Athletic Trainers
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
An injured athlete is assessed first: you decide whether they need emergency care or a physician, then treat the problem with therapy equipment, techniques, or medication. Taping, bandaging, and bracing joints is routine, as is cleaning the training room and writing records and progress reports for coaches and doctors. You also judge readiness to play and teach coaches, athletes, parents, and others how to prevent and care for injuries. A match for people who like hands-on treatment, careful tracking of recovery, and explaining care to athletes and medical staff.
Typical education: Master’s Degree
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$62'520
Median Wage Market Position
$62'520
What you might do
- Assess an athlete's injury or illness
- Treat sports injuries with therapy techniques
- Tape or brace joints to prevent injury
- Clear athletes to return to play
- Report recovery progress to coaches and doctors
- Teach injury prevention to athletes and coaches
Skills that matter
- Initial assessment of an athlete's injury
- Clearance decisions on readiness to play
- Injury care with therapy equipment or medication
- Progress reports for coaches and physicians
- Taping and bracing ankles, fingers, and wrists
- Injury-prevention teaching for athletes and coaches
AI & the future of this role
Evaluating injuries, delivering hands-on treatment, and making return-to-play calls depend on physical assessment and trust. AI might aid documentation or training plans, but on-site care and emergency response are likely to protect this work.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details