Athletic Trainers

Overview

Athletic Trainers has a national median salary of $62,520 per year, with +12.7% projected job growth from 2025–2035. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a master's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation.

Description

Evaluate and treat musculoskeletal injuries or illnesses. Provide preventive, therapeutic, emergency, and rehabilitative care.

Work Values

• Relationships
• Achievement
• Independence

Work Styles

Responsibilities

Tasks

• Conduct an initial assessment of an athlete's injury or illness to provide emergency or continued care and to determine whether they should be referred to physicians for definitive diagnosis and treatment.
• Assess and report the progress of recovering athletes to coaches or physicians.
• Care for athletic injuries, using physical therapy equipment, techniques, or medication.
• Evaluate athletes' readiness to play and provide participation clearances when necessary and warranted.
• Perform general administrative tasks, such as keeping records or writing reports.

Work Activities

• Assisting and Caring for Others
• Documenting/Recording Information
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Thinking Creatively
• Getting Information
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Detailed Work Activities

• Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
• Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

T-A-S-K

Technology, Abilities, Skills & Knowledge

Education

Education Levels of Current Workers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a master's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation. The chart below shows the highest level of education held by people already working in this field, ages 25 and older. It includes workers who earned more education than the job requires and workers who entered the field under earlier requirements, so the largest bar is not the entry requirement. For example, if someone finished a doctoral or professional degree and then started working in this field, they are counted under “Doctoral or professional degree” here, but the job itself typically asks for a master's degree.

Certificates

Certifications applicable to Athletic Trainers:

Video Resources