Athletic Trainers

Career summary

#review 4/4/19 lh

Athletic trainers work with athletes of all ages and sports, including:

• High school sports teams
• College sports teams
• Professional sports teams
• Individual athletes
• Health clubs

Athletic trainers make sure athletes are in good shape and ready to play. Many of their tasks involve preventing injuries.

They show athletes how to exercise correctly and may lead a team through stretching exercises prior to each practice or game.

They suggest diets and exercises to improve athletes' strength. They also verify that players have a physical examination and are cleared to exercise or play.

Athletic trainers help coaches choose equipment that will prevent injuries such as concussions. They instruct athletes on the proper use of safety equipment.

Athletic trainers monitor athletes with minor injuries. For protection, they tape, wrap, or brace ankles, fingers, or other parts of the body before practices and games. After workouts, athletic trainers massage athletes' limbs to relieve soreness and strains.

When an athlete gets hurt, athletic trainers help determine how serious the injury is. They provide emergency first aid and may go with the athlete to the hospital. Athletic trainers confer with doctors and physical therapists to set up a therapy routine. They also work with the athlete, coach, and family to decide when the player can return to play.

Athletic trainers may also have some administrative duties. For example, they may meet with school administrators, the athletic director, or coaches to discuss budgets, training, and schedules.

Related careers

This career is part of the Health Science cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

• Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
• Chiropractors
• Exercise Physiologists
• Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors
• Licensed Practical Nurses
• Massage Therapists
• Occupational Therapists
• Orthotic and Prosthetic Specialists
• Physical Therapist Assistants
• Physical Therapists
• Physician Assistants
• Public Health Educators
• Recreational Therapists
• Respiratory Therapists

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to athletic trainers.

• Provide initial assessment of a patient's injury. Decide if emergency care is needed or referral to a doctor.
• Wrap ankles, wrists, or other body parts with tape to support muscles and ligaments.
• Evaluate athletes for readiness to play or employees for readiness to return to work.
• Administer emergency first aid when an injury occurs.
• Work with physicians to oversee rehabilitation of injured patients.
• Help coaches choose protective equipment.
• Advise athletes on the proper use of fitness equipment.
• Show athletes and other clients techniques for preventing injuries.
• Recommend special diets to improve health, reduce weight, or increase performance.
• Inspect playing field for items that can injure players.
• Recommend stretching and conditioning exercises to prevent injuries.
• May accompany injured athlete to hospital.
• Create individual therapy and training routines.
• Lead stretching exercises for team members prior to games and practices.
• Massage body parts to relieve soreness, strains, and bruises.

Common work activities

Athletic trainers perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

• Assist and care for others
• Document and record information
• Make decisions and solve problems
• Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
• Get information needed to do the job
• Identify objects, actions, and events
• Establish and maintain relationships
• Update and use job-related knowledge
• Perform activities that use the whole body
• Organize, plan, and prioritize work
• Perform administrative tasks
• Monitor events, materials, and surroundings
• Handle and move objects
• Think creatively
• Evaluate information against standards
• Use computers
• Schedule work and activities
• Teach others
• Judge the value of objects, services, or people
• Explain the meaning of information to others
• Provide advice and consultation to others
• Communicate with people outside the organization
• Monitor and control resources
• Coach others
• Inspect equipment, structures, or materials
• Process information
• Develop goals and strategies
• Develop and build teams
• Analyze data or information
• Coordinate the work and activities of others
• Guide, direct, and motivate others
• Resolve conflicts and negotiate with others

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, athletic trainers:

Interpersonal relationships

• Have constant contact with athletes, coaches, and health care professionals.
• Sometimes encounter conflict situations in which athletes may be rude or upset.
• Are responsible for the work outcomes of others.
• Are greatly responsible for the health and safety of athletes.
• Have face-to-face discussions daily with coaches and athletes.
• Communicate using the telephone and e-mail everyday.
• Write letters and memos on a weekly basis.
• Work with a group or as part of a team.

Physical work conditions

• Mostly work indoors if they work at a gym or indoor training facility.
• Mostly work outdoors when they work at athletic fields, sporting events, practices, or job sites.
• Are exposed to disease and infections on a daily basis when working with athletes. To protect themselves, they wear gloves when giving first aid.
• Work very near people. They provide first aid, massage, and care for athletes and other clients.
• Are sometimes exposed to loud and distracting sounds, especially during sporting events.
• Sometimes work in hot or cold temperatures, depending on weather.

