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Athletic Training

A program that prepares individuals to work in consultation with, and under the supervision of physicians to prevent and treat sports injuries and associated conditions. Includes instruction in the identification, evaluation, and treatment of athletic injuries and illnesses; first aid and emergency care; therapeutic exercise; anatomy and physiology; exercise physiology; kinesiology and biomechanics; nutrition; sports psychology; personal and community health; knowledge of various sports and their biomechanical and physiological demands; and applicable professional standards and regulations.

Types of Degrees Athletic Training Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Athletic Training can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	4
Associate’s Degree	115
Bachelor’s Degree	708
Master’s Degree	2,236
Doctor’s Degree	63

What Athletic Training Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Athletic Training emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Athletic Training graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Athletic Training emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Athletic Training program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Athletic Training careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Athletic Training graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Athletic Training professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Geographic information system GIS software	Geographic information system	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS	Medical software	—
Calendar and scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Turning Technologies TurningPoint	Multi-media educational software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Athletic Training graduates include:

• Mental Health Aides Teacher
• Medical Assisting Instructor
• Veterinary Medicine Teacher
• Health Education Teacher
• Radiology Teacher
• Medical Assistant Instructor
• Lecturer
• Dental Assistant Teacher
• Medical Pathology Teacher
• Pediatrics Teacher
• Neurological Surgery Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• Pharmacy Teacher
• Speech Pathology Teacher
• Childbirth Teacher

What Can You Do With a Athletic Training Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Athletic Training commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	10.7%	$46,663	$40,304–$53,022

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Athletic Training graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	39.8%
Doctoral degree	19.7%
Bachelor’s degree	17.7%
Post-doctoral training	15.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.7%
Postsecondary certificate	2.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.7%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Athletic Training?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 64% of Athletic Training degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,005	64.0%
Men	1,127	36.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Athletic Training graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,902	60.7%
Asian	74	2.4%
Hispanic or Latino	565	18.0%
Black or African American	293	9.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	15	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.1%
Two or More Races	115	3.7%
Race Unknown	84	2.7%
International Students	81	2.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Athletic Training Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Athletic Training graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$67,845
4 years	$61,295
5 years	$69,015

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $69,015 — roughly 2% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Athletic Training Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Athletic Training. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	3
Bachelor’s	2	4
Master’s	8	10

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Athletic Training Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Athletic Training graduates earn a median of $61,295 four years after completion — roughly 61% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	90,379
Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)	29,337
Physician Associate/Assistant	13,046
Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiographer	11,777
Surgical Technology/Technologist	7,626
Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist	6,686
Medical Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiation Therapist	4,111
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other	2,445
Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist	1,540
Electrocardiograph Technology/Technician	677
Nuclear Medical Technology/Technologist	596
Electroneurodiagnostic/Electroencephalographic Technology/Technologist	374

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.