How to hire an assistant athletic trainer

How to hire an assistant athletic trainer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step assistant athletic trainer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an assistant athletic trainer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant athletic trainer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an assistant athletic trainer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your assistant athletic trainer job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an assistant athletic trainer for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An assistant athletic trainer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, assistant athletic trainers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of assistant athletic trainers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Assistant Athletic Trainer	Description	Hourly rate
   Assistant Athletic Trainer	Athletic trainers specialize in preventing, diagnosing, and treating muscle and bone injuries and illnesses.	$16-29
   Trainer	A trainer is responsible for instilling knowledge and process techniques for a specific business role. Duties of a trainer include facilitating engaging classes, identifying areas of improvement and opportunities for the learner, evaluating skills and attending to the learner's challenges, organizing training materials and scheduling training sessions, and submitting timely reports to the management on progress... Show more	$14-35
   Certified Athletic Trainer	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... Show more	$17-29

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Rehabilitation
   • Student Athletes
   • CPR
   • NCAA
   • Sports Medicine
   • Injury Prevention
   • Athletic Injuries
   • Athletic Training Room
   • Game Coverage
   • Medical Care
   • Athletic Training Program
   • Soccer
   • Softball
   • Physical Therapy

   Check all skills

   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.

   More assistant athletic trainer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your assistant athletic trainer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An assistant athletic trainer salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an assistant athletic trainer in Maine may be lower than in Connecticut, and an entry-level assistant athletic trainer usually earns less than a senior-level assistant athletic trainer. Additionally, an assistant athletic trainer with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average assistant athletic trainer salary

   $47,132yearly

   $22.66 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level assistant athletic trainer salary

   $35,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average assistant athletic trainer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$59,105	$28
   2	Hawaii	$56,394	$27
   3	New York	$50,048	$24
   4	Nebraska	$49,942	$24
   5	Virginia	$48,992	$24
   6	District of Columbia	$47,260	$23
   7	Colorado	$46,205	$22
   8	Washington	$46,076	$22
   9	Minnesota	$45,644	$22
   10	Ohio	$45,508	$22
   11	Arizona	$45,367	$22
   12	Pennsylvania	$44,979	$22
   13	Florida	$44,527	$21
   14	Kansas	$44,384	$21
   15	Texas	$44,106	$21
   16	Louisiana	$43,218	$21
   17	Illinois	$42,843	$21
   18	North Carolina	$42,820	$21
   19	Missouri	$42,690	$21
   20	Utah	$42,338	$20

   Average assistant athletic trainer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	The Brearley School	$67,019	$32.22
   2	California State University, Fullerton	$62,786	$30.19	1
   3	Regis College	$62,668	$30.13
   4	University of Illinois Springfield	$62,612	$30.10	1
   5	West Hills College Lemoore	$62,262	$29.93	3
   6	Loyola University Maryland	$62,249	$29.93	5
   7	Saint Xavier University	$61,277	$29.46
   8	Mercy College	$61,205	$29.43
   9	Miami Dolphins	$60,717	$29.19
   10	Canisius College	$60,586	$29.13
   11	California Institute of Technology	$59,621	$28.66
   12	Central State University	$59,589	$28.65	4
   13	Colgate University	$59,330	$28.52	6
   14	Kenyon College	$58,543	$28.15
   15	Northern Illinois University	$58,142	$27.95
   16	UMiami Health System	$55,691	$26.77
   17	Brown University	$55,231	$26.55	7
   18	Illinois College	$54,902	$26.40
   19	University of Mary Hardin-Baylor	$54,538	$26.22	2
   20	Syracuse University	$54,271	$26.09	4

4. Writing an assistant athletic trainer job description

   A good assistant athletic trainer job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an assistant athletic trainer job description:

   Assistant athletic trainer job description example

   The Athletic Department at Suffolk University, an NCAA Division III institution and a member of the Commonwealth Coast Conference, is seeking qualified applicants for a full-time, 12-month professional position for an Assistant Athletic Trainer. Applicants should be capable of assisting with the needs of a growing community of student-athletes within 19 intercollegiate sports.
   Job Description
   
   + Fulfill the needs of intercollegiate sports and club sport as assigned. Needs including, but not limited to, practice and training coverage, game day coverage, office hours and physical therapy.
   
   + Professional communication with head coaches and coaching staffs, as well as Athletic Director and support staff.
   
   + Assist with coordination of game day needs for both home and away contests. Home contests require set-up, preparation and appropriate student-athlete care staffing.
   
   + Assist with coach and staff education (CPR-AED training and certification; Blood-borne pathogens training; Concussion education)
   
   + Maintain an organized, inclusive and welcoming Athletic Training room.
   
   Requirements/Qualifications
   
   + Bachelor's degree required. Master's Degree Preferred.
   
   + 3-5 years of athletic training experience. Athletic Training experience at the college level is preferred.
   
   + Knowledge of NCAA and GNAC rules and regulations.
   
   + Strong organizational, interpersonal, communication and computer skills.
   
   + This position requires afternoon, night, weekend hours combined with business hours and some moderate travel.
   
   + A valid driver's license.
   
   Suffolk University does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, genetic information, or status as a veteran in admission to, access to, treatment in, or employment in its programs, activities, or employment. Suffolk University is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. The University is dedicated to the goal of building a diverse and inclusive faculty and staff that reflect the broad range of human experience who contribute to the robust exchange of ideas on campus, and who are committed to teaching and working in a diverse environment. We strongly encourage applications from groups historically marginalized or underrepresented because of race/color, gender, religious creed, disability, national origin, veteran status or LGBTQ status. Suffolk University is especially interested in candidates who, through their training, service and experience, will contribute to the diversity and excellence of the University community.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find assistant athletic trainers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any assistant athletic trainers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level assistant athletic trainers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your assistant athletic trainer job on Zippia to find and attract quality assistant athletic trainer candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit assistant athletic trainers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant athletic trainer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the assistant athletic trainer position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new assistant athletic trainer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an assistant athletic trainer?