The demand for athletic trainers is expected to increase by 30% in the next 10 years.

Athletic trainers prevent, diagnose and treat injuries to the muscle and bone or the neuromusculoskeletal system. They work in collaboration with physicians in a variety of healthcare settings, based upon state licensure requirements.

It is important to note that athletic trainers are not personal or fitness trainers. Also, they do not just treat athletes. They treat all types of patients.

The Professional Organization

Athletic trainers have been a recognized allied health care profession by the American Medical Association (AMA) since 1990.

The National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA) is the professional group overseeing the athletic trainer population. Athletic trainers are currently licensed or regulated in 47 states. In these states, an athletic trainer must be board certified in the specialty; this carries the designation of Athletic Trainer, Certified (ATC). The states of Alaska, California and Hawaii are in the midst of adding licensure for this allied health profession.

Education

A bachelor’s degree, specific to an athletic training curriculum, is the basic entry level of education. More than 70% of certified athletic trainers have continued in their education to earn a master’s degree.

Coursework includes education about:

• Anatomy and physiology of the human body
• Injury prevention
• First aid
• Emergency care
• Injury assessment, examination and diagnosis
• Nutrition
• Treatment modalities
• Rehabilitation

There is classroom learning and clinical experience associated with the educational process to become an athletic trainer. There is a minimum of two years of academic clinical education/experience required.

Job Settings

In some job settings, an athletic trainer carries a different title but the job responsibilities are the same. They have been known to be called a wellness manager, rehabilitation specialist or physician extender.

Classically, an athletic trainer works in a sports or athletic setting, either in some level of school athletics or with a professional team. This job setting requires most work outdoors on sports fields dealing with a wide variety of weather conditions, depending upon the season.

Outside the traditional sports setting, athletic trainers are known to work in a variety of other areas:

• Physician offices as a physician extender
• Hospitals as in an emergency room, urgent care center or ambulatory care center
• Clinics specializing in sports medicine, cardiac rehabilitation, fitness and physical therapy
• Occupational health clinics within a commercial setting
• Municipal departments like fire and police
• Branches of the military
• Schools including public, private and college-level
• Professional and Olympic sports
• Youth sports programs
• Independent sports facilities

Salary Information

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports the typical pay scale for an athletic trainer ranges from $35,000 to $75,000 annually, depending upon the job setting and years of clinical experience. Other resources report that the median pay for an athletic trainer is closer to $41,600 annually.

A National Athletic Trainers’ Association survey shows the athletic trainer salary pay scale to be on the rise, especially among youth sports programs where it has risen 41% and in professional sports with a 31% increase over the past 10 years. Other professional areas like schools, hospitals, performing arts and government jobs reflect a 9% to 15% salary increase over the same period of time.

Job Field Projection

There are currently 40,000 certified athletic trainers in the U.S. Over the course of the next ten years, the job outlook for athletic trainers is higher than the expected national average. A 30% increase is projected. The greatest job growth is expected in the demand for care in the younger population, so will be seen most acutely in schools and youth sports leagues.

Athletic training is a growing field in the allied health professions and opens a myriad of diverse career opportunities.