Sports Medicine Careers: Salary and Job Facts
Find out details about two common sports medicine jobs. Read about career options along with potential salary, common education requirements, and job duties.
Careers in Sports Medicine
Does the field of sports medicine appeal to you? There are different career options in sports medicine, following two distinct educational tracks. This article will focus on the careers of athletic trainer and sports medicine physician, and will compare the pathways to and benefits of each of these positions.
Athletic trainers work in every kind of collegiate and professional athletic program, as well as in some high schools, hospitals, and other medical settings. As an athletic trainer, you may work with individuals ranging in age from children to older adults, and you could work with amateur or professional athletes. You will likely work under a physician's supervision and will carry out their plans to keep athletes healthy through prevention and rehabilitation of injuries.
Sports medicine physicians are licensed physicians who specialize in athletic injuries. They may also work in professional athletic programs, or they may have their own practice. As a sports medicine physician, you will treat patients with sports-related injuries, help develop plans for safe activity and rehabilitation, and may perform surgeries or procedures.
<h3 id="section---OverviewComparisonOfSportsMedicineCareers">Overview: Comparison of Sports Medicine Careers</h3><p></p><table border="1"><tr><th> </th><th><b>Athletic trainer</b></th><th> <b>Sports medicine physician</b></th></tr>
<tr><td><b>Degree Required</b></td><td> Bachelor's </td><td> M.D.</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Licensure/Certification</b></td><td> State certification required </td><td> State licensure required</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Key Responsibilities</b></td><td> Diagnose and evaluate injuries, develop and oversee rehabilitation programs, maintain accurate records and apply simple preventive care devices </td><td> Diagnose and treat various athletic injuries, recommend and implement specialized treatment plans to help heal injuries, document patient progress and answer patient questions or concerns</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Job Outlook (2020-2030)</b></td><td> 23%* </td><td> 3% (for all physicians and surgeons)*</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Median Salary</b></td><td> $49,860 (2020)* </td><td> $182,379 (2021)**</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics **PayScale.com</i>
</p><h3 id="section---SportsMedicineSalary">Sports Medicine Salary</h3><h4 id="section---AthleticTrainerSalary">Athletic Trainer Salary</h4><p>In 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the median annual salary of athletic trainers was $49,860. The highest median salaries in this field were earned by athletic trainers working for spectator sports, followed by those working for elementary and secondary schools.
</p><h4 id="section---SportsMedicinePhysicianSalary">Sports Medicine Physician Salary</h4><p>According to PayScale.com, physicians who specialize in sports medicine received a median annual salary of $182,379 in 2021. Pay in this field could vary greatly based on years of experience as well as type of employer (whether one works for a college or hospital or owns a private practice).
</p><h3 id="section---SportsMedicineEducationRequirements">Sports Medicine Education Requirements</h3><p>The educational requirements are very different for the two careers highlighted in this article. Athletic trainers generally need to possess a bachelor's degree. Many large universities have health programs that offer 4-year degrees with an emphasis on sports medicine. Your courses in these programs will include a general core curriculum in the humanities and sciences, as well as more focused studies with courses such as anatomy and nutrition. Additionally, many of these programs provide opportunities for aspiring sports medicine practitioners to assist with their collegiate athletic teams.
</p><p>The path to a career as a sports medicine physician is lengthy. You will need to pursue a 4-year bachelor's degree, satisfying the basic requirements for admission to medical school. Medical school programs generally take four years to complete and award a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree, though some schools grant another four year degree, the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.). Your curriculum in these programs will include subjects such as gerontology, pediatrics and pharmacology. You will also spend considerable time in laboratory and clinical settings.
</p><p>Following medical school, you will need to specialize in sports medicine by participating in a residency that is relevant to the field, such as orthopedic surgery. Residency programs are advanced education for physicians that allow for specialization in an area of medicine. They may run from three to eight years.
</p><h3 id="section---RequiredSkills">Required Skills</h3><p>Sports medicine is a hands-on field that requires a great deal of interaction with other individuals. Strong social skills, a desire to help and a passion for athletic pursuits are all beneficial to aspiring sports medicine specialists.
</p><h3 id="section---SportsMedicineJobsTypicalDuties">Sports Medicine Jobs: Typical Duties</h3><p>The duties of an athletic trainer include managing a wide range of injuries sustained in various sports. As a trainer you may work to help athletes prevent injury as well as diagnose and treat injuries that do occur. You may apply braces or tape to an athlete before practice, provide first aid to someone hurt while playing a sport, and help develop a rehabilitation plan after an athlete is injured. You may also have administrative responsibilities such as maintaining records on treatment. You likely will work under the supervision of a physician who can offer advanced medical guidance on appropriate treatment.
</p><p>Physicians and surgeons who specialize in sports medicine issues may handle more serious injuries. Orthopedic surgeons frequently perform operations to treat athletes' damaged ligaments and tendons. Physicians are on site during major sporting events to diagnose and treat serious injuries like concussions and spinal damage. Sports medicine physicians often have athletic trainers working under them who manage more minor injuries.
</p><h3 id="section---LicensingRequirements">Licensing Requirements</h3><p>Every state and territory in the U.S. demands that physicians be licensed. You will need to take the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE) and follow the licensing practices established by the state in which you would like to work.
</p><p>Athletic trainers are almost always licensed as well. Licensing entails taking a standardized exam, satisfying curriculum requirements and adhering to state mandated licensing procedure.
</p><h2 id="section---WhatAreSomeRelatedAlternativeCareers">What Are Some Related Alternative Careers?</h2><p>If you're looking for a career similar to the field of sports medicine, you may consider <a href="https://learn.org/articles/How_Do_I_Become_a_Physical_Therapist.html">becoming a physical therapist</a>. Physical therapists often work with those who have suffered sports injuries and support their progress while they recover. In this case, you may want to specialize in orthopedics. Physical therapists also work with a variety of age groups and may work with situations unrelated to sports, such as stroke or chronic disabilities. To become a physical therapist you will need to be licensed in your state and complete a doctor of physical therapy (DPT) degree program.
</p><p>You may also consider <a href="https://learn.org/articles/Chiropractor_5_Steps_to_Becoming_a_Chiropractor.html">becoming a chiropractor</a>. Chiropractors manipulate and adjust the body to improve problems in the neuromusculoskeletal system. Often chiropractors use other techniques to improve overall health, including massage, ultrasounds, and exercise. In this career, you may choose to specialize in sports or orthopedics if you prefer to work in the sports medicine field. It will be necessary for you to obtain a doctor of chiropractic degree (D.C.) and to be licensed in your state.</p>