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Boston Career Explorer

Healthcare Practitioners and Technical

Athletic Trainers

Evaluate and treat musculoskeletal injuries or illnesses. Provide preventive, therapeutic, emergency, and rehabilitative care.

Also called: Athletic Instructor, Athletic Lecturer, Athletic Trainer, Certified Athletic Trainer, Personal Trainer, Resident Athletic Trainer

Median pay in Greater Boston
$71,880
Jobs in Greater Boston
490
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+12.7%
60 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Master's degree

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$50,560$60,920$71,880$87,470$108,300

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • 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.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Moderate exposure50 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 38
  • Language-model AIOE 45
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 66

Observed AI use today: Some (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for athletic trainers is moderate, and observed AI use is still limited. AI tools may help with record keeping and report writing. Hands-on injury checks, treatment, and decisions about whether an athlete is ready to play still rely on a trained person who is on site.

Likely to change

  • Keeping records and writing reports
  • Summarizing recovery progress for coaches

Still relies on people

  • Hands-on injury assessment and emergency care
  • Deciding if an athlete is ready to play

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Physical Therapist Assistants

    You already guide patients through rehab exercises and track progress. This job builds on that, needs only an associate's degree, and has a higher Boston median pay.

    Pay difference
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  • Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses

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  • Respiratory Therapists

    You already monitor how patients respond to treatment and know when to call a physician. This job offers higher Boston median pay with an associate's degree.

    Pay difference
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Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

1 program near Boston (plus 4 graduate)

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

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