Athletic Trainers
Athletic Trainers (SOC 29-9091) earn a median $62,520 a year in the United States, with 30,500 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What athletic trainers do
Athletic trainers evaluate and treat musculoskeletal injuries or illnesses and provide preventive, therapeutic, emergency and rehabilitative care. The SOC excludes physical therapists, who have their own code. They conduct an initial assessment of an athlete's injury or illness to give emergency or continued care and to decide whether the athlete should be referred to a physician for diagnosis and treatment. They evaluate athletes' readiness to play and provide participation clearances when warranted, and assess and report the progress of recovering athletes to coaches or physicians. They care for athletic injuries with physical therapy equipment, techniques or medication, and apply tape, bandages or braces to ankles, fingers, wrists and other body parts. They instruct coaches, athletes, parents, medical personnel and community members in the care and prevention of athletic injuries, keep records and write reports, and clean and sanitize athletic training rooms. More than half of respondents report a master's degree and over a third a bachelor's degree. Another set of names includes certified athletic trainer, licensed athletic trainer, on-site industrial athletic trainer and outreach athletic trainer.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a master's degree as the typical level of education for this occupation (54 percent).
Also called: Athletic Instructor, Athletic Lecturer, Athletic Trainer, Certified Athletic Trainer, Clinical Athletic Instructor.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 30,500 |
| Annual | $48,180 | $55,130 | $62,520 | $74,630 | $88,760 | $66,620 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where athletic trainers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,760 | 0.10 | 0.49 |
| Annual | $54,770 | $67,600 | $78,490 | $90,180 | $108,050 | $80,780 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 200 | 0.32 | 1.60 |
| Annual | $56,110 | $61,210 | $76,320 | $80,080 | $92,500 | $72,560 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 890 | 0.21 | 1.06 |
| Annual | $52,040 | $60,800 | $76,210 | $93,540 | $112,330 | $79,790 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 100 | 0.15 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $59,290 | $61,170 | $74,450 | $97,040 | $143,050 | $84,310 | ||||
| New Mexico | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 150 | 0.17 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $47,030 | $57,960 | $72,440 | $77,490 | $84,130 | $70,060 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 3,130 | 0.22 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $54,750 | $62,090 | $64,150 | $80,410 | $99,480 | $71,800 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,100 | 0.38 | 1.93 |
| Annual | $49,700 | $55,960 | $61,420 | $65,920 | $75,100 | $63,040 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,870 | 0.31 | 1.58 |
| Annual | $46,960 | $54,360 | $61,060 | $65,680 | $77,920 | $62,510 | ||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,760 | 0.10 | 0.49 |
| Annual | $54,770 | $67,600 | $78,490 | $90,180 | $108,050 | $80,780 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,430 | 0.14 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $48,890 | $54,990 | $61,350 | $66,640 | $80,370 | $64,040 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 120 | 0.11 | 0.54 |
| Annual | $73,030 | $79,110 | $89,630 | $101,890 | $126,320 | $91,240 | ||||
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 90 | 0.32 | 1.63 |
