How much do athletic trainers make?

Athletic Trainer salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Athletic Trainers (SOC 29-9091) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Athletic trainers in the US earned a median of $62,520 a year in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $55,130 to $74,630.

Median annual pay: $62,520; Mean $66,620
Median hourly pay: Annual only; BLS publishes annual pay only for this occupation
Typical range (10th–90th): $48.2K–$88.8K; $48,180 to $88,760
US jobs: 30,500; +12.7% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become an athletic trainer: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: New Mexico

Athletic Trainer pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$48,180
25th percentile$55,130
Median$62,520
75th percentile$74,630
90th percentile$88,760

Half of all athletic trainers earned more than $62,520 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $48,180; the top 10% made over $88,760. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $55,130 to $74,630.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$48,180	—	$4,015
25th	$55,130	—	$4,594
Median (50th)	$62,520	—	$5,210
75th	$74,630	—	$6,219
90th	$88,760	—	$7,397
Mean (average)	$66,620	—	$5,552

Athletic Trainer salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for athletic trainers by state. Darker tiles pay more. A dash means BLS did not publish a figure.

Highest-paying states

1. California $78,490
2. Hawaii $76,320
3. New Jersey $76,210
4. District of Columbia $74,450
5. New Mexico $72,440

Lowest-paying states

50. Alabama $46,940
49. West Virginia $50,510
48. Iowa $55,430
47. North Carolina $56,540
46. Arkansas $57,240

Best after cost of living: New Mexico. Its median of $72,440 is worth about $78,558 at national-average prices, more than in California once prices are counted.


Alabama	$46,940	50	$52,847	50	—	840	0.40
Alaska	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Arizona	$61,710	25	$61,295	39	—	590	0.18
Arkansas	$57,240	46	$65,841	22	—	240	0.18
California	$78,490	1	$70,891	3	—	1,760	0.10
Colorado	$64,580	13	$62,667	34	—	380	0.13
Connecticut	$69,960	7	$67,522	11	—	290	0.17
Delaware	$59,650	38	$59,765	44	—	50	0.10
District of Columbia	$74,450	4	$67,743	9	—	100	0.15
Florida	$61,350	27	$59,325	46	—	1,430	0.14
Georgia	$64,590	12	$67,077	14	—	860	0.18
Hawaii	$76,320	2	$69,413	6	—	200	0.32
Idaho	$60,410	33	$63,261	31	—	170	0.20
Illinois	$64,750	11	$64,777	26	—	850	0.14
Indiana	$62,780	20	$67,267	13	—	1,040	0.33
Iowa	$55,430	48	$63,159	33	—	570	0.36
Kansas	$59,140	41	$65,662	24	—	390	0.27
Kentucky	$60,680	32	$67,303	12	—	720	0.36
Louisiana	$62,760	21	$71,151	2	—	810	0.42
Maine	$61,970	22	$63,854	29	—	180	0.29
Maryland	$63,970	15	$60,948	41	—	320	0.12
Massachusetts	$70,010	6	$66,199	19	—	630	0.17
Michigan	$59,280	39	$61,611	37	—	870	0.20
Minnesota	$65,390	10	$66,304	17	—	820	0.28
Mississippi	$58,180	44	$66,910	15	—	200	0.17
Missouri	$58,660	42	$64,591	27	—	510	0.17
Montana	$60,090	35	$63,490	30	—	50	0.10
Nebraska	$61,020	30	$67,722	10	—	270	0.27
Nevada	$59,820	37	$59,833	43	—	180	0.12
New Hampshire	$60,200	34	$57,793	47	—	210	0.30
New Jersey	$76,210	3	$70,043	4	—	890	0.21
New Mexico	$72,440	5	$78,558	1	—	150	0.17
New York	$66,230	8	$61,369	38	—	1,370	0.14
North Carolina	$56,540	47	$59,941	42	—	990	0.20
North Dakota	$60,900	31	$68,459	7	—	110	0.25
Ohio	$61,420	26	$66,204	18	—	2,100	0.38
Oklahoma	$61,320	28	$69,806	5	—	360	0.21
Oregon	$57,790	45	$55,911	49	—	280	0.14
Pennsylvania	$61,060	29	$62,579	35	—	1,870	0.31
Rhode Island	$63,750	16	$62,329	36	—	—	—
South Carolina	$59,240	40	$63,190	32	—	530	0.23
South Dakota	$58,620	43	$66,173	20	—	150	0.33
Tennessee	$59,850	36	$65,146	25	—	580	0.18
Texas	$64,150	14	$66,095	21	—	3,130	0.22
Utah	$65,980	9	$66,738	16	—	340	0.20
Vermont	$62,910	19	$64,221	28	—	140	0.45
Virginia	$61,860	23	$61,185	40	—	830	0.20
Washington	$63,750	17	$59,572	45	—	240	0.07
West Virginia	$50,510	49	$56,438	48	—	110	0.16
Wisconsin	$61,820	24	$65,700	23	—	620	0.21
Wyoming	$63,190	18	$68,173	8	—	60	0.20

