How To Become A Certified Athletic Trainer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a certified athletic trainer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Bailey Palmer

Certified athletic trainers work with athletes to help them prevent, treat, and recover from injuries. Certified athletic trainers work with the athlete and the rest of their medical team, such as doctors and coaches, to develop a treatment plan for an injured athlete. They use the latest in medical technologies, such as Biodex testing, as well as physical therapy exercises to help athletes on their road to recovery.

Certified athletic trainers also play an important role during the game. They are present at matches and perform emergency medical services, such as administering concussion protocols, if an athlete is injured. Athletic trainers can work with all levels of athletes, from club to college sports.

Certified athletic trainers need to pass a certification exam by the Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer. Certification is not the only qualification athletic trainers need, as most will have to complete a bachelor's or a master's degree in athletic training or kinesiology before they can work. They also need practical experience in the form of an internship. Once they are certified, they can expect to earn an average salary of $42,157 a year.

What general advice would you give to a certified athletic trainer?

Bailey Palmer

Senior Lecturer in Kinesiology, Website

Kinesiology is the study of human movement, so by definition a kinesiologist is someone who works with patients or clients in a variety of healthcare or athletic setting to improve the quality of movement and participation in physical activity. A kinesiology professional can work as a rehabilitation specialist seeing patients throughout the day or work as an athletic trainer assisting athletes with injuries or even a professor who teaches exercise physiology classes to pre-med students. Kinesiology is a great field because of its broad range of career paths that it caters to.

ScoreCertified Athletic TrainerUS Average

Salary

3.7

Avg. Salary $47,184

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.1

Growth rate 17%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.50%

Asian 8.31%

Black or African American 9.53%

Hispanic or Latino 14.71%

Unknown 3.90%

White 62.05%

Gender

female 58.50%

male 41.50%

Age - 38

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 38

Stress level

8.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

2.4

Work life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a certified athletic trainer

Explore certified athletic trainer education requirements

Most common certified athletic trainer degrees

Bachelor's

76.4 %

Master's

18.0 %

Associate

2.6 %

Start to develop specific certified athletic trainer skills

Skills	Percentages
Rehabilitation	19.77%
CPR	14.72%
Patient Care	13.59%
Patients	11.61%
Injury Prevention	6.95%

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed certified athletic trainer usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed certified athletic trainer in most of states. 42 states require certified athletic trainers to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Alabama	Degree required	State exam required	Licensed Athletic Trainer
Alaska	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Athletic Trainer
Arkansas	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Athletic Trainer
Colorado	-	-	Athletic Trainers
Connecticut	Degree required	State exam required	Athletic Trainer

Research certified athletic trainer duties and 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.

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