What You Need to Know About Athletic Trainer
Example of Athletic Trainer Job Evaluate and advise individuals to assist recovery from or avoid athletic-related injuries or illnesses, or maintain peak physical fitness. May provide first aid or emergency care.
Life As an Athletic Trainer: What Do They Do?
- Lead stretching exercises for team members prior to games or practices.
- Teach sports medicine courses to athletic training students.
- Care for athletic injuries, using physical therapy equipment, techniques, or medication.
- Accompany injured athletes to hospitals.
- Apply protective or injury preventive devices, such as tape, bandages, or braces, to body parts, such as ankles, fingers, or wrists.
- File athlete insurance claims and communicate with insurance providers.
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Athletic Trainer Required Skills
Below is a list of the skills most Athletic Trainers say are important on the job.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Other Athletic Trainer Job Titles
- Sports Trainer
- Resident Athletic Trainer
- Assistant Athletic Trainer
- Clinical Instructor
- Head Athletic Trainer
Is There Going to be Demand for Athletic Trainers?
In the United States, there were 27,800 jobs for Athletic Trainer in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 22.7% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 6,300 new jobs for Athletic Trainer by 2026. The BLS estimates 2,200 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Athletic Trainer are Utah, Colorado, and Oregon. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Kansas, or Wisconsin. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of an Athletic Trainer
Athletic Trainers make between $31,010 and $70,750 a year.

Athletic Trainers who work in Hawaii, Texas, or California, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Athletic Trainers in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $41,690 |
Alaska | $46,870 |
Arizona | $46,140 |
Arkansas | $46,700 |
California | $58,060 |
Colorado | $53,030 |
Connecticut | $58,920 |
Delaware | $47,930 |
District of Columbia | $68,470 |
Florida | $45,130 |
Georgia | $48,870 |
Hawaii | $59,990 |
Idaho | $41,200 |
Illinois | $44,380 |
Indiana | $45,370 |
Iowa | $47,260 |
Kansas | $45,860 |
Kentucky | $47,140 |
Louisiana | $46,650 |
Maine | $44,320 |
Maryland | $51,820 |
Massachusetts | $56,850 |
Michigan | $51,230 |
Minnesota | $50,310 |
Mississippi | $49,650 |
Missouri | $45,050 |
Montana | $42,860 |
Nebraska | $45,880 |
Nevada | $41,530 |
New Hampshire | $50,210 |
New Jersey | $51,890 |
New York | $49,960 |
North Carolina | $47,120 |
North Dakota | $45,470 |
Ohio | $46,990 |
Oklahoma | $47,720 |
Oregon | $48,370 |
Pennsylvania | $48,310 |
Rhode Island | $53,790 |
South Carolina | $42,590 |
South Dakota | $45,320 |
Tennessee | $44,590 |
Texas | $56,170 |
Utah | $48,490 |
Vermont | $50,470 |
Virginia | $48,970 |
Washington | $49,240 |
West Virginia | $45,170 |
Wisconsin | $49,370 |
Wyoming | $48,960 |
What Tools & Technology do Athletic Trainers Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Athletic Trainers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Web browser software
- Email software
- Word processing software
- Spreadsheet software
- Database software
- Scheduling software
- BioEx Systems Exercise Pro
Becoming an Athletic Trainer
What education is needed to be an Athletic Trainer?

How Long Does it Take to Become an Athletic Trainer?

Where Athletic Trainers Are Employed

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those interested in being an Athletic Trainer may also be interested in:
Those who work as an Athletic Trainer sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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