Athletic Trainer Salary by State (2026): ATC Pay Compared Across All 50 States

Athletic trainer salary by state varies more than for most healthcare practitioner roles because state-level employment setting mix differs so sharply — some states concentrate AT employment in Power 5 college athletics and pro sports, others in industrial occupational health, others in high school district contracts. The national median for Athletic Trainers sits at $65,415, but state-by-state pay across the 51 states tracked here ranges widely — from $46,182 in Mississippi to $81,868 in California.

This page compares the average athletic trainer salary by state across 1666+ metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas — drawing on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for SOC 29-9091. If you are a working ATC evaluating relocation, a CAATE-accredited master's program graduate planning your first college or clinic placement, or an athletic department head benchmarking pay across states, the state-level comparison below is the central reference point.

How Athletic Trainer Salary by State Is Measured

The BLS reports state-level AT salary through three numbers:

• Annual median (50th percentile) — used to rank state-level pay in the table below.
• Annual mean (average) — typically runs 5–10% above median; states with strong Power 5 NCAA D-I athletics, pro sports concentration, and industrial occupational ATC density show wider mean-median spreads.
• Percentile distribution (P10 / P25 / P75 / P90) — P10 reflects entry-level ATCs in high school athletic-training contracts or graduate-assistant college roles; P90 reflects senior ATs in Power 5 college athletics, pro sports (MLB/NFL/NBA/NHL/MLS), industrial occupational ATs at major manufacturers (Toyota/Boeing/Tesla/Amazon), performing arts ATs (Broadway/Cirque du Soleil), and military Special Operations Forces ATs.

The state-comparison table below applies BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) adjustment so both nominal pay and real purchasing power are visible.

1. State NCAA D-I Athletics and Pro Sports Concentration

The single largest non-cost-of-living driver of state-level AT pay is state-level NCAA D-I athletics and pro sports team concentration:

• Power 5 / D-I athletics states — Texas (Big 12 + SEC), Alabama (SEC), Florida (SEC + ACC), Georgia (SEC + ACC), Ohio (Big Ten), Michigan (Big Ten), Pennsylvania (Big Ten + ACC), California (Pac-12 successor + non-Power-5), Indiana (Big Ten), Tennessee (SEC), Oklahoma (SEC + Big 12), North Carolina (ACC) concentrate Power 5 D-I athletics. Head ATs at Power 5 programs reach $90,000–$160,000+ and reliably top state-level AT pay rankings.
• Pro sports team concentration states — California (multiple MLB/NFL/NBA/NHL/MLS teams), New York, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Georgia, Arizona, Colorado, Washington concentrate pro sports teams. Pro sports head ATs at MLB/NFL/NBA/NHL/MLS franchises reach top of the SOC distribution.
• State athletic training license requirements — nearly all U.S. states regulate athletic training through state licensure or registration on top of the BOC ATC credential. State licensure barriers correlate with state pay floors.
• CAATE-accredited master's programs by state — California, Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Indiana, Ohio host multiple Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) accredited master's programs (CAATE moved entry-level to master's only as of 2022).

2. State Industrial Occupational Athletic Training Density

Industrial occupational athletic training is one of the fastest-growing AT segments, with state distribution shaping pay:

• Manufacturing-dense states — Texas (oil and gas + heavy manufacturing), Tennessee (auto manufacturing — Volkswagen, Nissan), Alabama (Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Toyota), South Carolina (BMW), Kentucky (Toyota), Michigan (auto OEMs), Ohio (auto + heavy manufacturing), Indiana, Wisconsin (Harley-Davidson, GE Healthcare) host major industrial occupational ATC employers. Major industrial AT contractors: ATI Industrial Solutions, BMI Athletic Training Services, OneRehab, Premise Health.
• Major industrial ATC employers by state — Toyota, Boeing, Caterpillar, Tesla, Amazon (across multiple states), GE Appliances, John Deere, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen all hire industrial ATCs. Industrial AT pay frequently matches mid-career college athletics pay with stronger benefits.
• State workers' compensation laws — states with broader workers' comp recognition of AT services support stronger industrial ATC pay.

