Athletic trainers
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Athletic trainers in the United States earn a median salary of $62,520 per year — about $30 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 34K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of +11%.
AI & Automation Risk
The core duties of athletic trainers—such as applying tape/braces, providing emergency first aid on the field, and performing manual rehabilitation—require physical presence and tactile skills that AI cannot replicate. While AI can assist with peripheral tasks like injury analysis, record-keeping, and designing recovery protocols, the job remains fundamentally grounded in real-time human interaction and physical healthcare delivery.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TXBEST VALUE | $82,480 | Below avg (85.9) | $96,024 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | $78,580 | Below avg (92.7) | $84,795 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $89,630 | Above avg (110.4) | $81,170 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | $68,410 | Below avg (84.8) | $80,705 |
| El Paso, TX | $72,250 | Below avg (89.9) | $80,356 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $71,660 | Below avg (90.0) | $79,582 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | $66,490 | Below avg (86.0) | $77,336 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $78,910 | Above avg (103.2) | $76,478 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | $64,940 | Below avg (85.1) | $76,308 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $72,440 | Below avg (95.5) | $75,817 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $79,950 | Above avg (106.4) | $75,111 |
| Madison, WI | $72,780 | Average (97.3) | $74,810 |
| Lubbock, TX | $68,060 | Below avg (91.3) | $74,532 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $72,150 | Average (98.6) | $73,153 |
| Fresno, CA | $74,650 | Average (102.2) | $73,073 |