What They Do
Athletic trainers specialize in preventing, diagnosing, and treating muscle and bone injuries and illnesses.
Duties
Athletic trainers typically do the following:
- Apply protective or injury-preventive devices, such as tape, bandages, and braces
- Recognize and evaluate injuries
- Provide first aid or emergency care
- Develop and carry out rehabilitation programs for injured athletes
- Plan and implement comprehensive programs to prevent injury and illness among athletes
- Perform administrative tasks, such as keeping records and writing reports on injuries and treatment programs
Athletic trainers work with people of all ages and all skill levels, from young children to soldiers and professional athletes. Athletic trainers are usually one of the first healthcare providers on the scene when injuries occur on the field. They work under the direction of a licensed physician and with other healthcare providers, often discussing specific injuries and treatment options or evaluating and treating patients, as directed by a physician. Some athletic trainers meet with a team physician or consulting physician regularly.
An athletic trainer’s administrative responsibilities may include regular meetings with an athletic director or another administrative officer to deal with budgets, purchasing, policy implementation, and other business-related issues. Athletic trainers plan athletic programs that are compliant with federal and state regulations; for example, they may ensure a football program adheres to laws related to athlete concussions.
Athletic trainers should not be confused with fitness trainers and instructors, which include personal trainers.
Work Environment
Athletic trainers held about 33,900 jobs in 2024. The largest employers of athletic trainers were as follows:
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 43% |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | 18 |
| Offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists | 10 |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 7 |
| Self-employed workers | 6 |
Athletic trainers also may work with military, with law enforcement, with professional sports teams, or with performing artists.
Athletic trainers may spend their time working outdoors on sports fields in all types of weather.
Work Schedules
Most athletic trainers work full time. Athletic trainers who work with teams during sporting events may work evenings or weekends and travel often.
How to Become One
Athletic trainers typically need a master’s degree to enter the occupation. Nearly all states require athletic trainers to have a license or certification; requirements vary by state.
Pay
The median annual wage for athletic trainers was $60,250 in May 2024.
Job Outlook
Employment of athletic trainers is projected to grow 11 percent from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations.
About 2,400 openings for athletic trainers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.