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure (Alaska). State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for athletic trainers

160 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$89,630	$81,170	120
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX	$82,480	$96,024	90
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	$79,950	$75,111	240
Trenton-Princeton, NJ	$78,910	$76,478	50
Corpus Christi, TX	$78,580	$84,795	50
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$77,840	$67,328	250
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$77,580	$72,729	60
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$76,890	$67,705	560
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$76,500	$67,962	1,330
Urban Honolulu, HI	$75,540	$68,078	160

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	1,330	$76,500	$67,962
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	790	$62,520	$60,646
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	770	$63,840	$62,250
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX	650	$64,150	$65,415
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	650	$65,780	$63,497
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	560	$76,890	$67,705
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	490	$71,880	$66,392
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	490	$63,560	$55,679
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	490	$65,830	$62,802
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	480	$72,150	$73,153

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves athletic trainer pay: employers and settings

Where you work matters more than anything else. In our data, athletic trainers in elementary and secondary schools have a median of $74,760 and those in spectator sports $74,090. Both sit well above colleges and universities at $60,020 and offices of other health practitioners at $60,410. Physician offices come in at $61,820. Hospitals sit in between at $62,730. Public employers stand out: local government, which includes public school districts, has a median of $71,690 against $61,820 for private employers.

State is the second big lever. California has the highest median at $78,490, followed by Hawaii at $76,320, New Jersey at $76,210, the District of Columbia at $74,450, and New Mexico at $72,440. New Mexico comes out best after living costs, at $78,558. At the low end are Iowa at $55,430, West Virginia at $50,510, and Alabama at $46,940.

Across the field, the 10th percentile is $48,180, and the 90th is $88,760, a wide spread. Head athletic trainer roles, supervising other ATs and moving into administration are the usual routes toward the top of that range. Pay is reported only as an annual figure for this occupation.

Where athletic trainers work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	21.4%	$60,020
Offices of Other Health Practitioners	17.5%	$60,410
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	17.3%	$62,730
Elementary and Secondary Schools	15.7%	$74,760
Offices of Physicians	12.6%	$61,820
Spectator Sports	6%	$74,090

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	22,060	$61,820
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	3,470	$62,690
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	4,970	$71,690

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

Athletic Trainer pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$62.5K $44.7K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $44,670 in 2015 to $62,520 in 2025, up 40% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $60,385 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay grew 4% over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What athletic trainers do

An athletic trainer is a health care provider who prevents, assesses and treats injuries and sudden illnesses in people who are physically active. On a game day that means taping ankles, standing on the sideline, running onto the field when a player goes down, judging whether it is a sprain, a fracture or a concussion, and deciding who goes back in and who goes to the emergency room. Between games it means rehab sessions, injury records and prevention plans such as heat policies and emergency action plans.

Athletic trainers work under the direction of a physician and alongside team doctors, physical therapists, coaches and parents. The biggest employers in our data are colleges and universities, offices of other health practitioners such as physical therapy clinics, hospitals, high schools and physician offices, and about 6% work in spectator sports. Others work with the military, law enforcement agencies, professional teams and performing artists. The job is not the same as a personal trainer, who coaches fitness and does not treat injuries. School and team jobs bring evening and weekend events, outdoor work in any weather and travel with teams.

