High School Diploma or GED

Bachelor's Degree

Pass exams to become certified

Education after high school

Athletic trainers must have at least a bachelor's degree. Accepted majors are athletic training, pre-medicine, kinesiology, exercise physiology, biology, exercise science, or physical education.

About 70 percent of athletic trainers have a master's degree. Common areas of study are athletic training, education, and exercise physiology. In athletic training programs you learn to identify, evaluate, and treat musculoskeletal injuries. You also learn anatomy, physiology, and first aid.

On-the-job training

The length of on-the-job training varies by employer. In general, newly hired athletic trainers receive up to three months of on-the-job training.

May work full time or part time. Full time work is most common.

May work days, evenings, or weekends.

May travel for long periods of time if working for a college or professional team.

May work long hours during sport seasons.

May work a standard, Monday through Friday workweek if in a nonsports setting.

ATHLETIC TRAINERS will:

Work with teams and individual athletes

Work mostly for high schools, colleges, and athletic clubs

Work long hours during sport seasons

Be exposed to disease and infections on a daily basis when working with athletes.

Provide first aid, massage, and care for athletes and other clients.

ATHLETIC TRAINERS frequently:

Have constant contact with athletes, coaches, and health care professionals

Stand for long periods of time.

Bend or twist their body.

Walk or run for long periods of time.

It is important that ATHLETIC TRAINERS be able to:

Be exact in their work. Errors could cause athletes to get hurt

Speak clearly so listeners can understand.

Understand the speech of another person.

See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.