Athletic Trainers
Overview
Salary
Demand
Core Tasks
Technology Skills
Tools Used
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Top 10 Skills
Top 10 Abilities
Top 10 Work Activities
Detailed Work Activities
Work Context
Education
Majors
Interests
Top 10 Work Styles
Work Values
Related Careers
Overview
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Experience
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Education
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Job Training
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Examples
These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, neurologists, and veterinarians.
Evaluate and treat musculoskeletal injuries or illnesses. Provide preventive, therapeutic, emergency, and rehabilitative care.
Salary Salary
Salary at 10th Percentile: $32K
Salary at 25th Percentile: $41K
Median Salary: $49K
Salary at 75th Percentile: $61K
Salary at 90th Percentile: $75K
Demand
Core Tasks
Conduct an initial assessment of an athlete's injury or illness to provide emergency or continued care and to determine whether they should be referred to physicians for definitive diagnosis and treatment.
Assess and report the progress of recovering athletes to coaches or physicians.
Care for athletic injuries, using physical therapy equipment, techniques, or medication.
Evaluate athletes' readiness to play and provide participation clearances when necessary and warranted.
Perform general administrative tasks, such as keeping records or writing reports.
Clean and sanitize athletic training rooms.
Apply protective or injury preventive devices, such as tape, bandages, or braces, to body parts, such as ankles, fingers, or wrists.
Collaborate with physicians to develop and implement comprehensive rehabilitation programs for athletic injuries.
Instruct coaches, athletes, parents, medical personnel, or community members in the care and prevention of athletic injuries.
Travel with athletic teams to be available at sporting events.
Plan or implement comprehensive athletic injury or illness prevention programs.
Inspect playing fields to locate any items that could injure players.
Advise athletes on the proper use of equipment.
File athlete insurance claims and communicate with insurance providers.
Confer with coaches to select protective equipment.
Develop training programs or routines designed to improve athletic performance.
Massage body parts to relieve soreness, strains, or bruises.
Accompany injured athletes to hospitals.
Teach sports medicine courses to athletic training students.
Lead stretching exercises for team members prior to games or practices.
Conduct research or provide instruction on subject matter related to athletic training or sports medicine.
Recommend special diets to improve athletes' health, increase their stamina, or alter their weight.
Perform team support duties, such as running errands, maintaining equipment, or stocking supplies.
Technology Skills
Technology
Example
Hot Technology
Tools Used
Tool
Example
Top 10 Knowledge Required
Medicine and Dentistry
93%
Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
Customer and Personal Service
88%
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Psychology
84%
Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Therapy and Counseling
78%
Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
English Language
75%
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Education and Training
73%
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Public Safety and Security
65%
Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Biology
64%
Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
Clerical
64%
Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
Administration and Management
63%
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Top 10 Skills
Active Listening
80%
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking
78%
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making
78%
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Monitoring
78%
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Speaking
78%
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Learning
75%
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Reading Comprehension
75%
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Social Perceptiveness
75%
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Instructing
73%
Teaching others how to do something.
Service Orientation
73%
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Top 10 Abilities
Problem Sensitivity
83%
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Oral Expression
80%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Clarity
78%
The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Speech Recognition
78%
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Comprehension
78%
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Deductive Reasoning
75%
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Inductive Reasoning
75%
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering
75%
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Written Expression
75%
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Oral Comprehension
73%
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Top 10 Work Activities
Assisting and Caring for Others
98%
Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
Documenting/Recording Information
98%
Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems
93%
Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
85%
Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
84%
Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
81%
Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Thinking Creatively
80%
Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
Getting Information
79%
Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
76%
Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
74%
Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Detailed Work Activities
Analyze patient data to determine patient needs or treatment goals.
Evaluate patient outcomes to determine effectiveness of treatments.
Inform medical professionals regarding patient conditions and care.
Operate diagnostic or therapeutic medical instruments or equipment.
Treat patients using physical therapy techniques.
Evaluate patient functioning, capabilities, or health.
Prepare reports summarizing patient diagnostic or care activities.
Maintain medical facility records.
Perform clerical work in medical settings.
Clean facilities or equipment.
Maintain clean work areas.
Advise athletes, coaches, or trainers on exercise regimens, nutrition, or equipment use.
Apply bandages, dressings, or splints.
Develop exercise or conditioning programs.
Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
Inspect work environments to ensure safety.
Consult with others regarding safe or healthy equipment or facilities.
Treat patients using alternative medical procedures.
Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues.
Train medical providers.
Process medical billing information.
Maintain medical equipment or instruments.
Maintain inventory of medical supplies or equipment.
Work Context
Face-to-Face Discussions
How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Work With Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
Electronic Mail
How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Frequency of Decision Making
How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
Physical Proximity
To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?
Deal With External Customers
How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Consequence of Error
How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not readily correctable?
Education
Majors
Major
Interests
Social
96%
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Realistic
77%
Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Investigative
62%
Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Enterprising
43%
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Artistic
29%
Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.
Conventional
24%
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Top 10 Work Styles
Integrity
98%
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Concern for Others
97%
Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Dependability
95%
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attention to Detail
92%
Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Self Control
92%
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Stress Tolerance
91%
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Cooperation
90%
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Persistence
87%
Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Adaptability/Flexibility
86%
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Analytical Thinking
85%
Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Work Values
Achievement
86%
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Relationships
86%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Independence
81%
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Working Conditions
74%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Recognition
62%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Support
58%
Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
