Career Opportunities for Athletic Training Graduates

Many career opportunities exist for the student who completes the Athletic Training degree. To help prepare for the various careers in the field, the Athletic Training Education Program encourages our students to gain firsthand experience through involvement in Clinical Rotations.

The NATA website's job placement page

Employment Settings for the Athletic Trainer

Secondary Schools

Athletics is a very popular extracurricular program at most middle, junior, and senior high schools with an estimated 5.5. million participants. Many large secondary schools have hired certified athletic trainers to help prevent, care for, and rehabilitate the injuries which these participants may incur. Some states have passed or are considering legislation requiring schools to provide athletic training services to their athletes. In some schools, the athletic trainer is employed as a teacher and athletic trainer. In this situation, the individual fulfills responsibilities as a teacher and performs athletic training duties on a part-time or extracurricular basis. In this case, the athletic trainer is compensated either by an extra stipend and/or on the basis of released time from the teaching load requirements.

School Districts

Some secondary schools have found it more economically efficient to employ a certified athletic trainer who is centrally placed and serves all of the schools within the school district or by doing weekly rotation visits.

Colleges and Universities

Many universities, colleges, or junior and community colleges offer interscholastic athletic programs. The athletic training position varies from institution to institution, usually dependent upon the size of the school. At most larger colleges and universities, the athletic trainer(s) are full-time, do not teach, and work solely in the athletic department. At other institutions, an athletic trainer may fulfill a dual role, varying in responsibility between athletics, instructing in academic programs, or even working in a health services clinic providing care to athletes and general students.

Professional Teams

The athletic trainer for a professional sports team is usually involved with only one sport and team during the season, and is responsible for off-season conditioning and individual rehabilitation after the season. The athletic trainer is usually paid according to contract, with playoffs and championships adding substantial bonuses if the team is successful.

Sports Medicine Clinics

Although the clinical setting was once considered to be a nontraditional employment setting, today more athletic trainers are employed in sports medicine clinics than in any other setting. These private clinics or hospital based programs have well-equipped facilities in which to work and the salaries are generally higher than in the other traditional settings. In many cases, the athletic trainer sees patients with sports-related injuries during the morning hours in the clinic and covers athletic practices and games in the afternoons at the local high schools or colleges which contract this service from the clinic. Another clinical role that an athletic trainer could serve in is that of physician extender. At a physician's clinic or office, the athletic trainer can do initial evaluations (particularly musculoskeletal injuries), begin to work with patients early on after surgery before physical therapy starts, and other tasks associated with the physician's office.

Corporate/Industrial Setting

One of the newest employment opportunities for the athletic trainer is in the corporate or industrial setting. Many of these companies have corporate wellness, occupational therapy, or injury rehabilitation programs for their employees. Athletic trainers in this setting emphasize the prevention of work-related injuries utilizing skills in ergonomics, biomechanics, and conditioning. If injuries or overuse conditions occur, rehabilitation and work-hardening services are provided.

"Specialty/Unconventional" Career Options

Athletic trainers are expanding their scope of practice beyond athletics, dealing with those that are physically active: engaging in occupational, recreational or athletic activities that require physical skills and utilize strength, power, endurance, speed, flexibility, range of motion or agility. Areas of current focus have been in overseas ministries and athletic teams and/or leagues, performing arts and dance, military specialty teams, Olympics/Paralympics, and professional "skill" sports such as golf, tennis, skiing (ski patrol), etc.