Athletic Trainer Career Assessment
Sports medicine and injury care — ND in-demand occupation
Welcome
Athletic trainers prevent, treat, and help people recover from injuries. You will find them on the sidelines at games, in clinics, in schools, and even in factories.
You will explore what this active, hands-on career is really like and whether it fits you.
This takes about 15 minutes.
What is a Athletic Trainer?
An athletic trainer is a licensed health care professional who works with doctors to prevent injuries, give emergency care, and help people get back to activity. Athletic trainers are not personal trainers. They are medical providers.
The Reality: You are often the first medical person on the scene when an athlete goes down. You have to make fast decisions about serious injuries like concussions, neck injuries, and heat illness, sometimes in front of a crowd.
Your Responsibilities:
- Tape, brace, and wrap athletes before practices and games
- Check injuries on the field and decide if a player can keep going
- Give emergency care (CPR, spine care, heat illness)
- Spot and manage concussions
- Plan and lead rehab exercises after injuries
- Teach injury prevention and safe training
- Keep careful medical records
- Talk with doctors, coaches, athletes, and parents
You are part medical provider, part coach, and part first responder.
A Day in the Life
6:30 AM — At the high school early. Rehab session for a player coming back from an ankle sprain.
8:00 AM — Clinic hours at the sports medicine office. Help a physician evaluate a knee injury.
11:30 AM — Write up notes. Call a parent about a concussion return-to-play plan.
12:00 PM — Lunch.
2:30 PM — Back to the school. Tape ankles and check the water and emergency equipment.
3:30 PM — Football practice. It is hot. You watch for heat illness and keep players drinking water.
5:15 PM — A player takes a hard hit. You check for a concussion and pull him from practice.
7:00 PM — Volleyball game. Stay until the last player leaves.
9:30 PM — Home. Tomorrow is a Saturday tournament.
Long, active days that follow the sports calendar, including evenings and weekends.
Training in North Dakota
A master's degree is now required. To take the national certification exam, you must graduate from a CAATE-accredited master's program in athletic training. Many students do a bachelor's in exercise science first, or a combined "3+2" program.
Training Pathways:
- Bachelor's degree (about 4 years): Exercise science, kinesiology, or a similar major. Take the science prerequisites.
- Master's in Athletic Training (about 2 years): Classes plus lots of hands-on clinical experience with teams and clinics.
- Combined programs: Some schools let you start the master's early, saving about a year.
Where to Train in North Dakota:
- University of North Dakota (Grand Forks) — Master of Athletic Training
- North Dakota State University (Fargo) — Master of Athletic Training
- University of Mary (Bismarck) — M.S. in Athletic Training, CAATE-accredited, with early-entry options
Before You Start: High school diploma or GED, then a bachelor's degree with anatomy, physiology, biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology. CPR and first aid certification. Observation hours with an athletic trainer are often required.
Tip: Start with financial aid, scholarships, and any help an employer offers — that is where the money starts. After that, ask a career counselor or Job Service North Dakota whether WIOA or other programs can help with what is left over, like tuition, exam fees, or supplies. What can be paid for depends on the program and on your own situation, so ask before you sign up rather than after. Some ND employers also help pay for training if you agree to work for them afterward.
Certification & Licensing
North Dakota requires a state license. You must pass the Board of Certification (BOC) exam, then apply for your ND athletic trainer license (done through the BOC website).
What You Need:
- BOC certification — "ATC" credential after passing the national exam
- ND athletic trainer license — required to practice in North Dakota
- Emergency cardiac care — CPR/AED must stay current
The Exams: The BOC exam is computer-based, about 4 hours, with multiple-choice and case-based questions.
Cost: About $330–$375 for the BOC exam, plus the ND license fee. Prices change, so check before you buy.
Keeping It Current: BOC certification requires continuing education every 2 years. Your ND license is renewed through the BOC too.
Salary & Job Outlook
North Dakota Athletic Trainer Pay (May 2025):
- Starting out (bottom 10–25%): $23.18–$24.58/hour ($48,220–$51,130/year)
- Middle (median — half earn more, half earn less): $29.28/hour ($60,900/year)
- Experienced (top 25–10%): $31.46–$37.19/hour ($65,440–$77,360/year)
What that means: BLS reports this job in yearly pay only; hourly amounts shown are estimates (yearly pay ÷ 2,080 hours). Pay is modest for a master's degree. College, pro sports, and clinic jobs usually pay more than high school jobs.
Jobs in North Dakota: About 120 people do this work in ND today. By 2034, that should be about 140 (about 13% growth). Expect about 10 job openings every year in ND from growth and people retiring or changing jobs. Across the U.S., the change is about 11% growth — much faster than average.
Outlook: Good growth, but a small field in ND with about 10 openings a year. High schools, clinics, and colleges in larger towns hire most.
Who Hires in ND: Sports medicine clinics and hospitals (who often place trainers in high schools), colleges and universities, high schools, pro and minor-league teams, the military, and some factories and industrial sites.
Work Setting: Sidelines, gyms, athletic training rooms, and clinics. Outdoors in all weather. Evenings, weekends, and travel with teams are common.
Physical Demands: High. On your feet all day, kneeling, lifting and moving injured athletes, running onto the field, and working outside in heat and cold.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, North Dakota, May 2025 (SOC 29-9091); North Dakota and U.S. long-term employment projections 2024–2034, via O*NET OnLine. Numbers are rounded.
Where This Leads
Path 1: College Athletic Trainer — Work with college teams. Longer hours, higher pay.
Path 2: Clinic or Physician Extender — Work alongside orthopedic doctors in a clinic.
Path 3: Industrial Athletic Trainer — Keep factory and plant workers healthy and injury-free.
Path 4: Professional Sports — Very competitive, very demanding.
Path 5: Head Athletic Trainer / Manager — Lead a sports medicine team.
Path 6: Further School — Physical therapy, physician assistant, or teaching.
The Real Talk
What's Great:
- Active, never boring
- Work with athletes and sports you love
- Real medical responsibility
- Strong team feeling
- Many different work settings
- Growing field
What's Hard:
- Master's degree required
- Pay is modest compared to the schooling
- Long evenings and weekends
- Missing family events during sports seasons
- Pressure during serious injuries
- Coaches and parents may push back on your decisions
- Outdoor work in ND weather
- Few openings each year in ND
Be Honest: Are you ready for 6 years of school? Can you give up many evenings and weekends? Can you stay calm when someone is seriously hurt? Can you stand firm when a coach wants a player back too soon?