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Athletic Trainers

Typical education: Master's degreeHigh pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

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

Kinds of work

  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $62,520 Median per year Most earn $48,180–$88,760

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • 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.
  • Accompany injured athletes to hospitals.
  • File athlete insurance claims and communicate with insurance providers.
  • Perform team support duties, such as running errands, maintaining equipment, or stocking supplies.
  • Perform general administrative tasks, such as keeping records or writing reports.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
13% more jobs by 2035, much faster than average · about 2,400 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools24.2%
  • General medical and surgical hospitals15.2%
  • Elementary and secondary schools14.2%
  • Offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists, and audiologists14.1%
  • Offices of physicians11.2%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Master's degreeExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Athletic trainer is not an entry-level job straight out of school. Most people earn a bachelor's degree and then a master's degree, and often spend 1 to 2 years in a related role before landing a full position, so the whole route usually takes about 7 to 8 years after high school.

  1. Bachelor's degree in athletic training, exercise science, or a related health field

    4 years

    You take anatomy, physiology, and injury-care courses and begin getting hands-on experience with athletes, which prepares you for graduate study.

  2. Master's degree in athletic training

    2 years

    You complete advanced coursework and supervised clinical rotations that build the skills needed to evaluate and treat injuries, and you prepare for the certification exam.

  3. Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainer

    1-2 years

    You work under a licensed athletic trainer at a school, college, or clinic, gaining real-world experience with injury evaluation, rehab, and emergency care.

  4. Athletic Trainer

    Ongoing

    You evaluate and treat musculoskeletal injuries and illnesses, and provide preventive, therapeutic, emergency, and rehabilitative care for your patients.

Where it can lead

  1. Head Athletic Trainer

    3-5 years of experience first

    You lead the athletic training staff at a school, team, or clinic, making decisions about care plans, scheduling, and supervising other trainers.

  2. Athletic Training Program Director or Clinical Director

    5+ years of experience first

    You oversee an entire athletic training program or sports medicine department, which usually involves management, budgeting, and teaching or mentoring staff.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology, anatomy, and health classesThese courses build the science background you will need for an athletic training degree.
  • Volunteer as a team manager or athletic trainer aideHelping during practices and games teaches you how injuries are handled and lets you see the job up close.
  • Get CPR and first aid certificationEmergency response is a core part of athletic training, and this certification is often available through school, community, or Red Cross style courses.
  • Shadow a local athletic trainer or physical therapy clinicWatching real care being given helps you decide whether this path fits your interests.
  • Play a sport or stay activeBeing on a team gives you firsthand understanding of athletes, training, and recovery.

In college

  • Major in athletic training or exercise scienceAthletic training programs are designed to prepare you for graduate study and certification, and exercise science gives a strong science base.
  • Work as a student athletic trainerCampus athletic training staffs often hire students, giving you paid or credited experience with injury care and sideline work.
  • Complete observation hours with a licensed athletic trainerDocumented hours in clinical settings are often required for graduate programs, and they help you learn what the job involves day to day.
  • Join a student chapter of a professional sports medicine or athletic training associationStudent groups offer networking, guest speakers, and chances to learn about the field and graduate programs.
  • Keep your grades strong and build a relationship with a faculty advisorGraduate programs are competitive, and an advisor can write a recommendation and point you to research or clinical opportunities.

Tips for getting started

  • Get comfortable with the path early. Ask an athletic trainer if you can shadow them for a few hours to see what the daily work really looks like.
  • Keep your grades strong in science classes, since most athletic training master's programs look closely at your undergraduate science coursework.
  • Get CPR and first aid certified as soon as you can. It is a low-cost, useful skill that shows commitment and helps you in any health-related job.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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