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The differences between athletic trainers and nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an athletic trainer, becoming a nurse takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a nurse has an average salary of $57,564, 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 a nurse are patients, home health, and CPR.
| Athletic Trainer | Nurse | |
| Yearly salary | $47,028 | $57,564 |
| Hourly rate | $22.61 | $27.68 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 56,812 | 696,124 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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.
Nurses are medical professionals assigned to a specific department in the hospital and provide their trusted department services. Nurses are in charge of taking patients' medical histories, getting vital signs, preparing patients for checkups or procedures, explaining upcoming practices, answering any questions, and communicating any concerns to the assigned doctor. Nurses should ensure that patients follow the medical advice given to them. They also assist patients in completing administrative requirements, such as filling out forms, validating details, and endorsing payments.
Athletic trainers and nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Athletic Trainer | Nurse | |
| Average salary | $47,028 | $57,564 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $61,000 | Between $38,000 And $86,000 |
| Highest paying City | Greenwich, CT | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Ethical Culture Fieldston School | Conviva |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between an athletic trainer and a nurse in terms of educational background:
| Athletic Trainer | Nurse | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Athletic Training | Nursing |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Duke University |
Here are the differences between athletic trainers' and nurses' demographics:
| Athletic Trainer | Nurse | |
| Average age | 40 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.1% Female, 46.9% | Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 11.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 9% |