Athletic Trainer Salary (2026): ATC Pay Guide for All 50 States

Certified athletic trainers in the United States earn a national median of $65,415 per year — roughly $31.45/hour. ATC pay sits above the U.S. median for healthcare practitioner roles and continues to climb as the profession transitions to master's-degree entry, expands into emerging settings (industrial occupational health, performing arts, military, public safety), and benefits from steady demand at high school, college, and clinical sports-medicine practices.

The national median is only the middle of the distribution. Three numbers describe the real range of athletic trainer compensation:

• Entry-level ATCs (10th percentile): $50,411/year — typically newly BOC-certified athletic trainers in their first 1–2 years, often in high school athletic-training contracts, small-college head AT roles, or graduate-assistant positions at NCAA D-I programs.
• Median ATC (50th percentile): $65,415/year — the working BOC-certified athletic trainer with 3–8 years of experience, frequently in college athletics (D-II / D-III / mid-major D-I), large high school districts, hospital-affiliated outpatient sports-medicine clinics, or industrial occupational settings.
• Top-earning ATCs (90th percentile): $92,870/year — senior ATs in Power 5 college athletics, professional sports (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS), head athletic trainers at major D-I programs, performing arts ATs at Cirque du Soleil and major Broadway productions, industrial occupational ATs at large manufacturing employers, military ATs supporting Special Operations Forces, and clinical sports-medicine ATs at top-tier orthopedic group practices.

Geographic location matters, but employment setting matters more for athletic trainers than for almost any other healthcare profession. ATCs in Sunnyvale, CA earn a median of $95,982, while colleagues in Clinton, MS earn around $43,578. State scope-of-practice rules, the local mix of high school district employer versus college athletics versus clinical employer, the density of major-league professional sports teams, and the strength of demand from industrial occupational health and performing arts all push pay in measurable ways beyond cost of living.

Athletic Trainer Salary vs ATC Salary — Are They the Same?

Yes. Athletic Trainer (AT) is the occupational title; ATC (Athletic Trainer Certified — the credential) is awarded by the Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer (BOC). Athletic trainers are state-licensed allied health professionals — distinct from personal trainers, strength coaches, or fitness instructors. Every BOC-certified athletic trainer has completed a degree from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) and passed the BOC certification examination. Since 2022, CAATE has required entry-level athletic-training programs to be at the master's level, meaning all new entrants to the profession now hold a master's degree (MS-AT, MAT, or equivalent). Most U.S. states regulate athletic training through state-issued licensure or registration on top of the BOC credential. The National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) is the profession's national society. The same job goes by several names in salary surveys and job ads:

• Athletic trainer salary / athletic trainer pay / AT salary
• ATC salary / certified athletic trainer pay
• Sports medicine trainer salary / collegiate AT pay
• High school athletic trainer salary / district AT pay
• Industrial athletic trainer salary / occupational AT pay
• Performing arts athletic trainer salary / military AT pay
• Professional sports athletic trainer salary / pro team AT pay

All of these reference SOC code 29-9091 in the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey — the data source used throughout this site. Note that athletic trainers and personal trainers/fitness instructors (SOC 39-9031) are tracked under completely separate SOC codes and represent fundamentally different professions — athletic trainers are healthcare practitioners; personal trainers are not.

Hourly, Annual, and Stipend Pay Structures for ATCs

College and large clinical-employer ATs typically receive annual salaries; high school district contracts often pay a per-sport stipend plus an annual base; industrial and clinical-hospital ATs are often paid hourly. The national median equivalent of $31.45/hour reflects a full-time 40-hour week, but actual paychecks vary widely by setting:

• Power 5 college athletics (NCAA D-I — SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12, Pac-12 successor conferences): head athletic trainers at top programs earn $80,000–$160,000+; sport-specific ATs (football, basketball) at the upper end; assistant and graduate-assistant ATs at the lower end of the program scale.
• Mid-major D-I, D-II, D-III college athletics: $50,000–$90,000 typical base; small-college head AT roles often combine athletic training with teaching duties.
• Professional sports (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, WNBA, NWSL): head athletic trainers at major-league teams reach the 90th percentile and above; assistant ATs at the top end of the SOC code distribution.
• High school athletic training contracts: district direct-hire ATs typically earn $50,000–$85,000 annually; many high schools contract ATs through hospital-affiliated clinics (HCA Healthcare ATC Network, Select Medical, and similar) that may pay above district direct-hire rates.
• Clinical sports-medicine outpatient ATs: $50,000–$85,000 base; many serve as physician-extender clinical ATs in orthopedic practices.
• Industrial / occupational athletic trainers: $65,000–$95,000+ base for ATs supporting manufacturing workforces; major employers include Toyota, Boeing, Caterpillar, Tesla, Amazon, and through industrial AT staffing firms like ATI Industrial Solutions, BMI Athletic Training Services, OneRehab, and Premise Health.
• Military and federal athletic trainers: Department of Defense and Special Operations Forces ATs at $75,000–$110,000 with strong pension/federal-benefits eligibility.
• Performing arts ATs: Broadway, Cirque du Soleil, major dance companies; niche segment with above-base pay.
• Public safety ATs: supporting firefighter and police academy training and fitness programs; expanding segment.

Total compensation routinely includes BOC recertification reimbursement, NATA membership dues, state license fees, CEU stipends, and 401(k) or 403(b) match on top of base pay.

2026 Athletic Trainer Salary Projection

Athletic trainer pay has grown at a compound annual rate of 4.63% over the past five years, driven by the profession's transition to master's-level entry (raising the credential bar and supply), the rapid expansion of industrial occupational athletic training at major manufacturers, growing demand for clinical-hospital and physician-extender ATs at orthopedic practices, ongoing high school athletic-training demand under NATA's Safe Sports School advocacy, and the expansion of athletic-training services into emerging settings (military, performing arts, public safety). The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment for Athletic Trainers to grow 14% through 2033 — much faster than the average for all U.S. occupations — keeping strong upward pressure on wages.

