What Athletic Trainers Do

Athletic trainers specialize in preventing, diagnosing, and treating muscle and bone injuries and illnesses.

Work Environment

Many athletic trainers work in educational settings, such as colleges, universities, elementary schools, and secondary schools. Others work in hospitals, fitness centers, or physicians’ offices, or for professional sports teams.

How to Become an Athletic Trainer

Athletic trainers need at least a bachelor’s degree. Nearly all states require athletic trainers to have a license or certification; requirements vary by state.

Job Outlook

Employment of athletic trainers is projected to grow 21 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. As people become more aware of sports-related injuries at a young age, demand for athletic trainers is expected to increase.

Growth & Trends

This occupation supported 22,900 jobs in 2012 and 25,400 jobs in 2014, reflecting an increase of 10.9%. In 2012, this occupation was projected to increase by 21.4% in 2022 to 27,800 jobs. As of 2014, to keep pace with prediction, the expected number of jobs was 23,800, compared with an observed value of 25,400, 6.7% higher than expected. This indicates current employment trends are much better than the 2012 trend within this occupation. In 2014, this occupation was projected to increase by 23.6% in 2024 to 30,800 jobs. Linear extrapolation of the 2012 projection for 2022 results in an expected number of 28,700 jobs for 2024, 6.8% lower than the 2014 projection for 2024. This indicates expectations for future employment trends are much better than the 2012 trend within this occupation.

Athletic Trainers Employment and Labor Information 2023

Athletic Trainers Employment Brief:

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

Athletic Trainers Job Description

Here is a Job Description an employer might post for potential Athletic Trainers.

Athletic Trainers Responsibilities and Duties:

• Inspect playing fields to locate any items that could injure players.
• Advise athletes on the proper use of equipment.
• Evaluate athletes' readiness to play and provide participation clearances when necessary and warranted.
• Instruct coaches, athletes, parents, medical personnel, or community members in the care and prevention of athletic injuries.
• Plan or implement comprehensive athletic injury or illness prevention programs.
• Lead stretching exercises for team members prior to games or practices.
• Perform general administrative tasks, such as keeping records or writing reports.
• Confer with coaches to select protective equipment.
• Recommend special diets to improve athletes' health, increase their stamina, or alter their weight.
• Clean and sanitize athletic training rooms.

Typical Daily Tasks of Athletic Trainers:

• Assisting and Caring for Others: Apply bandages, dressings, or splints. Treat patients using alternative medical procedures. Treat patients using physical therapy techniques.
• Documenting/Recording Information: Maintain medical facility records. Prepare reports summarizing patient diagnostic or care activities.
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems.
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships.
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work.
• Thinking Creatively: Develop exercise or conditioning programs.
• Getting Information: Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues.
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment. Consult with others regarding safe or healthy equipment or facilities. Inform medical professionals regarding patient conditions and care.
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.

Athletic Trainers Skills and Requirements:

• Systems Evaluation Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
• Instructing Teaching others how to do something.
• DatabasesUsing a computer application to manage large amounts of information, including creating and editing simple databases, inputting data, retrieving specific records, and creating reports to communicate the information.
• Programming Writing computer programs for various purposes.
• Judgment and Decision Making Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Negotiation Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
• Operation and Control Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
• Operations Analysis Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
• Repairing Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
• Operations Monitoring Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Athletic Trainers Education and Training:

Typical education for include: Master's degree.

Athletic Trainers Salary, Wages, and Salary and Job Outlook

Athletic Trainers average pay is: $53840 per year according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employees who work in Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools are the highest paid making $NA, while Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools make the least at $NA per hour.Here are the top city/metro areas with the highest paying salaries for a Athletic Trainers: