Job Description

An athletic trainer is a healthcare worker who diagnoses and treats people who have sustained injuries to muscles and bones. His or her patients are usually athletes but others may seek treatment as well. An athletic trainer works under the direction of a physician and also teaches people how to prevent injuries.

Employment Facts

There were almost 20,780 athletic trainers employed in 2012.

Many athletic trainers work in sports-related jobs. Others work in hospitals, doctors' offices or the offices of other health professionals.

Educational Requirements

To work as an athletic trainer one must earn at least a bachelor's degree from a program that has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE). The majority of athletic trainers, however, have a master's degree.

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Other Requirements

The majority of states in the United States require athletic trainers to be licensed or registered. The Board of Certification, Inc. (BOC) administers an exam that individuals in most of these states must take. To find out what the licensing requirements are in the state in which you want to work use the see the Licensed Occupations Tool on CareerOneStop.

In addition to his or her training and credentials, an athletic trainer also needs certain soft skills to succeed in this career. He or she must be compassionate since patients are often in pain.

Good interpersonal skills allow him or her to communicate not only with patients, but also with fellow professionals. He or she must be able to make potentially life-altering decisions on the spot and must also be detail-oriented since recording information accurately is very important.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for athletic trainers is excellent. This occupation is projected to experience faster than average growth through 2022. Unfortunately this won't translate into a lot of job openings because this is a relatively small occupation (The US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

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Earnings

In 2012 athletic trainers earned a median annual salary of $42,090 (US).

Use the Salary Wizard at Salary.com to find out how much an Athletic Trainer currently earns in your city.

A Day in an Athletic Trainer's Life:

These are some typical job duties taken from online ads for athletic trainer positions found on Indeed.com:

• Deliver athlete medical care in a positive, caring, and empathetic manner while working to assure all patient questions are answered in a helpful manner.
• Provide first aid techniques and triage as necessary.
• Monitor athletic events and team practices.
• Perform initial athletic training evaluations.
• Provide care to a patient population ranging from adolescents to geriatric.
• Act as liaison between the patient and physicians and/or their support staff and medical assistant.
• Prevent athletic injuries.
• Assist with maintaining all medical records.

Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2014-15 Edition, Athletic Trainers and Exercise Physiologists, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/athletic-trainers-and-exercise-physiologists.htm (visited January 16, 2014).
Employment and Training Administration, US Department of Labor, O*NET Online, Athletic Trainers, on the Internet at http://online.onetcenter.org/link/details/29-9091.00 (visited January 16, 2014).
Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, Occupational Employment Statistics, May 2012, Athletic Trainers, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes299091.htm (visited January 16, 2014).