Chiropractic Assistant

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: Therapy Assistants (3414.2) 
• 2006 NOC-S: Other Assisting Occupations in Support of Health Services (D313) 
• 2011 NOC: Other assisting occupations in support of health services (3414) 

Chiropractic assistants work under the direct supervision of chiropractors. They may perform mostly clerical or mostly clinical duties or both, depending on the size of the office. The more employees in an office, the more likely chiropractic assistants will specialize in a particular type of work.

In general, chiropractic assistants:

• perform routine reception and clerical duties such as answering the telephone, scheduling appointments, maintaining chiropractic health records and ordering supplies (for more information, see the Administrative Assistant occupational profile)
• greet patients and show them to adjustment rooms
• help patients complete chiropractic health histories, if necessary 
• apply ice packs and heat packs
• keep examining and waiting rooms clean and orderly
• accept payment for health products
• perform accounting-related duties such as keeping track of accounts payable and receivable, bank deposits and payroll (for more information, see the Accounting Technician occupational profile)
• process claims for health insurance, motor vehicle insurance or Workers' Compensation.

Hours of work vary depending on chiropractors' office schedules. For example, chiropractic assistants may work weekdays and some Saturdays or evenings. Some chiropractic assistants work part time.

Chiropractic assistants may spend much of their time on their feet and routinely handle items weighing up to 10 kilograms.

Chiropractic assistants need the following characteristics:

• a mature attitude toward the human body
• the ability to follow directions closely
• good communication skills
• the ability to work effectively as part of a team
• the ability to work on several tasks simultaneously
• the ability to establish rapport with and instill confidence in patients who may be in pain
• an interest in natural healing practices.

They should enjoy having guidelines for their work and assisting patients.

Chiropractic assistants work for chiropractors in private practice.

Most chiropractors employ a small number of assistants, usually only one or two, so opportunities to advance to supervisory positions are limited. Advancement generally takes the form of opportunities to learn new skills.

Chiropractic assistants are part of the 2011 National Occupational Classification 3237: Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment. In Alberta, 87% of people employed in this classification work in the following industries:

• Health Care and Social Assistance (PDF)
• Retail Trade (PDF)

The employment outlook in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

• trends and events affecting overall employment (especially in the industries listed above)
• location in Alberta
• employment turnover (work opportunities generated by people leaving existing positions)
• occupational growth (work opportunities resulting from the creation of new positions that never existed before)
• size of the occupation.

Over 7,700 Albertans are employed in the Other assisting occupations in support of health services occupational group. This group is expected to have an above-average annual growth of 3.2% from 2016 to 2020. As a result, 246 new positions are forecast to be created each year, in addition to job openings created by employment turnover. Note: As chiropractic assistants form only a part of this larger occupational group, only some of these newly created positions will be for chiropractic assistants.  

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