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 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

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.

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.

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.

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 [pdf] in this occupation will be influenced by a wide variety of factors including:

• trends and events that affect overall employment (especially in the industries listed above)
• location in Alberta
• employment turnover (work opportunities that come up when people leaving existing positions)
• occupational growth (work opportunities that come up when new positions are created)
• size of the occupation.

In Alberta, the D313: Other Assisting Occupations in Support of Health Services occupational group is expected to have an above-average annual growth of 3.2% from 2016 to 2020. In addition to job openings created by employment turnover, 246 new positions are forecasted to be created within this occupational group each year.

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