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Role hub · Athletic Trainers

Athletic Trainer: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Oct 24, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of athletic trainers earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$62,520
Hourly
n/a
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Athletic Trainers evaluate and treat musculoskeletal injuries or illnesses. The median pay is $62,520 a year (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a master's degree (54% of workers surveyed by O*NET).

Median pay
$62,520
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
30,500
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 5 of 5
extensive preparation
Most common education
Master's Degree
54% of workers
Explore the role

Every page for Athletic Trainers

SalaryAthletic Trainer salary

Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.

Open →How to becomeAthletic Trainer how to become

Education, training and the skills to build first.

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The work

What athletic trainers do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Assess and report the progress of recovering athletes to coaches or physicians.
  2. Care for athletic injuries, using physical therapy equipment, techniques, or medication.
  3. Evaluate athletes' readiness to play and provide participation clearances when necessary and warranted.
  4. Perform general administrative tasks, such as keeping records or writing reports.
  5. Clean and sanitize athletic training rooms.
  6. Instruct coaches, athletes, parents, medical personnel, or community members in the care and prevention of athletic injuries.
  7. Apply protective or injury preventive devices, such as tape, bandages, or braces, to body parts, such as ankles, fingers, or wrists.
  8. Collaborate with physicians to develop and implement comprehensive rehabilitation programs for athletic injuries.
Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

Active ListeningcoreJudgment and Decision MakingcoreSpeakingcoreCritical ThinkingMonitoringSocial PerceptivenessReading ComprehensionActive LearningInstructing

Knowledge areas: Medicine and Dentistry, Customer and Personal Service, Psychology, Therapy and Counseling, English Language, Education and Training.

Tools and technology

Software athletic trainers use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • BioEx Systems Exercise ProMedical software
  • ImPACT Applications ImPACTMedical software
  • Microsoft Office softwareOffice suite softwareIn demand
  • Microsoft ExcelSpreadsheet softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft OutlookElectronic mail softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft PowerPointPresentation softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft WordWord processing softwareHot technology
  • Database softwareData base user interface and query software
  • Digital Coach AthleticTrainerData base user interface and query software
  • Email softwareElectronic mail software
  • Injury tracking softwareData base user interface and query software
  • Keffer Development Services Athletic Trainer System ATSData base user interface and query software

Also called: Athletic Instructor, Athletic Lecturer, Certified Athletic Trainer, Personal Trainer, Resident Athletic Trainer.

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the correlation between the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level, subtract the average across all occupations, and correlate the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 or below means unrelated. Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).