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Assistant athletic trainer vs certified athletic trainer

The differences between assistant athletic trainers and certified athletic trainers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an assistant athletic trainer and a certified athletic trainer. Additionally, a certified athletic trainer has an average salary of $47,184, which is higher than the $47,132 average annual salary of an assistant athletic trainer.

The top three skills for an assistant athletic trainer include rehabilitation, student athletes and CPR. The most important skills for a certified athletic trainer are rehabilitation, CPR, and patient care.

Assistant athletic trainer vs certified athletic trainer overview

Assistant Athletic TrainerCertified Athletic Trainer
Yearly salary$47,132$47,184
Hourly rate$22.66$22.68
Growth rate17%17%
Number of jobs56,49990,171
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age4040
Years of experience44

What does an assistant athletic trainer do?

An assistant athletic trainer is responsible for assisting the head athletic trainer in guiding the athletes to achieve their maximum potential and capabilities that would help them win competitions. Assistant athletic trainers handle injury circumstances and evaluate the athletes' conditions during every session and support the head trainer to mitigate injury risks by implementing training protocols and regulations. They monitor the adequacy of inventories and equipment maintenance, ensuring enough resources for training activities. An assistant athletic trainer may also perform administrative duties, such as scheduling appointments, filing medical paperwork, and coordinating with institutions for competition opportunities.

What does a certified athletic trainer do?

A certified athletic trainer is a health and medical expert who specializes in providing health care assistance to athletes. They typically devise strategies to prevent injuries during training sessions and other activities, develop health care plans, and provide immediate care or first aid when injuries occur. There are also instances where they work together with physicians and other health care professionals, such as when diagnosing and treating injuries, developing rehabilitation structures, and administrating other health care services.

Assistant athletic trainer vs certified athletic trainer salary

Assistant athletic trainers and certified athletic trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Assistant Athletic TrainerCertified Athletic Trainer
Average salary$47,132$47,184
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $62,000Between $36,000 And $61,000
Highest paying CityLemoore, CAHartford, CT
Highest paying stateConnecticutConnecticut
Best paying companyThe Brearley SchoolThe American Musical and Dramatic Academy
Best paying industry--

Differences between assistant athletic trainer and certified athletic trainer education

There are a few differences between an assistant athletic trainer and a certified athletic trainer in terms of educational background:

Assistant Athletic TrainerCertified Athletic Trainer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common majorAthletic TrainingAthletic Training
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityUniversity of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Assistant athletic trainer vs certified athletic trainer demographics

Here are the differences between assistant athletic trainers' and certified athletic trainers' demographics:

Assistant Athletic TrainerCertified Athletic Trainer
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 44.3% Female, 55.7%Male, 41.5% Female, 58.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 8.3% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 8.3% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between assistant athletic trainer and certified athletic trainer duties and responsibilities

Assistant athletic trainer example responsibilities.

  • Apply, manage and instruct patients on the use and care of orthopedic appliances such as splints and braces.
  • Provide athletic training to all men's and women's soccer, volleyball, women's basketball, and softball teams.
  • Sport responsibilities include men's and women's cross country, volleyball, women's basketball, and softball teams.
  • Provide athletic training service for volleyball and women's basketball team.
  • Assist with various sport coverage including football, volleyball, and wrestling.
  • Assist MHMR consumers with their ADL and encourage independent behavior with formal and informal training.
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Certified athletic trainer example responsibilities.

  • Provide clinical rehabilitation and evaluation for orthopedic patients
  • Implement OSHA blood borne pathogen controls.
  • Follow OSHA guidelines to maintain a clean and safe environment for all.
  • Contract out for club soccer, rugby, volleyball and baseball events.
  • Sport coverage include: lacrosse, football, soccer, ice-hockey, and wrestling.
  • Facilitate all durable medical equipment orders on behalf of patients in addition to leading daily office operations as needed
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Assistant athletic trainer vs certified athletic trainer skills

Common assistant athletic trainer skills
  • Rehabilitation, 17%
  • Student Athletes, 13%
  • CPR, 9%
  • NCAA, 6%
  • Sports Medicine, 6%
  • Injury Prevention, 4%
Common certified athletic trainer skills
  • Rehabilitation, 20%
  • CPR, 15%
  • Patient Care, 14%
  • Patients, 12%
  • Injury Prevention, 7%
  • Athletic Events, 6%

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