Career profile · 29-9091
Athletic Trainers
Evaluate and treat musculoskeletal injuries or illnesses. Provide preventive, therapeutic, emergency, and rehabilitative care.
What the work can involve
- 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.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This O*NET group commonly calls for extensive preparation, often including advanced education and significant experience. A related certificate or associate program should not be treated as sufficient qualification.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Active Learning
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Customer and Personal Service
- Psychology
- Therapy and Counseling
- English Language
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Assisting and Caring for Others
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 86.8%08/2021 · sample 19 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Once a week or more but not every day | 37.6%08/2021 · sample 19 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Never | 63.7%08/2021 · sample 19 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Less than half the time | 39.1%08/2021 · sample 19 |
| Time Pressure | Once a week or more but not every day | 40.5%08/2021 · sample 19 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Never | 51.7%08/2021 · sample 19 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 51.1%08/2021 · sample 19 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Calendar and scheduling software: Scheduling software
- Data base user interface and query software: Database software, Digital Coach AthleticTrainer, Injury tracking software, Keffer Development Services Athletic Trainer System ATS
- Electronic mail software: Email software, Microsoft Outlook
- Internet browser software: Web browser software
- Medical software: BioEx Systems Exercise Pro, ImPACT Applications ImPACT
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for athletic trainers
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- Master's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- None
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 50 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $46,940 | Not published | 840 |
| Arizona | $61,710 | Not published | 590 |
| Arkansas | $57,240 | Not published | 240 |
| California | $78,490 | Not published | 1,760 |
| Colorado | $64,580 | Not published | 380 |
| Connecticut | $69,960 | Not published | 290 |
| Delaware | $59,650 | Not published | 50 |
| District of Columbia | $74,450 | Not published | 100 |
| Florida | $61,350 | Not published | 1,430 |
| Georgia | $64,590 | Not published | 860 |
| Hawaii | $76,320 | Not published | 200 |
| Idaho | $60,410 | Not published | 170 |
| Illinois | $64,750 | Not published | 850 |
| Indiana | $62,780 | Not published | 1,040 |
| Iowa | $55,430 | Not published | 570 |
| Kansas | $59,140 | Not published | 390 |
| Kentucky | $60,680 | Not published | 720 |
| Louisiana | $62,760 | Not published | 810 |
| Maine | $61,970 | Not published | 180 |
| Maryland | $63,970 | Not published | 320 |
| Massachusetts | $70,010 | Not published | 630 |
| Michigan | $59,280 | Not published | 870 |
| Minnesota | $65,390 | Not published | 820 |
| Mississippi | $58,180 | Not published | 200 |
| Missouri | $58,660 | Not published | 510 |
| Montana | $60,090 | Not published | 50 |
| Nebraska | $61,020 | Not published | 270 |
| Nevada | $59,820 | Not published | 180 |
| New Hampshire | $60,200 | Not published | 210 |
| New Jersey | $76,210 | Not published | 890 |
| New Mexico | $72,440 | Not published | 150 |
| New York | $66,230 | Not published | 1,370 |
| North Carolina | $56,540 | Not published | 990 |
| North Dakota | $60,900 | Not published | 110 |
| Ohio | $61,420 | Not published | 2,100 |
| Oklahoma | $61,320 | Not published | 360 |
| Oregon | $57,790 | Not published | 280 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,060 | Not published | 1,870 |
| Rhode Island | $63,750 | Not published | Not published |
| South Carolina | $59,240 | Not published | 530 |
| South Dakota | $58,620 | Not published | 150 |
| Tennessee | $59,850 | Not published | 580 |
| Texas | $64,150 | Not published | 3,130 |
| Utah | $65,980 | Not published | 340 |
| Vermont | $62,910 | Not published | 140 |
| Virginia | $61,860 | Not published | 830 |
| Washington | $63,750 | Not published | 240 |
| West Virginia | $50,510 | Not published | 110 |
| Wisconsin | $61,820 | Not published | 620 |
| Wyoming | $63,190 | Not published | 60 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 200 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 29-9091.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.