Career
Athletic trainers
Prevent, treat and rehabilitate athletes' injuries.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on people & care, then objects & tools?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“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.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Monitoring.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
6 years of education after high school (master's degree), for a median of $62,520 a year and 2,400 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Kinesiology and Exercise ScienceSee the degree →
- Allied Health ProfessionsSee the degree →
- Physical Fitness TechnicianCIP 31.0507
- Athletic Training/TrainerCIP 51.0913
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors$47,160 · +7.3%
- Sports Medicine Physicians
- Exercise Physiologists$59,460 · +12.8%
- Physical Therapist Assistants$68,380 · +23.0%
- Recreational Therapists$61,960 · +4.8%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.