Work performance

• Must be exact in their work. Errors could cause athletes to get hurt.
• Rarely consult a supervisor before making a decision. When treating injuries, it is important to act fast.
• Set most of their own goals and tasks without consulting a supervisor.
• Must often meet strict deadlines such as training and game times.
• Repeat the same physical motions.
• Often make decisions that strongly impact their or their organization's reputation.

Hours/travel

• May work full time or part time. Full-time work is most common.
• May work days, evenings, or weekends.
• May travel for long periods of time if working for a college or professional team.
• May work long hours during sport seasons.
• May work a standard, Monday through Friday work week if in a non-sports setting.

Physical demands

Athletic trainers frequently:

• Stand for long periods of time.
• Use their hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
• Walk or run for long periods of time.

It is important for athletic trainers to be able to:

• Understand the speech of another person.
• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.
• Move two or more limbs together (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while remaining in place.
• Use fingers to grasp, move, or assemble very small objects.
• Hold the arm and hand in one position or hold the hand steady while moving the arm.
• Use one or two hands to grasp, move, or assemble objects.
• Use muscles to lift, push, pull, or carry heavy objects.
• Use stomach and lower back muscles to support the body for long periods without getting tired.
• See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for athletic trainers to be able to:

• Coordinate movement of several parts of the body, such as arms and legs, while the body is moving.
• Focus on one source of sound and ignore others.
• See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.
• Be physically active for long periods without getting tired or out of breath.
• Use muscles for extended periods without getting tired.
• Make quick, precise adjustments to machine controls.
• Determine the distance between objects.
• Hear sounds and recognize the difference between them.
• Bend, stretch, twist, or reach out.
• Choose quickly and correctly among various movements when responding to different signals.
• Move arms and legs quickly.
• Keep or regain the body's balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.

Skills and abilities

Athletic trainers need to:

Communicate

• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Listen to others and ask questions.
• Understand spoken information.
• Write clearly so other people can understand.
• Understand written information.
• Read and understand work-related materials.

Reason and problem solve

• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
• Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
• Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
• Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
• Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
• Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.
• Think of new ideas about a topic.
• Think of original, unusual, or creative ways to solve problems.
• Recognize the nature of a problem.
• Recognize when important changes happen or are likely to happen in a system.
• Identify what must be changed to reach goals.
• Concentrate and not be distracted while performing a task.
• Develop rules that group items in various ways.

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

• Check how well one is learning or doing something.
• Manage the time of self and others.
• Go back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information without becoming confused.

Work with people

• Look for ways to help people.
• Be aware of others' reactions and understand the possible causes.
• Teach others how to do something.
• Change behavior in relation to others' actions.
• Use several methods to learn or teach new things.
• Persuade others to approach things differently.

Perceive and visualize

• Identify a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in distracting material.

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study directly related to this occupation

• Athletic Training

Other programs of study to consider

• Exercise Physiology
• Exercise Science and Kinesiotherapy
• Physical Therapy
• Pre-Health Services

Training

To work as an athletic trainer, you typically need to:

• have a high school diploma or equivalent; and
• have a bachelor's degree.

Education after high school

Athletic trainers must have a bachelor's degree. Accepted majors are athletic training, pre-medicine, kinesiology, exercise physiology, biology, exercise science, or physical education.

Some athletic trainers have a master's degree. Common areas of study are athletic training, education, and exercise physiology. In athletic training programs you learn to identify, evaluate, and treat musculoskeletal injuries. You also learn anatomy, physiology, and first aid.

On-the-job training

The length of on-the-job training varies by employer. In general, newly hired athletic trainers receive up to three months of on-the-job training.

Helpful high school courses

In high school, take classes that prepare you for college. A college preparatory curriculum  may be different from your state's graduation requirements . Athletic trainers use advanced math. Try to take math through Trigonometry.

You should also consider taking some advanced courses in high school. This includes Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses if they are available in your school. If you do well in these courses, you may receive college credit for them. Advanced courses can also strengthen your college application.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Computer Applications
• Health and Fitness
• Health Education
• Introduction to Health Care
• Safety and First Aid

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups  that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

Most employers require a bachelor's degree in athletic training or a related field. Many also require certification as an athletic trainer. In states that require an athletic trainer license, employers may hire only licensed athletic trainers. Employers also look for people with good communication skills.

Tips

Contact a college that employs an athletic trainer or a school with an athletic training program; visit, spend some time, and ask questions. Volunteer your time with a local athletic trainer prior to committing to a major. Find out if this profession is right for you. Become involved with a high school athletic program as early as possible as the team manager or student athletic trainer. Experience while in high school can be helpful in obtaining an athletic training internship while in college.

