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Athletic trainer vs assistant athletic trainer

The differences between athletic trainers and assistant 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 athletic trainer and an assistant athletic trainer. Additionally, an assistant athletic trainer has an average salary of $47,132, which is higher than the $47,028 average annual salary of an athletic trainer.

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

Athletic trainer vs assistant athletic trainer overview

Athletic TrainerAssistant Athletic Trainer
Yearly salary$47,028$47,132
Hourly rate$22.61$22.66
Growth rate17%17%
Number of jobs56,81256,499
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age4040
Years of experience44

What does an athletic trainer do?

An athletic trainer is a healthcare professional who works with physicians to improve a patient's quality of life. Their profession encompasses the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of chronic medical conditions involving disabilities, functional limitations, and impairments. As an athletic trainer, you will typically do various tasks, including recognizing and evaluating injuries, providing emergency care or first aid, and developing and implementing rehabilitation programs. You are also responsible for planning and implementing programs to help prevent sports injuries among athletes.

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.

Athletic trainer vs assistant athletic trainer salary

Athletic trainers and assistant athletic trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Athletic TrainerAssistant Athletic Trainer
Average salary$47,028$47,132
Salary rangeBetween $35,000 And $61,000Between $35,000 And $62,000
Highest paying CityGreenwich, CTLemoore, CA
Highest paying stateConnecticutConnecticut
Best paying companyEthical Culture Fieldston SchoolThe Brearley School
Best paying industry--

Differences between athletic trainer and assistant athletic trainer education

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

Athletic TrainerAssistant Athletic Trainer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 73%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common majorAthletic TrainingAthletic Training
Most common collegeUniversity of Michigan - Ann ArborNorthwestern University

Athletic trainer vs assistant athletic trainer demographics

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

Athletic TrainerAssistant Athletic Trainer
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 53.1% Female, 46.9%Male, 44.3% Female, 55.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 8.3% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%Black 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%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between athletic trainer and assistant athletic trainer duties and responsibilities

Athletic trainer example responsibilities.

  • Administer rehabilitation procedures and the safety of athletes at practices and games including ultrasound and electrical stimulation.
  • Evaluate and create a rehabilitation program for ankle sprains, fibula fractures, and shin splints.
  • Administer multiple therapeutic techniques for student athletes including electrical stimulation and ultrasound
  • Assist physical therapist in generating rehabilitation protocols for patients, progress exercises, order supplies for clinic and oversee aide scheduling.
  • Assist with OSHA record keeping.
  • Maintain cleanliness of gym and stations.
  • Show more

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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Athletic trainer vs assistant athletic trainer skills

Common athletic trainer skills
  • Patients, 20%
  • Rehabilitation, 19%
  • CPR, 12%
  • Patient Care, 8%
  • Student Athletes, 5%
  • Athletic Injuries, 4%
Common assistant athletic trainer skills
  • Rehabilitation, 17%
  • Student Athletes, 13%
  • CPR, 9%
  • NCAA, 6%
  • Sports Medicine, 6%
  • Injury Prevention, 4%

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