How to hire a sports medicine specialist

How to hire a sports medicine specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step sports medicine specialist hiring guide:

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

What does a sports medicine specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a sports medicine specialist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A sports medicine specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, sports medicine specialists 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.

   This list presents sports medicine specialist salaries for various positions.

   Type of Sports Medicine Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Sports Medicine Specialist	Physicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses. Physicians examine patients; take medical histories; prescribe medications; and order, perform, and interpret diagnostic tests... Show more	$13-95
   Athletic Trainer	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... Show more	$16-29
   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:

   • Patients
   • Patient Care
   • Role Model
   • Adaptive
   • Surgery
   • Soccer
   • Internal Medicine
   • Rehabilitation
   • CPR
   • Sports Programs
   • Flag Football
   • Physical Therapy
   • EMR
   • Training Sessions

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Input clinical notes, demographics, and insurance information utilizing E-Clinicals EMR software.
   • Perform general husbandry for research animals, including non-human primates, dogs, pigs, rodents, rabbits.
   • Perform daily husbandry for the research subjects to assure that there are no contamination of the study being perform.
   • Inoculate and vaccinate patients to immunize them from communicable diseases.
   • Assist and independently perform minor procedures, including suturing, incision and drainage.
   • Assist physician with peritoneal catheter insertion.

   More sports medicine specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your sports medicine specialist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A sports medicine specialist 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 a sports medicine specialist in Washington may be lower than in Illinois, and an entry-level sports medicine specialist usually earns less than a senior-level sports medicine specialist. Additionally, a sports medicine specialist 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 sports medicine specialist salary

   $76,238yearly

   $36.65 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level sports medicine specialist salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 5, 2025

   Average sports medicine specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Illinois	$173,065	$83
   2	New York	$160,399	$77
   3	Indiana	$156,100	$75
   4	Virginia	$154,132	$74
   5	Maryland	$147,560	$71
   6	Ohio	$146,687	$71
   7	Massachusetts	$142,703	$69
   8	New Jersey	$136,108	$65
   9	Oregon	$97,234	$47
   10	California	$92,783	$45
   11	Colorado	$92,251	$44
   12	New Mexico	$91,992	$44
   13	Washington	$87,125	$42
   14	Florida	$83,971	$40
   15	Nevada	$79,919	$38
   16	Texas	$68,854	$33

   Average sports medicine specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	UnityPoint Health	$311,820	$149.91	90
   2	North Oaks Health System	$301,603	$145.00	1
   3	NorthShore University HealthSystem	$276,423	$132.90
   4	Gotham	$228,418	$109.82	6
   5	Nationwide Children's Hospital	$161,233	$77.52	10
   6	National Medical Association	$152,503	$73.32
   7	HealthSource Chiro	$145,782	$70.09	5
   8	PSEA	$137,517	$66.11	1
   9	Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs	$125,375	$60.28
   10	Wilson	$118,901	$57.16
   11	Hospital for Special Care	$118,086	$56.77
   12	University of California	$115,260	$55.41	31
   13	C-A-L Ranch Stores	$114,969	$55.27
   14	Kelsey-Seybold Clinic	$114,776	$55.18	18
   15	U.S. Physical Therapy	$107,650	$51.75	712
   16	Amer Sports	$100,458	$48.30
   17	Americorps	$94,946	$45.65
   18	University of California-Berkeley	$94,056	$45.22	1
   19	Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center	$92,370	$44.41
   20	Stryker	$88,011	$42.31

4. Writing a sports medicine specialist job description

   A sports medicine specialist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a sports medicine specialist job description:

   Sports medicine specialist job description example

   SIGN-ON BONUS: $500
   
   Location: Rock Island, Illinois; including areas of: Rock Island & East Moline
   
   Job Title: Industrial Sports Medicine Professional
   
   Job Type: Part-time
   
   Hours: Average of 6 hours per week
   
   Shifts: Monday - Friday, 1st shift, early AM
   
   Hourly Range: $25 - $35 *negotiable based on credentials and experience
   
   Local Benefits: Midwestern town, beautiful parks and museums
   
   Position Overview:
   
   A day in the life of an Industrial Sports Medicine Professional will include using your clinical knowledge and our training to provide injury prevention, early discomfort management, body mechanic coaching, and assistance with overall health and wellness. Our primary goal is to develop strong relationship and assist in the overall well-being of the working athletes we serve.
   
   This position allows for a flexible schedule that works for you, us, and our clients. While we must meet our contractual client expectations, Briotix Health values work/life balance. If you thrive in a people-focused environment and are great at working autonomously, you could be a terrific fit for this role.
   
   Company Perks:
   
   + 401k with employer match
   
   + Continuing Education reimbursement
   
   + Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Annual Calm.com subscription
   
   + Work/Life Balance
   
   + Opportunities for professional development and specialized training
   
   + Mentorship programs
   
   + Supportive Leadership Team who dedicates their energy to your success
   
   + DE&I Focus Groups
   
   Job Duties:
   
   + Create and maintain positive relationships
   
   + Conduct musculoskeletal screens and provide Early Discomfort Management
   
   + Real-time Ergonomic Evaluations & Body Mechanic Coaching
   
   + Be the Subject Matter Expert and provide customized Education & Training presentations
   
   + Conduct Post Offer Employment Testing, Physical Demands analysis, and other client-specific assessments
   
   + Accurate and timely electronic documentation and support of client-specific reports
   
   Qualifications:
   
   + Demonstrated knowledge of musculoskeletal injury care
   
   + Education in athletic training, kinesiology, exercise physiology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or related field
   
   + Appropriate certifications and/or state license in good standing required
   
   + Must meet the physical demands of on-site work needs; ability to lift, push or pull up to 50 pounds, frequent standing, walking, sitting, and or squatting
   
   *reasonable accommodations will be considered
   
   + 1-2 years of industrial / occupational experience in injury prevention or ergonomics preferred but not required
   
   + Ergonomic Certification or training preferred but not required
   
   + Current CPR certification
   
   About Us:
   
   At Briotix Health, we put our focus in the Industrial and Occupational realm. We consider ourselves life-long-learners and we strive to provide our team members with the education and nurturing they need to be successful while serving our clients.
   
   We recognize that the team members we hire come from all walks of life. We believe that people from underrepresented backgrounds not only help us to be stronger, but also allow our team to connect, belong, and grow. If you share our values and our desire to build meaningful, diverse, and lasting relationships, we highly encourage you to apply.
   
   All offers of employment at Briotix Health are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, possible drug screen, and any applicable credential verification.
   
   Key Words: industrial medicine, ergonomics, body mechanics, occupational health, healthcare, industrial sports medicine, sports medicine, athletic trainer, AT, ATC, occupational therapist, OT, physical therapist, PT, DPT, kinesiologist, exercise physiologist, physical therapy assistant, PTA, safety, industrial ergonomics, office ergonomics, health & wellness, injury prevention, behavioral ergonomics, education, IL, Davenport, Moline, IA
   
   ID: 2022-25392

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right sports medicine specialist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting sports medicine specialists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   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 sports medicine specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the sports medicine specialist 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new sports medicine specialist. 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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