Athletic training is a booming career field today. There is a focus on athletics and wellness transforming health care, and it is essential to understand the career opportunities that athletic trainers can expect.
Athletic Training Explained
Athletic trainers are health care professionals who work collaboratively with physicians. This field includes preventing, examining, diagnosing, treating, and rehabbing injuries that are either acute or chronic.
The Scope of Practice for Athletic Trainers
An athletic trainer is skilled in health sciences with a specialty in athletic health care. Their typical responsibilities throughout the day include the following:
- They provide athletic training services
- They apply tape, bandages, and braces for protection or to prevent injuries
- They evaluate acute injuries and administer first aid
- They implement rehab programs for athletes who have been injured, and they develop programs aimed at injury prevention
- They perform administrative tasks, such as writing instructions and writing reports
Where Does an Athletic Trainer Work?
There are many different places where an athletic trainer can work. They might work in emergency rooms at hospitals or sports medicine clinics. They work in secondary schools, the US military, professional sports teams, and public safety settings, such as police and fire stations. They can intern at clinics, for professional sports teams, in high schools, and at universities during their education.
In a high school setting, they work with student-athletes to prevent and treat any injuries they suffer during practice or competition. They also teach at the high school.
The Career Outlook for Athletic Trainers
This field is expanding rapidly. It is experiencing growth and is expected to grow by 16% by 2029. This is higher than average in a career. The salary for this job varies by state, but they can earn more than $50,000 a year.