An athletic trainer is a health-care worker who treats athletes during a medical emergency and helps the athlete undergo rehabilitation if it’s deemed necessary by a doctor. Trainers work alongside doctors and physical therapists in fields such as high school, college, university or for a professional sports team. Economists from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predict the need for athletic trainers will drastically increase faster than the average for all occupations because of the increasing popularity in sports.
Salary
As of 2011, the average pay for an athletic trainer was between $31,298 and $43,739, according to Payscale.com. Pay range varies from state to state. Athletic trainers who work for professional spectator sports make the highest salary, averaging about $51,260 annually.
Education Requirements
Athletic trainers are required to receive formal training and certification. A bachelor’s degree from an institution that is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training must be obtained before a person is eligible to take the athletic trainer certification exam. People who are interested in becoming an athletic trainer must receive a bachelor's degree in the following majors: athletic training, kinesiology or other approved accredited allied health-care programs. Students must take courses in human anatomy, physics, exercise physiology, injury evaluation and rehabilitation, nutrition, risk management and health-care administration as well as hands-on clinical courses. Clinical experience is usually achieved by working as an athletic trainer.
Colleges
Colleges such as the Metropolitan State College of Denver and Boston University have specific programs for students interested in becoming an athletic trainer. Metropolitan State College’s Athletic Education Program eliminates the need of a minor and prepares them for the ATC exam. The program is an extended bachelor degree program within the department of Human Performance and Sport. Boston University has a CAAHEP-accredited athletic training program that prepares professionals for positions in athletic training and rehabilitation settings located in secondary schools, colleges, clinics and professional athletics.
Certification
Once you've successfully completed a bachelor's degree in the approved accredited athletic trainer program, you are eligible to take the National Athletic Trainer’s Association Board of Certification Exam. The exam will evaluate your knowledge of injury prevention, clinical evaluation, immediate care, organization and administration, and professional responsibility. Once you've passed the certification exam, you might have to become licensed in their state. Athletic trainers are required to keep up continuing education requirements and are subject to audit every three years.
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