| Annual | $49,210 | $77,200 | $82,480 | $93,020 | $99,650 | $81,150 | ||||
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 240 | 0.14 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $62,800 | $76,330 | $79,950 | $87,340 | $90,240 | $80,560 | ||||
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 50 | 0.19 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $53,470 | $67,500 | $78,910 | $94,770 | $115,070 | $80,540 | ||||
| Corpus Christi, TX | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 50 | 0.27 | 1.40 |
| Annual | $54,430 | $65,350 | $78,580 | $79,570 | $112,360 | $78,020 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,330 | 0.14 | 0.71 |
| Annual | $52,040 | $62,950 | $76,500 | $94,640 | $112,330 | $81,290 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 790 | 0.19 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $62,410 | $62,410 | $62,520 | $86,120 | $109,640 | $74,980 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 770 | 0.27 | 1.36 |
| Annual | $55,480 | $61,260 | $63,840 | $73,840 | $94,690 | $69,280 | ||||
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 650 | 0.50 | 2.56 |
| Annual | $63,320 | $64,150 | $64,150 | $64,150 | $78,110 | $67,060 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 650 | 0.14 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $50,280 | $55,750 | $65,780 | $77,820 | $89,800 | $69,700 | ||||
Top industries employing athletic trainers
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools employ 21.4% of athletic trainers nationally (6,530 jobs) at a median $60,020 a year, followed by Offices of Other Health Practitioners (17.5%) and General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (17.3%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 6,530 | 21.4% | $60,020 | * |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners NAICS 621300 | 5,350 | 17.5% | $60,410 | * |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 5,290 | 17.3% | $62,730 | * |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools NAICS 611100 | 4,780 | 15.7% | $74,760 | * |
| Offices of Physicians NAICS 621100 | 3,850 | 12.6% | $61,820 | * |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (30,500). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $48,420 for athletic trainers in May 2021 and $62,520 in May 2025, with employment of 26,070 and 30,500.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $48,420 | * | 26,070 |
| May 2022 | $53,840 | * | 29,720 |
| May 2023 | $57,930 | * | 28,480 |
| May 2024 | $60,250 | * | 28,950 |
| May 2025 | $62,520 | * | 30,500 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
50 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California profile | * | $78,490 | $54,770 | $108,050 | 1,760 | 0.10 | 0.49 |
| 2 | Hawaii profile | * | $76,320 | $56,110 | $92,500 | 200 | 0.32 | 1.60 |
| 3 | New Jersey profile | * | $76,210 | $52,040 | $112,330 | 890 | 0.21 | 1.06 |
| 4 | District of Columbia profile | * | $74,450 | $59,290 | $143,050 | 100 | 0.15 | 0.76 |
| 5 | New Mexico profile | * | $72,440 | $47,030 | $84,130 | 150 | 0.17 | 0.89 |
| 6 | Massachusetts profile | * | $70,010 | $50,560 | $104,850 | 630 | 0.17 | 0.88 |
| 7 | Connecticut profile | * | $69,960 | $50,900 | $112,140 | 290 | 0.17 | 0.86 |
| 8 | New York profile | * | $66,230 | $49,990 | $101,840 | 1,370 | 0.14 | 0.72 |
| 9 | Utah profile | * | $65,980 | $52,680 | $86,910 | 340 | 0.20 | 0.99 |
| 10 | Minnesota profile | * | $65,390 | $57,910 | $78,430 | 820 | 0.28 | 1.42 |
| 11 | Illinois profile | * | $64,750 | $49,240 | $93,020 | 850 | 0.14 | 0.71 |
| 12 | Georgia profile | * | $64,590 | $48,320 | $107,810 | 860 | 0.18 | 0.90 |
