Athletic Trainers
Also called: Athletic Instructor, Athletic Lecturer, Athletic Trainer, Certified Athletic Trainer, Clinical Athletic Instructor, Clinical Athletic Trainer, Fitness Specialist, Licensed Athletic Trainer
Evaluate and treat musculoskeletal injuries or illnesses.
What athletic trainers do
Typical tasks
- Conduct an initial assessment of an athlete's injury or illness to provide emergency or continued care and to determine whether they should be referred to physicians for definitive diagnosis and treatment.
- Assess and report the progress of recovering athletes to coaches or physicians.
- Care for athletic injuries, using physical therapy equipment, techniques, or medication.
- Evaluate athletes' readiness to play and provide participation clearances when necessary and warranted.
- Perform general administrative tasks, such as keeping records or writing reports.
- Clean and sanitize athletic training rooms.
- Instruct coaches, athletes, parents, medical personnel, or community members in the care and prevention of athletic injuries.
- Apply protective or injury preventive devices, such as tape, bandages, or braces, to body parts, such as ankles, fingers, or wrists.
- Collaborate with physicians to develop and implement comprehensive rehabilitation programs for athletic injuries.
- Travel with athletic teams to be available at sporting events.
- Plan or implement comprehensive athletic injury or illness prevention programs.
- Inspect playing fields to locate any items that could injure players.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Athletic Trainers salary
The median annual wage for athletic trainers is $62,520 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $48,180 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $88,760. The mean annual wage is $66,620.
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Athletic Trainers (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $62,520 → in 3 years $69,300 → in 5 years $74,300 → in 10 years $88,200 (10-year range $75,800–$102,400). The model assumes pay growth of +3.5% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Athletic Trainers
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Athletic Trainers? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Athletic Trainers
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Athletic Trainers United States | 柔道整復師 Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $62,520 | ¥4.54M ≈ $28,881 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $88,200 | ¥5.97M |
| Outlook score | 70 | 57 |
| AI replacement risk | 25% Low | 21% Low |
| Workers | 30K | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Athletic Trainers
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 5 — extensive preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★★☆☆ Moderate (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become athletic trainers
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as athletic trainers
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.