Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between sports medicine specialists and certified athletic trainers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become a sports medicine specialist, becoming a certified athletic trainer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a sports medicine specialist has an average salary of $76,238, which is higher than the $47,184 average annual salary of a certified athletic trainer.
The top three skills for a sports medicine specialist include patients, patient care and role model. The most important skills for a certified athletic trainer are rehabilitation, CPR, and patient care.
| Sports Medicine Specialist | Certified Athletic Trainer | |
| Yearly salary | $76,238 | $47,184 |
| Hourly rate | $36.65 | $22.68 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 50,403 | 90,171 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 48 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 4 |
A sports medicine specialist is a health care expert who specializes in diagnosing and treating injuries of athletes. Their responsibilities typically revolve around providing check-ups and consultations, conducting assessments and examinations, developing care and treatment plans, and providing insights to coaches when developing athletic training programs. They may also assist patients by answering inquiries and sharing care advice. A sports medicine specialist typically works in a team setting, which requires an active communication line for a smooth and efficient workflow.
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. There are also instances where they work together with physicians and other health care professionals, such as when diagnosing and treating injuries, developing rehabilitation structures, and administrating other health care services.
Sports medicine specialists and certified athletic trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Sports Medicine Specialist | Certified Athletic Trainer | |
| Average salary | $76,238 | $47,184 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $199,000 | Between $36,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | Evanston, IL | Hartford, CT |
| Highest paying state | Illinois | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | UnityPoint Health | The American Musical and Dramatic Academy |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a sports medicine specialist and a certified athletic trainer in terms of educational background:
| Sports Medicine Specialist | Certified Athletic Trainer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Kinesiology | Athletic Training |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between sports medicine specialists' and certified athletic trainers' demographics:
| Sports Medicine Specialist | Certified Athletic Trainer | |
| Average age | 48 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.5% Female, 40.5% | Male, 41.5% Female, 58.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 18.6% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 8.3% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 10% |