AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 29-9091.00
Will AI replace Athletic Trainers?
Athletic Trainers: AI can already handle 5 of 23 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 23 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Athletic Trainers, from most to least exposed. 5 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Develop training programs or routines designed to improve athletic performance. | Observed | Frontier | |
| Conduct an initial assessment of an athlete's injury or illness to provide emergency or continued care and to determine whether they should be referred to physicians for definitive diagnosis and treatment. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Assess and report the progress of recovering athletes to coaches or physicians. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Evaluate athletes' readiness to play and provide participation clearances when necessary and warranted. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Recommend special diets to improve athletes' health, increase their stamina, or alter their weight. | Observed | Frontier | |
| Collaborate with physicians to develop and implement comprehensive rehabilitation programs for athletic injuries. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Plan or implement comprehensive athletic injury or illness prevention programs. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Advise athletes on the proper use of equipment. | Observed | Standard | |
| Clean and sanitize athletic training rooms. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Massage body parts to relieve soreness, strains, or bruises. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Teach sports medicine courses to athletic training students. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Conduct research or provide instruction on subject matter related to athletic training or sports medicine. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Care for athletic injuries, using physical therapy equipment, techniques, or medication. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Perform general administrative tasks, such as keeping records or writing reports. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Instruct coaches, athletes, parents, medical personnel, or community members in the care and prevention of athletic injuries. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Apply protective or injury preventive devices, such as tape, bandages, or braces, to body parts, such as ankles, fingers, or wrists. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Travel with athletic teams to be available at sporting events. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| File athlete insurance claims and communicate with insurance providers. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Confer with coaches to select protective equipment. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Accompany injured athletes to hospitals. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Lead stretching exercises for team members prior to games or practices. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Inspect playing fields to locate any items that could injure players. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Perform team support duties, such as running errands, maintaining equipment, or stocking supplies. | Estimated | Efficient |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 3 of 23 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 20 of 23. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 30,500
- Median annual wage
- $62,520
- Middle half of earners
- $55,130 to $74,630
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +11.1%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Sports Medicine Physicians 71% skill overlap, about 10 months to move Exposure48
- Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure37
- Athletes and Sports Competitors 65% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure58
- Occupational Therapists 64% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure50
- Physical Therapists 62% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure63
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Athletic Trainers and AI
Will AI replace Athletic Trainers?
AI already handles 5 of the 23 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 41 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +11.1% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Athletic Trainers?
41 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 3 of the 23 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 20 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Athletic Trainers tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Develop training programs or routines designed to improve athletic performance; Conduct an initial assessment of an athlete's injury or illness to provide emergency or continued care and to determine whether they should be referred to physicians for definitive diagnosis and treatment; Assess and report the progress of recovering athletes to coaches or physicians. They are three of the 5 tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Athletic Trainers, and what do they earn?
30,500 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $62,520 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +11.1% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Athletic Trainers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/athletic-trainers
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