pay: average pay offered to top-paid employees

Industry Information

ALL INDUSTRIES
Retail Trade
Finance, Insurance, Real Estate, Leasing
Health Care & Social Assistance
Public Administration

Skills Shortage

Employers that Recruited in the Last 2 Years
57%
57%)
Recruiting Employers that Experienced Hiring Difficulties
18%
18%
Employers with Unfilled Vacancies of over 4 Months
4%
4%
Vacancy Rate
2%
Related Post-Secondary Field of Study
  • Clerical and Administrative Support
  • Health Care and Medical Sciences

Updated Mar 31, 2018. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.

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