Chiropractor jobs in New Mexico vary greatly from city to city. The highest paid chiropractor jobs are in Santa Fe, while Roswell offers the lowest paid jobs.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates that the average annual salary for chiropractors in New Mexico was $154,528, with the lowest 10 per cent earning under $100,000.
However, the average chiropractor hourly wage in New Mexico, according to BLS is $37.54. These figures reveal that chiropractic is a highly sought-after profession, but a person has to first qualify as a chiropractor for them to work in New Mexico.
How to qualify as a Chiropractor in New Mexico
To qualify as a chiropractor in New Mexico, a high school diploma is obligatory. Preference should be given to Math, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and courses like English and Social Studies to help improve your communication skills and research abilities.
Thereafter, an undergraduate degree which can be a two-year associate’s degree or a four-year bachelor’s degree. A chiropractic Doctoral program, which requires a minimum of 60 credits in general subjects besides courses in biology, physics, organic and inorganic chemistry, is the next level.
It is prudent to remember that associate’s degree programs usually offer just 60 hours of credit and hence, many aspiring chiropractors in New Mexico enroll for bachelor’s degree programs in biology or other life sciences and pre-med subjects.
Chiropractic licensing and regulation in New Mexico
The New Mexico Board of Chiropractic Examiners is the licensing and regulation body in charge of this profession.
New Mexico requires chiropractors to complete Continuing Education with every new license application or renewal of the same. This would mean completing a minimum of 16 hours yearly and 8 hours yearly for distance credits. A background check is required for all initial license applications.
The license fee structure is as follows:
Initial Application Fee: $350
License by exam fee: $350
Initial licensure without exam Fee: $350
License renewal Fee: $300(active), $100(inactive), $25(impairment fee)
All applicants must meet the following requirements:
Must familiarize themselves with the licensing policies
Must complete 60 semester hours on all pre-professional college education
Must be a graduate of the Council on Chiropractic Education accredited chiropractic college
Complete all examinations administered by the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners
New Mexico Chiropractic Association (NMCA)
This association was created for the sole purpose of providing a distinctive forum for Doctors of chiropractic in New Mexico. The NMCA serves as a vehicle that safeguards, communicates and protects the chiropractor’s interests within the state.
The association holds firm the traditional views of chiropractic and insist that the profession be categorized on its own as a separate form of healing.
A significant number of chiropractors in New Mexico are now able to express their concerns freely through it.
NMCA members are exposed to a number of benefits and it is an association not only for chiropractors but the public as well. For more information on NMCA please visit them at http://www.nmchiro.org