A typical day

Tape, wrap and brace ankles, wrists and knees before practices and games
Evaluate injuries on the field and give first aid or emergency care
Run concussion checks and decide when an athlete can return to play
Build and supervise rehab plans with the team physician
Write injury reports and keep treatment records up to date
Check fields and equipment for hazards and set heat and weather rules
Teach coaches, athletes and parents how to prevent and recognize injuries

Also called: athletic instructor, athletic lecturer, certified athletic trainer, personal trainer, resident athletic trainer, women's athletic trainer.

How to become an athletic trainer

Full guide

To become an athletic trainer you need a master's degree from a CAATE-accredited athletic training program, then you must pass the Board of Certification (BOC) exam and get a state license. Counting a bachelor's degree, it usually takes about six years after high school.

Typical time: 6 years; Fastest: 5 years
Minimum education: Master's degree from a CAATE-accredited professional athletic training program
License: Regulated in 49 states and DC (license, certification or registration)
Typical training cost: $124K–$125K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming an athletic trainer: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 6 years; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $124K–$125K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $62,520; $11,540 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 199–199%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($11,540 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in about 10.8–10.8 years after training ends (6 years in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for athletic trainers

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +12.7%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 35,200; 39,600 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 2,400; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 5.9%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects athletic trainer jobs to grow 12.7% from 2025 to 2035, from 35,200 to 39,600, far faster than the 3.5% expected across all occupations. That works out to about 2,400 openings a year, most of them created when trainers change careers or retire.

The demand comes from two directions: heavy youth and college sports participation, which keeps schools and teams hiring for injury care on site, and older adults who stay active and get hurt doing it. It is still a small field, so the number of openings in any one city can be modest.

Related careers and their pay

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

Athletic Trainer salary FAQ

Which state pays athletic trainers the most?

California has the highest median pay for athletic trainers, $78,490 a year, followed by Hawaii ($76,320) and New Jersey ($76,210). After adjusting for each state's price level, New Mexico comes out ahead at about $78,558 in national-average dollars.

Do athletic trainers make six figures?

Few do: based on the BLS percentiles, fewer than 10% of athletic trainers earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $62,520, and the top 10% earn more than $88,760. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

What do athletic trainers make when they start?

BLS does not publish pay by years of experience. The lowest-paid 10% of athletic trainers earn less than $48,180 a year and the lowest-paid quarter less than $55,130. New workers are often in the lower part of the range, but percentiles also reflect location, employer and hours, not only experience.

Is an athletic trainer the same as a personal trainer?

No. An athletic trainer is a health care provider with a master's degree from a CAATE-accredited program, a national certification and, in almost every state, a license. They assess and treat injuries under a physician's direction. A personal trainer designs workouts and coaches fitness, usually with a short certification course, and does not diagnose or treat injuries.

Do high school athletic trainers make more than college ones?

In our data they do. Athletic trainers employed by elementary and secondary schools have a median of $74,760 versus $60,020 at colleges, universities and professional schools. School jobs are often on teacher-style contracts with public benefits. College jobs can bring more travel and longer seasons, though they also offer a path to head athletic trainer and administrative roles.

Has athletic trainer pay kept up with inflation?

Slightly. The median rose from $44,670 in 2015 to $62,520 in 2025. In 2025 dollars, the 2015 median was worth $60,385. That leaves a small real gain over ten years. Much of the nominal rise has gone to keeping pace with prices, even as the entry requirement moved up to a master's degree.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 29-9091
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (29-9091.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Athletic Trainers: Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
Candidates: BOC Certification Exam, Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer · checked October 28, 2026
Professional Programs, Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) · checked October 28, 2026
Athletic Training Education Overview, National Athletic Trainers' Association · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026
Standards for Accreditation of Professional Athletic Training Programs (Master's Degree Programs), Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) · checked October 28, 2026
State Regulation Map, Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer · checked October 28, 2026
Accelerated Athletic Training, B.S. to M.A.T., Southern Connecticut State University · checked October 28, 2026

Careers and Salaries is not affiliated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Found an error? Tell us; corrections are listed on the editorial policy page.