A head athletic trainer at a Power 5 football program in the SEC can earn nearly triple what a brand-new BOC-certified high school AT in rural Mississippi takes home. Four factors explain almost all of that gap: employment setting, experience and rank, location and state licensure, and employment model.

1. Employment Setting: The Single Largest Pay Driver

Unlike most healthcare professions where location dominates the pay distribution, setting is the dominant lever for athletic trainers. The career spans a wide range of employer types with very different pay structures:

• Professional sports (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS): head ATs at major-league teams sit at the top of the SOC code distribution; assistant ATs at top-of-distribution pay. Roles are scarce and competitive, typically requiring years of D-I college experience or specialized credentials.
• Power 5 NCAA D-I athletics: head ATs at top football, basketball, and high-revenue sports programs reliably earn $90,000–$160,000+; assistant ATs lower in the program hierarchy.
• Mid-major D-I, D-II, D-III college athletics: the largest single college-AT employer category; pay tracks regional norms with strong benefits and pension eligibility at public institutions.
• Industrial / occupational athletic training: the fastest-growing high-pay segment. Major employers include Toyota, Boeing, Caterpillar, Tesla, Amazon, GE Appliances, and large industrial AT staffing firms (ATI Industrial Solutions, BMI Athletic Training Services, OneRehab, Premise Health). Pay frequently exceeds college athletics for mid-career ATs.
• Clinical sports-medicine outpatient (physician-extender ATs at orthopedic practices): reliable mid-range pay with predictable weekday daytime schedules; growing as orthopedic groups seek to expand surgeon capacity.
• High school athletic training: district direct-hire or clinic-contracted; pay tracks regional norms with summers off for school-year contracts.
• Military athletic trainers (DoD, Special Operations Forces): stable pay with strong federal pension and PSLF eligibility; high-acuity tactical-athlete population.
• Performing arts ATs (Broadway, Cirque du Soleil, major dance companies): niche above-median segment.
• Public safety ATs (firefighter and police academy): expanding segment with pension eligibility.

2. Experience and Rank Within Setting

Entry-level ATs fresh out of CAATE-accredited master's programs start at the 10th percentile — around $50,411 — and typically see meaningful step-raises within the first 3–5 years as they progress from graduate-assistant or assistant-AT roles into head-AT or coordinator-AT positions. Senior ATs with 10+ years of experience in elite settings frequently reach the 90th percentile at $92,870:

• Graduate Assistant AT — entry-level college roles, often with tuition remission as part of compensation; low base pay.
• Assistant AT — early-career roles at high schools, colleges, and clinical settings.
• Head Athletic Trainer — senior role with sport-specific oversight; the largest pay-level jump in the career.
• Director of Sports Medicine / Coordinator of Athletic Training — top-of-program roles at large college athletics departments; reach the highest college-athletics pay.
• Sport-specific specialty — football and basketball ATs at Power 5 programs and major-league teams reach the top of the distribution.
• Specialty credentials — CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist), EMT, OCS-style ortho specialty, manual therapy certifications (e.g., FMS, SFMA), and dry needling credentials open additional roles and pay differentials.

3. Location and State Licensure

Metropolitan areas with high costs of living offer the highest nominal AT salaries. After adjusting using BEA Regional Price Parities, the real-dollar gap narrows but doesn't close. California, Texas, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Washington lead even on a purchasing-power basis. State licensure rules also matter:

• State licensure — nearly all U.S. states regulate athletic training through state licensure or registration on top of the BOC credential. The licensure barrier supports a pay floor and protects scope of practice.
• NCAA program density — markets with multiple D-I athletics programs (Atlanta, Birmingham, Columbus, Indianapolis, Knoxville, Tuscaloosa, Phoenix, Los Angeles) sustain strong college-AT demand.
• Professional sports team concentration — markets with multiple major-league teams (NYC, LA, Chicago, Dallas, Boston) and minor-league affiliates support concentrated pro-sports AT opportunities.
• Industrial AT staffing density — major manufacturing regions (Southeast US, Texas, Pacific Northwest) drive industrial AT demand.
• Performing arts hubs — NYC (Broadway) and Las Vegas (Cirque du Soleil) for performing-arts AT roles.
• High school athletic-training contract structure — markets where hospital-affiliated clinics (HCA, Select Medical, OrthoVirginia, Andrews Sports Medicine, Steadman) hold high school AT contracts often pay above district direct-hire rates.

4. Employment Model: Direct Hire vs Contracted vs Per Diem

Direct-hire ATs at colleges, high schools, and hospital-clinical employers receive base salary plus benefits, retirement contributions, BOC recertification reimbursement, NATA membership dues, state license fees, and CEU stipends. Contracted ATs (placed through clinical staffing firms — HCA Healthcare ATC Network, Select Medical, ATI Industrial Solutions, BMI, Premise Health) earn comparable or above direct-hire rates with structured employer-provided benefits and clearer industry advancement paths. Per-diem ATs work events on demand (tournaments, road races, professional fights, performing-arts touring productions) at $25–60/hour, often as second income for full-time direct-hire ATs. Self-employed ATs and small-business owners (clinic ownership, sports-medicine consulting) span the full pay distribution and reach the top of the SOC code with established practices.

For a complete city-by-city breakdown of athletic trainer salaries — including BLS percentile data (10th, 25th, 50th/median, 75th, 90th), local cost-of-living adjustments, and 2026 salary projections — browse the 1,666+ metro areas tracked in our dataset below.