SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Evaluate and treat musculoskeletal injuries or illnesses. Provide preventive, therapeutic, emergency, and rehabilitative care. Excludes “Physical Therapists” (29-1123).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 29-9091.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $48,180 | $4,015 | $927 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $55,130 | $4,594 | $1,060 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $62,520 | $5,210 | $1,202 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $74,630 | $6,219 | $1,435 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $88,760 | $7,397 | $1,707 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
BLS publishes only yearly pay for this occupation, because many of these workers are paid by the year and work fewer than 2,080 hours in it.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Athletic Trainers is $62,520, which is 23% higher. Among the 71 occupations of the field Healthcare Practitioners and Technical, it ranks number 59 by median pay. With 30,500 jobs, it makes up about 2.0 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Athletic Trainers pay by state
The highest median pay was in California ($78,490), Hawaii ($76,320) and New Jersey ($76,210). The lowest was in Alabama ($46,940), West Virginia ($50,510) and Iowa ($55,430). The most jobs were in Texas (3,130), Ohio (2,100) and Pennsylvania (1,870). The occupation is most concentrated in Vermont, where its share of all jobs is 2.3 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 1,760 | $78,490 | $80,780 |
| Hawaii | 200 | $76,320 | $72,560 |
| New Jersey | 890 | $76,210 | $79,790 |
| District of Columbia | 100 | $74,450 | $84,310 |
| New Mexico | 150 | $72,440 | $70,060 |
| Massachusetts | 630 | $70,010 | $74,390 |
| Connecticut | 290 | $69,960 | $74,680 |
| New York | 1,370 | $66,230 | $73,730 |
| Utah | 340 | $65,980 | $70,450 |
| Minnesota | 820 | $65,390 | $68,750 |
| Illinois | 850 | $64,750 | $68,510 |
| Georgia | 860 | $64,590 | $72,490 |
| Colorado | 380 | $64,580 | $69,050 |
| Texas | 3,130 | $64,150 | $71,800 |
| Maryland | 320 | $63,970 | $67,130 |
| Rhode Island | not published | $63,750 | $65,760 |
| Washington | 240 | $63,750 | $67,670 |
| Wyoming | 60 | $63,190 | $63,320 |
| Vermont | 140 | $62,910 | $65,210 |
| Indiana | 1,040 | $62,780 | $63,680 |
| Louisiana | 810 | $62,760 | $64,850 |
| Maine | 180 | $61,970 | $63,860 |
| Virginia | 830 | $61,860 | $66,890 |
| Wisconsin | 620 | $61,820 | $65,870 |
| Arizona | 590 | $61,710 | $65,640 |
| Ohio | 2,100 | $61,420 | $63,040 |
| Florida | 1,430 | $61,350 | $64,040 |
| Oklahoma | 360 | $61,320 | $62,310 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,870 | $61,060 | $62,510 |
| Nebraska | 270 | $61,020 | $62,140 |
| North Dakota | 110 | $60,900 | $60,320 |
| Kentucky | 720 | $60,680 | $61,320 |
| Idaho | 170 | $60,410 | $67,210 |
| New Hampshire | 210 | $60,200 | $64,950 |
| Montana | 50 | $60,090 | $67,950 |
| Tennessee | 580 | $59,850 | $57,670 |
| Nevada | 180 | $59,820 | $63,760 |
| Delaware | 50 | $59,650 | $64,850 |
| Michigan | 870 | $59,280 | $61,790 |
| South Carolina | 530 | $59,240 | $58,820 |
| Kansas | 390 | $59,140 | $61,410 |
| Missouri | 510 | $58,660 | $59,620 |
| South Dakota | 150 | $58,620 | $57,880 |
| Mississippi | 200 | $58,180 | $60,080 |
| Oregon | 280 | $57,790 | $65,530 |
| Arkansas | 240 | $57,240 | $58,840 |
| North Carolina | 990 | $56,540 | $59,800 |
| Iowa | 570 | $55,430 | $56,170 |
| West Virginia | 110 | $50,510 | $54,500 |
| Alabama | 840 | $46,940 | $50,760 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Surgical Technologists$64,650 a year
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$64,400 a year
- Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$62,930 a year
- Recreational Therapists$61,960 a year
- Paramedics$60,600 a year
- Exercise Physiologists$59,460 a year
Common questions
How much do Athletic Trainers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $62,520 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $48,180 and the highest-paid 10% more than $88,760.
How many people work as Athletic Trainers?
About 30,500 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.
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