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Sports Medicine Physicians

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeHigh pressure

What they do

Diagnose, treat, and help prevent injuries that occur during sporting events, athletic training, and physical activities.

Kinds of work

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

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 $265,930 Median per year · $127.85/hr Most earn $69,170–$452,360

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Select and prepare medical equipment or medications to be taken to athletic competition sites.
  • Examine, evaluate and treat athletes who have been injured or who have medical problems such as exercise-induced asthma.
  • Examine and evaluate athletes prior to participation in sports activities to determine level of physical fitness or predisposition to injuries.
  • Examine and evaluate athletes prior to participation in sports activities to determine level of physical fitness or predisposition to injuries.
  • Prescribe medications for the treatment of athletic-related injuries.
  • Select and prepare medical equipment or medications to be taken to athletic competition sites.

Job outlook

United States
3% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 9,400 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

  • Offices of physicians42.1%
  • General medical and surgical hospitals27.8%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service10.5%
  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools5.8%
  • Self-employed (their own business)3.3%

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

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

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

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Sports Medicine Physician is not an entry-level job. Most people spend about 12 years after high school on training, including a bachelor's degree, medical school, a residency, and a sports medicine fellowship.

  1. Bachelor's degree with pre-medical courses

    4 years

    Study a science such as biology or chemistry while taking the courses medical schools require, and keep your grades strong since they matter for admission.

  2. Medical school (MD or DO)

    4 years

    Learn how the body works and how to diagnose and treat illness, then complete clinical rotations that show you real patient care.

  3. Family Medicine Physician residency

    3 years

    Train in a hospital or clinic under supervision, which builds broad medical skills and experience with injuries and musculoskeletal problems. Family medicine is one common starting point for sports medicine.

  4. Sports Medicine fellowship

    1-2 years

    Specialize in treating athletes and active people, including injury prevention, rehabilitation, and working with teams, which prepares you to practice in this field.

  5. Sports Medicine Physician

    Ongoing

    Diagnose, treat, and help prevent injuries from sports, training, and physical activity, often working with athletes, schools, clinics, or sports teams.

Where it can lead

  1. Team Physician

    3-5 years of experience first

    Serve as the doctor for a school, college, or professional team, covering game-day care and working closely with athletic trainers and coaches.

  2. Chief of Sports Medicine

    5-10 years of experience first

    Lead a sports medicine program or clinic, which adds management, teaching, and program-planning duties on top of patient care.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology, chemistry, and physicsThese classes build the science foundation you will need for pre-med coursework and the medical school entrance exam.
  • Join a sports team or train as an athleteExperience with training, injuries, and recovery helps you understand what sports medicine doctors deal with every day.
  • Volunteer at a hospital, clinic, or nursing homeHands-on time around patients shows you what caring for people is like and helps you decide if medicine is right for you.
  • Ask about a job as a team manager or athletic assistantHelping an athletic trainer or coach with equipment and injury care shows you how sports health teams work.
  • Take a first aid or CPR courseThis basic certification is often available through schools or community groups and shows you can respond calmly in emergencies.

In college

  • Major in a science like biology or kinesiologyA science major covers the pre-med requirements, and kinesiology adds a focus on how the body moves and gets injured.
  • Work with an athletic trainerVolunteering or working on the athletic training staff gives you direct experience with sports injuries and rehabilitation.
  • Shadow a physician, especially in sports medicine or orthopedicsWatching doctors in real appointments shows you the daily work and helps you decide whether to pursue this specialty.
  • Join a pre-med or health professions student groupClubs often offer advising, guest speakers, and peer support while you prepare for medical school applications.
  • Get involved in research with a science professorResearch experience looks good on medical school applications and teaches you how to think critically about medical questions.

Tips for getting started

  • Get comfortable with science early, since medical school admission depends heavily on your grades in biology, chemistry, and physics.
  • Spend time around athletes or healthcare settings, such as shadowing a doctor or athletic trainer, to see whether this work fits you.
  • Look into whether your school has an athletic training program, since working with athletic trainers gives you a close look at sports injuries.

Related jobs that often lead here

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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