For many people in today’s world, simply having a job that pays the bills is not enough. They require a fulfilling career that helps other people as much as it helps themselves. An athletic trainer job description suggests that such a position does just that – paying a great wage while providing opportunities to help others reach new heights in staying healthy. While jobs for athletic trainers exist, potential applicants should take a few things into consideration before attempting to secure such a position.
Securing a job as an athletic trainer today requires at minimum a four-year Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. Such programs instruct students on a host of subjects, ranging from basic anatomy and physiology to advanced emergency medicine, the chemical components of various substances, and nutrition. While jobs are available for qualified candidates with only a four-year degree, 70 percent of those in the field feel that the athletic trainer job description requires a Master’s degree as well, necessitating an additional two years of school. Then attending a personal trainer school or at least a few personal trainer classes is highly recommended.
Athletic trainers typically work full-time and make a healthy wage, often with comfortable health and vacation benefits. Entry level wages start around $25,000, although pay rapidly increases with experience or education beyond an initial Bachelor’s degree. The median annual wage was $39,640 in 2008, and the majority individuals employed in the field made between $32,000 and $49,250. The highest in the field, however, made more than $60,960, illustrating the high earning potential of athletic trainers. While salary amounts vary greatly depending on education, experience, and location, high paying jobs exist for well-qualified applicants.
Many duties are included in the job description of any athletic trainer, and placements in the field require employees to retain and implement a large amount of the information learned in the education listed above. Athletic trainers must be able to identify common sports and exercise related ailments and know how to correct them. They must be prepared to operate in high-pressure situations, and their job description requires that they make level-headed decisions that are in the interest of the athlete, even when the necessary course of action keeps the injured person from playing. They must know how to wrap joints, accurately distribute pain medication, and keep athletes stretched and limber while being prepared to administer I.V.s, secure athletes to backboards, and treat them on their way to emergency care.
Most important in an athletic trainer job description is the effect such an individual’s work has on others. Trainers keep their athletes from getting hurt through preventative medicine and healthy training practices. They help treat simple ailments like fatigue, dehydration and sprained joints to keep athletes in operating condition. On the occasions when significant injuries do occur – when athletes break bones, tear ligaments, suffer from concussions, etc. – the trainer doctors the injury and nurses the person back to health through on the scene care and restorative medicine. Few job descriptions include helping others in the same way athletic trainers do, and a career in the field may be right for those who love seeing others succeed.