Athletic Trainer Careers Information
Athletic trainers use their specialized medical training to help prevent and treat sports injuries. In general this means they focus on the muscular and skeletal systems. They offer athletes tips on how to train properly so that they may improve their abilities with the least risk of injury. They may watch practices and make suggestions during drills.
Athletic Trainer Careers & Degrees
- Carrington College: Tucson
Brown Mackie College: Fort Wayne, IN
During games, athletic trainers are on hand to tend to any injuries. Since they are usually the first on the scene, they must be able to quickly assess the injury level and decide if more acute medical attention is necessary. After injuries, athletic trainers help their athletes work around the problem and slowly return to playing form as quickly, yet healthfully as possible.
Athletic trainer careers may be utilized by sports organizations, such as a collegiate basketball team or professional football team, secondary schools, or recreational facilities. Athletic trainers may also help people with occupational related injuries outside of sports rehabilitate so they may return to work. This mostly includes workers for whom physical labor is a large part of the job, such as coal miners and construction workers. No matter the patient, athletic trainers often work closely with other medical personnel to make sure treatments are healthy and effective.
Athletic Trainer Careers Path
Most athletic trainers need to have at least a bachelor’s degree, though many earn Master’s and Doctoral degrees. Such degrees from accredited institutions will include coursework in biomechanics, anatomy, nutrition, and other healthcare courses. Most states also require some form of certification, earned through an exam, as a requirement to work as an athletic trainer. These certifications usually also require continuing education credits be earned throughout one’s career.
Athletic Trainer Careers Compatible Personality Traits
Strong desire to help others, excellent communication skills, people person, good under stress, very organized, good time management skills, assertive, good with hands, willing to work odd hours and/or travel with team.
Athletic Trainer Interview
To learn more about an athletic trainer career, Read More from an Athletic Trainer…
Athletic Trainer Careers Salary Expectations
The average salary for an athletic trainer is $39,640 a year, with the middle fifty percent earning between $32,070 and $49,250. Athletic trainers in large organizations may be able to move into supervisory positions and earn more money. They may also be able to switch organizations to earn more money. Some athletic trainers use their experience to later enter sales and marketing in a sports equipment related field.
Athletic Trainer Careers Job Outlook
The job outlook for athletic trainers in the coming years is good. Their work is becoming more accepted as its preventative care is cheaper than other corrective healthcare therapies and surgeries. This means insurance companies are increasingly covering costs associated with visiting an athletic trainer, always a hurdle for most people who would otherwise use a health service.
Competition for jobs in collegiate or professional sports organizations is likely to remain high due to low turnover, but recent calls for more trainers at the high school and local levels mean that those athletic trainers willing to work at secondary schools or recreational facilities should have a good chance of finding work.
Athletic Trainer Associations and Resources
National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA)
Slightly off the Footpath
Source: bls.gov/oco/ocos294.htm