3. State Cost of Living and High School Athletic Training

State cost of living and high school AT contract structure drive state-level pay for the broadest AT employer category:

• High school AT contracts — district direct-hire vs hospital-affiliated clinic contract. Hospital-affiliated clinic high school AT contracts (HCA Healthcare ATC Network, Select Medical, Andrews Sports Medicine, Steadman) often pay above district direct-hire rates.
• State high school athletic training mandate — many states (Texas, California, New Jersey, Connecticut, others) have NATA Safe Sports School-driven mandates supporting hospital-clinic-contract AT employment growth.
• State income tax variation — ATs in Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Nevada, Washington, Wyoming, South Dakota, Alaska, and New Hampshire keep more of every dollar.
• State cost of living — California, Texas, New Jersey, Connecticut, Washington lead nominal AT pay rankings.

4. State Clinical Sports-Medicine and Military AT Distribution

Clinical sports-medicine and federal/military AT employment shapes state pay:

• Clinical sports-medicine ATs at orthopedic groups — physician-extender clinical ATs at orthopedic group practices and surgical hospitals. Cluster at ortho-strong markets (Texas — Texas Orthopedic Hospital, Indiana — OrthoIndy, Alabama — Andrews Sports Medicine, New York — HSS, Florida).
• Military and Special Operations Forces AT employment — Department of Defense and Special Operations Forces (USSOCOM) hire ATs. Cluster at states with major military installations (Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Washington, Colorado, Georgia).
• Federal civilian AT positions (VA medical centers) — VA medical center AT employment with strong federal pension and PSLF.
• Performing arts AT positions — Broadway (New York), Las Vegas (Cirque du Soleil), major dance companies. Niche distribution.

How to Compare Athletic Trainer Salary by State Effectively

When comparing the average athletic trainer salary by state, work through this checklist:

• Verify state AT license requirements — nearly all states require state licensure or registration on top of BOC ATC.
• Compare nominal and real (cost-adjusted) pay together — a state with the highest nominal median can have lower real purchasing power if its cost of living is higher.
• Check state income tax — ATs in Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Nevada, Washington, Wyoming, South Dakota, Alaska, and New Hampshire keep more of every dollar.
• Factor in setting mix — Power 5 D-I athletics states, pro sports states, and industrial manufacturing states support upper-percentile AT pay; high-school-AT-heavy states anchor mid-range.
• Compare percentile distribution, not just median — states with dense Power 5 + pro sports concentration show wide P75–P90 spreads.
• Match employer plan to state market — Power 5 athletics target Texas/Alabama/Florida/Georgia/Ohio/Michigan/Pennsylvania; industrial AT target Texas/Tennessee/Alabama/South Carolina/Kentucky/Michigan/Ohio; clinical sports-medicine target ortho-strong markets.

2026 State-Level AT Salary Outlook

AT pay has grown at a compound annual rate of 4.63% nationally over the past five years — driven by the profession's master's-degree entry requirement transition (raising the credential bar and supply), rapid expansion of industrial occupational AT at major manufacturers, growing clinical-hospital and physician-extender AT employment, ongoing high school athletic-training mandate growth, and expanding military and performing arts AT segments. States with rapid industrial AT expansion (Texas, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, Kentucky), states with strong Power 5 athletics + pro sports concentration, and states with strong hospital-affiliated high school AT contract growth are seeing the fastest state-level pay growth through 2026. The BLS projects Athletic Trainers employment growth at 14% through 2033 — much faster than average — keeping strong upward pressure on state-level wages.

Browse the state-by-state comparison table below to see the $65,415-baseline state ranking, top 10 and bottom 10 states by projected median, regional groupings (Northeast / Midwest / South / West), and direct links to per-state pages for deeper city-level breakdown.