Description of an Athletic Trainer

With physical activity, the possibility of injuries is always present. When an injury occurs, an athletic trainer provides medical assistance. The American Medical Association acknowledges athletic trainers as allied health care professionals.

  1. Responsibilities

    • A certified athletic trainer is a medical professional who specializes in preventing, identifying, and rehabilitating injuries that may occur due to physical activity. As an administrator of first aid, an athletic trainer is usually the first one on the scene when an injury happens. An athletic trainer also provides instruction on proper conditioning and demonstrates how to use sports equipment safely. With the job comes a certain amount of administrative responsibilities, such as completing paperwork concerning budgets and policies. Depending on where an athletic trainer is employed, he or she can spend as much time as 50 to 70 hours a week working during a sports season, according to the National Athletic Trainers' Association, and might be needed seven days a week.

    Athletic Training Arena

    • Athletic trainers can be found in a variety of settings where people are physically active. Trainers can be found in professional athletic arenas such as Major League Baseball, the National Baskeball Association, The National Hockey League and the National Football League. In addition, trainers can hold positions at high schools, colleges, sports medicine clinics, the military, law enforcement agencies, and hospitals and clinics.

    Needed Skills

    • A trainer needs to be able to stand for long periods of time, kneel, and be able to run. Since a trainer will often face stressful situations, he or she needs to be able to deal with pressure and be able to communicate effectively. Dealing with people on a daily basis, a trainer will also need stellar social skills. An athletic trainer must be able to deal with long work days and the physical rigors of the profession.

    Education

    • An athletic trainer will need at least a bachelor's degree. Courses required include anatomy, physiology, nutrition, and biomechanics, according to the NATA. The majority of athletic trainers hold a master's or doctorate degree. To work at a college environment, a trainer will need a graduate degree. To be certified, a trainer will need to meet the curriculum requirements of the Board of Certification. While working toward certification, students gain valuable clinical education experience through the supervision of a certified athletic trainer in a variety of athletic settings. To keep their skills sharp and current, certified athletic trainers are required to meet continuing education requirements set by the Board of Certification.

    Salary

    • The National Athletic Trainers' Association reports that the average full-time salary for an athletic trainer was $44,235 in 2008. Education and experience play key roles in pay levels, though. The average annual salary for an athletic trainer with 10 to 15 years of experience was $49,238 in 2008 and a trainer with 20 to 25 years of experience made an annual average salary of $59,688. Athletic trainers in administrative positions earned higher salaries.