Evaluate and treat musculoskeletal injuries or illnesses. Provide preventive, therapeutic, emergency, and rehabilitative care.
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Licensing, certifications and working conditions
State licensing. Athletic Trainers is licensed or registered in 48 of 57 states and territories, as reported by each state to CareerOneStop. A license often applies only to certain roles within a career, and records were last updated between 2010 and 2024, so confirm requirements with the state licensing board.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 2 professional certifications to Athletic Trainers. 2 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Advanced" group, for example: Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) (ATC), Medical Exercise Program Director. Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Working conditions. Shares of workers who interact with the general public (over 70%), cannot pause their work (63.5%), and are exposed to the outdoors (88.6%). From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Requirements Survey (2023 estimates); figures describe the occupation on average.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most athletic trainers are Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (22% of the jobs counted, median pay $60,020), Offices of Other Health Practitioners (18% of the jobs counted, median pay $60,410), General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (18% of the jobs counted, median pay $62,730), Elementary and Secondary Schools (16% of the jobs counted, median pay $74,760) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Elementary and Secondary Schools ($74,760), Spectator Sports ($74,090), General Medical and Surgical Hospitals ($62,730). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.
Union membership. In the broad group "Healthcare practitioners and technical", which includes this career, 12.0% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $1,605 for union members and $1,521 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to athletic trainers.
Wages employers offered H-1B workers. For athletic trainers, employers filed 83 certified Labor Condition Applications for H-1B workers covering 83 worker positions in FY2025, with a median lower-bound wage offered of $55,000 (the middle half ran from $48,300 to $62,200) (U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification). These are wages named in employers' applications to hire temporary foreign workers, usually in jobs that need at least a bachelor's degree. They are not what every worker in the occupation earns. The Department of Labor has not endorsed this presentation.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Professional and related", which includes this career, 86% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 85% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 92% had paid sick leave, 73% paid vacation and 78% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to athletic trainers, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $74.42 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Professional and related" in June 2026 ($50.37 in wages and salaries and $24.06 in benefits, 32.3% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for athletic trainers are: telephone conversations (100%), e-mail (100%), face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams (100%), contact with others (100%), freedom to make decisions (100%), frequency of decision making (99%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (43% of 19 respondents) was "over 2 years, up to and including 4 years"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (51% of 19 respondents) was "up to and including 1 month"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (45% of 19 respondents) was "none or short demonstration". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to athletic trainers in the work done and the skills used: Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors, Sports Medicine Physicians, Exercise Physiologists, Physical Therapist Assistants, Recreational Therapists, Coaches and Scouts, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Compare athletic trainers with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →
Physical Fitness Technician
CIP 31.0507
Athletic Training/Trainer
CIP 51.0913