Volunteer to work with players in community sports programs and attend summer athletic training camps. Take classes related to this occupation early in your college education and join the National Athletic Trainers' Association. Work under as many different certified athletic trainers as possible to gain hands-on experience. A master's degree may be a plus for some jobs.

#Checked certification information and updated related web site address 3/23/04. CJ.

#moved BOCAT info to certification/licensing section 3/11/05 lh.

Costs to workers

Certified athletic trainers have to pay examination and annual certification fees to the National Athletic Trainers Association Board of Certification. They also must attend continuing education classes to keep up with changes in the field. Twenty-five to fifty (depending on original certification date) continuing education units are required within a specified time period to maintain certification, plus a current ECCC (Emergency Cardiac Care Certification) card.

#Verified cert info 2/13/12 & 2/6/14, made slight change to CEU hrs 2/2/16 cj. Checked section 2/6/18 cj.

Licensing/certification

Athletic trainers must be licensed by the State of Washington if they wish to offer athletic training services. Licensing requirements include:

• a bachelor's or advanced degree in athletic training from an approved institution;
• successful completion of an examination given by the Board of Certification for Athletic Trainers;
• answering personal data questions;
• seven-clock hours of AIDS education;
• payment of a licensure fee; and 
• completion of 50 hours of continuing education every two years.

The State licensing application fee is $115, the annual renewal fee is $135. There is also an examination fee required by the Board of Certification.

For more information, contact:

Washington State Department of Health
Health Athletic Trainer Program 
PO Box 47877
Olympia, WA 98504
360.236.4700

Those who wish to combine athletic training with high school teaching must have a teaching certificate (see high school teachers).

# Licensing info checked 2/6/18 cj. 4/4/19 lh

Job listings

Listed below are links to job categories from the National Labor Exchange that relate to this career. Once you get a list of jobs, you can view information about individual jobs and find out how to apply. If your job search finds too many openings, or if you wish to search for jobs outside of Washington, you will need to refine your search.

• Athletic Trainers 

To get a listing of current jobs from the WorkSource system, go to the WorkSource website .

Wages

Earnings for athletic trainers of individual professional athletes, such as tennis players or boxers, vary greatly and depend, in part, on how well the athletes perform.

Earnings vary greatly depending on location, education, experience, and the sport. Because many workers do not work full time or the entire year, hourly wages are difficult to calculate. Annual wage information is available and is used instead.

Wages vary depending on the education and experience of the athletic trainer. Wages also vary by employer. Athletic trainers who work for university or professional sports teams tend to earn the most.

Full-time athletic trainers often receive benefits. These usually include paid vacation, sick leave, and health insurance.

Employment and outlook

Washington outlook

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

National employment

Major employers:

• Colleges and universities
• Gyms and athletic clubs
• Elementary and secondary schools

National outlook

Demand for athletic trainers is expected to be high due to several factors. First, as people become more aware of sports-related injuries at a young age, demand for athletic trainers is expected to increase in schools and youth sports. Second, the growing population of active middle-age and elderly people will increase the demand for trainers. Third, many companies are hiring athletic trainers to help reduce injuries on the job. Trainers can show employees how to lift items correctly and help to create training programs.

Although job growth is strong for athletic trainers it is a small occupation and opportunities will be limited. Athletic trainers with a degree from an accredited program and a few years of experience will have the best prospects.

Other resources

American College of Sports Medicine 
401 West Michigan Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202
317.637.9200

American Kinesiology Association 
1900 Association Drive
Reston, VA 20191
800.213.7193
703.476.3410

American Kinesiotherapy Association 

Become a Certified Athletic Trainer 

Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer 
1415 Harney Street
Suite 200
Omaha, NE 68102
877.262.3926

Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Programs 
6850 Austin Center Blvd
Suite 100
Austin, TX 78731-3184
844.462.2283

Explore Health Careers: Athletic Trainer 

Health Occupation Students of America 
548 Silicon Drive, Suite 101
Southlake, TX 76092
800.321.HOSA

National Athletic Trainers' Association 
1620 Valwood Parkway, Suite 115
Carrollton, TX 75006
214.637.6282

Northwest Athletic Trainers Association 

References

Career cluster

• Health Science

Career path

• Social

O*Net  occupation

• Athletic Trainers (29-9091.00) 

O*Net job zone 

• Job Zone 5 - Extensive preparation needed. Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience.

DOT occupation

• Athletic Trainer (153.224-010) 

Strong Interest Inventory

• Athletic Trainer

Holland occupational cluster

• Social/Realistic/Investigative

COPSystem

• Service Professional