| 13 | Colorado profile | * | $64,580 | $53,390 | $86,170 | 380 | 0.13 | 0.67 |
| 14 | Texas profile | * | $64,150 | $54,750 | $99,480 | 3,130 | 0.22 | 1.13 |
| 15 | Maryland profile | * | $63,970 | $48,290 | $90,350 | 320 | 0.12 | 0.60 |
| 16 | Rhode Island profile | * | $63,750 | $46,600 | $86,580 | ** | ** | ** |
| 17 | Washington profile | * | $63,750 | $49,290 | $88,610 | 240 | 0.07 | 0.35 |
| 18 | Wyoming profile | * | $63,190 | $48,360 | $82,570 | 60 | 0.20 | 1.03 |
| 19 | Vermont profile | * | $62,910 | $55,020 | $77,400 | 140 | 0.45 | 2.29 |
| 20 | Indiana profile | * | $62,780 | $47,510 | $76,730 | 1,040 | 0.33 | 1.66 |
| 21 | Louisiana profile | * | $62,760 | $50,120 | $78,880 | 810 | 0.42 | 2.13 |
| 22 | Maine profile | * | $61,970 | $48,140 | $79,180 | 180 | 0.29 | 1.47 |
| 23 | Virginia profile | * | $61,860 | $49,170 | $87,240 | 830 | 0.20 | 1.03 |
| 24 | Wisconsin profile | * | $61,820 | $47,360 | $78,160 | 620 | 0.21 | 1.07 |
| 25 | Arizona profile | * | $61,710 | $48,330 | $89,080 | 590 | 0.18 | 0.93 |
| 26 | Ohio profile | * | $61,420 | $49,700 | $75,100 | 2,100 | 0.38 | 1.93 |
| 27 | Florida profile | * | $61,350 | $48,890 | $80,370 | 1,430 | 0.14 | 0.73 |
| 28 | Oklahoma profile | * | $61,320 | $33,800 | $84,810 | 360 | 0.21 | 1.08 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania profile | * | $61,060 | $46,960 | $77,920 | 1,870 | 0.31 | 1.58 |
| 30 | Nebraska profile | * | $61,020 | $48,480 | $76,080 | 270 | 0.27 | 1.36 |
| 31 | North Dakota profile | * | $60,900 | $48,220 | $77,360 | 110 | 0.25 | 1.29 |
| 32 | Kentucky profile | * | $60,680 | $45,500 | $82,480 | 720 | 0.36 | 1.83 |
| 33 | Idaho profile | * | $60,410 | $52,940 | $88,540 | 170 | 0.20 | 1.04 |
| 34 | New Hampshire profile | * | $60,200 | $46,640 | $93,050 | 210 | 0.30 | 1.54 |
| 35 | Montana profile | * | $60,090 | $51,380 | $101,460 | 50 | 0.10 | 0.51 |
| 36 | Tennessee profile | * | $59,850 | $44,030 | $75,510 | 580 | 0.18 | 0.90 |
| 37 | Nevada profile | * | $59,820 | $31,200 | $106,060 | 180 | 0.12 | 0.60 |
| 38 | Delaware profile | * | $59,650 | $41,080 | $88,490 | 50 | 0.10 | 0.50 |
| 39 | Michigan profile | * | $59,280 | $46,580 | $74,790 | 870 | 0.20 | 1.01 |
| 40 | South Carolina profile | * | $59,240 | $43,360 | $76,120 | 530 | 0.23 | 1.17 |
| 41 | Kansas profile | * | $59,140 | $47,160 | $78,600 | 390 | 0.27 | 1.37 |
| 42 | Missouri profile | * | $58,660 | $47,540 | $70,910 | 510 | 0.17 | 0.89 |
| 43 | South Dakota profile | * | $58,620 | $47,630 | $64,130 | 150 | 0.33 | 1.66 |
| 44 | Mississippi profile | * | $58,180 | $49,160 | $75,730 | 200 | 0.17 | 0.89 |
| 45 | Oregon profile | * | $57,790 | $50,420 | $86,120 | 280 | 0.14 | 0.73 |
| 46 | Arkansas profile | * | $57,240 | $47,350 | $72,900 | 240 | 0.18 | 0.93 |
| 47 | North Carolina profile | * | $56,540 | $46,740 | $77,000 | 990 | 0.20 | 1.02 |
| 48 | Iowa profile | * | $55,430 | $47,250 | $69,620 | 570 | 0.37 | 1.86 |
| 49 | West Virginia profile | * | $50,510 | $41,020 | $72,800 | 110 | 0.16 | 0.84 |
| 50 | Alabama profile | * | $46,940 | $38,110 | $63,840 | 840 | 0.40 | 2.02 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (29-9090), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 29-9091 Athletic Trainers.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked. A withheld or top-coded median in that table shows the marker explained above.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them. A withheld or top-coded cell in that table shows the marker explained above.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 29-9091, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 29-9091.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.