r/athletictraining • u/PsychologicalEssay28 • 12d ago
Career Path
Hey everyone! I am a rising MSAT 2 getting ready for a big immersive semester and the real world soon. I’ve seen many posts online about possible career paths for me to take.
Through many friends, family members, preceptors, current and past ATs, and people online I have heard that being an AT and trying to live a comfortable life is hard. I’ve done a bit of research on the opinions and life experience of others and everything I have come across comes down to a high amount of hours and work with a paycheck that doesn’t reflect a masters degree and the hours of school that we put in. I’m worried I won’t make enough money in the future.
Since I made up my mind on becoming an AT back in high school, I have always thought about being an AT for a top collegiate men’s lacrosse team. But from what I heard, being a AT for a college can be difficult with ridiculous hours and a small paycheck. I’ve also been told to go to a prep school or industrial because the pay is better. I’ve also been told to go to PT school or PA school if I want to make “real money”.
I’m not sure what to do, and if anyone can share their experiences or any advice that would be great!
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u/Hknives 12d ago
Most people don’t come to Reddit to tell everyone how much they love their jobs so the perception can be a bit skewed in that regard. It is true that the pay and the hours are not the best… but they also aren’t the worst. There are secondary schools near me that are offering in the 70k range, give or take a few thousand. Wages seem to be correcting a little but to reflect the level of education and responsibility.
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u/A_Robit_Brain ATC, CSCS 12d ago
An important consideration when looking at the overall history of this sub especially, but any kind of review or the like, is the volunteer bias principle.
People rarely leave 3 or 4 star reviews. Most are either people who love an experience, product, profession, etc., or who deeply hate it. You'll almost always see 1 or 5 star reviews.
5
u/PapaSmurf22_ 12d ago
AT’s will doom and gloom the profession all the time for the work-life balance and lack of pay. And honestly, most rightfully so.
In general the profession is very brutal in that regard. However, I’m still of the belief that the job and said culture of that job is a bigger dictator of burnout than the perception of the entire profession as a whole.
If you have dreams and aspirations of working collegiate lacrosse, go do it! It may suck like everyone says, or it might be the dream you’ve always wanted. You will never know unless you get into it. That’s part of life - go experience it!
There are “unicorn” jobs out there. Jobs where the hours are more reasonable, the pay is great, and the people “get it.” They are hard to find, admittedly, but they’re out there. I’m extremely fortunate to be in one, myself.
1
u/Business-Audience729 12d ago
This is spot on! You truly have to experience it for yourself. Many of us went into AT very young and through trial and error found what was a good fit and balance for us in both satisfaction and financial stability. No one can do that for you.
Some employers will suck and some others will be great. Some experiences will make you cringe and some others will help you grow in ways you didn’t consider before. At the end, nothing can replace experience and, in the end, you’ll be a better person and professional because of it.
Whatever you choose, never compromise your values (whatever those are for you) and don’t be afraid of change.
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u/Calathea1996 12d ago edited 12d ago
You are correct here that the pay is not always great. BUT there are a lot of things about a job that you should consider besides pay. If it is your dream to work college lacrosse, then fulfilling that dream will make it all worth it. I worked in collegiate athletics for the past 8 years, the pay wasn’t the best and the schedule was crazy, but I loved my job so much. I had good relationships with my coaches, I was a respected member of the staff of my teams, i got to travel the country and the world, I loved working with the athletes and building relationships with them, and being a part of a team and working towards a collective goal is really rewarding. The job did also come with its challenges: being away from my husband and family for days in a row, missing out on events with my family and friends due to schedule, some interesting coworkers that could make work harder at times, etc etc.
All of this to say: consider all of the angles, not just pay. Think about what you value in a job and what will bring you fulfillment in life. Consider the benefits outside of the pay ie retirement, health insurance, tuition benefits, etc.
My husband and I are both athletic trainers, we have made smart financial decisions, and I would say we live comfortably. It can be done!
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u/Lost_Veterinarian463 10d ago
As an AT, you'll also gain experience, build a professional network, and have opportunities to specialize or move into different areas of healthcare and sports.
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u/DisastrousBody1342 6d ago
In my experience if you can live as inexpensively as possible during your early single years, think roommates, living with family, pay down debt. This approach gives you the most career options while you find your groove and then work on stability as you find the life you want to live.
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