What is an Athletic Trainer?
Athletic trainers are educated as medical professionals (which differentiates them from fitness or personal trainers) and work with impairment, functional limitations, and disabilities. They work with emergency, acute, and chronic cases and are not only involved with diagnosing and aiding patients, but also working preventatively to ensure the patient's future health and success. They learn risk management and injury prevention, the pathology and acute care of injuries and illnesses, nutrition, rehabilitative practices, and more.
Types of Work Environments
- Hospitals including emergency rooms, urgent care, and ambulatory care centers.
- Clinics focusing on sports health, cardiac rehabilitation, and physical therapy.
- Sports leagues ranging from youth all the way up through high school and college to professional and Olympic sports.
Education and Training Requirements
Athletic trainers attend professional education programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education. This education is a combination of clinical fieldwork and classroom-based learning. For more detailed information on the education required to become an athletic trainer, please refer to the education overview published by the National Athletic Trainers' Association, which can be found here.
Salary
According to Indeed.com, the median salary for an athletic trainer is approximately $55,063 a year.
Professional Organization
The National Athletic Trainers Association
Learn More
Explore what Athletic Training programs the Cleveland Clinic is affiliated with.
