A Narrow Focus on Compensation

Perhaps we’re narrowing our focus too much when it comes to compensation discussions.

Why do we keep expecting the NATA to provide exact pay figures or guidelines for what an individual AT should earn? Are we really all the same in terms of skills & what we bring to employers, this seems to undermine the individuality of each AT.

The National Athletic Trainers'​ Association (NATA) doesn’t make official salary recommendations due to:

1. Market Variability: Salaries for athletic trainers can differ significantly based on factors like location, employment setting or level, experience, title, & industry. A universal pay recommendation wouldn’t take these regional and situational differences into account. You will never be able to calculate a perfect minimum for all 50 states.

➡️ 37 states minimum FLSA is $35,568

➡️ California's minimum FLSA $68,640

➡️ Washington state minimum FLSA $77,968.80 (50+ employees)

2. Legal Restrictions: As a professional organization, the NATA must avoid any appearance of wage-fixing or price-setting. Offering pay guidelines could be seen as anti-competitive and possibly even a violation of antitrust laws, especially if it suggests a uniform pay scale across the profession.

3. Diverse Roles & Responsibilities: Within a profession, the roles & responsibilities can vary greatly. Some may specialize in injury prevention/ergonomics, emergent care, work in performance, or wellness settings. These differences make it difficult for a national organization to create a one-size-fits-all pay standard.

4. Professional Autonomy: Setting pay standards could undermine the ability of individual athletic trainers to negotiate their own compensation based on their skills, experience, & specific job responsibilities. It could ultimately cap an ATs earning potential.

It's time we stop relying on large organizations & start stepping up as professionals who can negotiate and engage in tough conversations about our worth.

If the athletic training profession is going to continue to claim we're underpaid, we need to address this issue directly with the right people & take personal responsibility for making changes. (Remember, you can negotiate more than once with an employer!)

In 2022, over half of ATs (57.6%) didn’t attempt to negotiate their salary, & nearly three-quarters (70.5%) didn’t discuss employment terms during the hiring process.

ATs are underpaid compared to their healthcare peers. While various factors determine salary & benefits in a given position, negotiation plays a significant role in the final offer. Yet, it’s unclear how frequently ATs negotiate salary or other terms during hiring.

How often do ATs individually advocate for their own individual compensation?

Cavallerio, J. Negotiation Practices of Athletic Trainers Employed in the Clinical Setting. Journal of Athletic Training. 2022. DOI: 10.4085/1062-6050-0244.22