Will athletic trainers be replaced by AI?
Updated
Athletic trainers score 33 of 100 for AI exposure. 50% of their task time still needs a person. AI can do 7% today and speed up another 43%.
- 7% AI can do it
- 43% AI helps
- 50% Needs a person
Moderate exposure
Lower than 57% of the 923 occupations we scored.
Task by task
We graded 23 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can do 2 of them today, speeds up 10 and leaves 11 to people.
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Perform general administrative tasks, such as keeping records or writing reports. Record keeping and report writing are routine text and data work. | 75% AI can do it |
| File athlete insurance claims and communicate with insurance providers. Claim forms and routine insurer correspondence are largely templated paperwork. | 65% AI can do it |
| Develop training programs or routines designed to improve athletic performance. AI can generate training plans quickly; trainer reviews and tailors them. | 58% AI helps |
| Assess and report the progress of recovering athletes to coaches or physicians. AI can draft progress reports from notes; trainer verifies and sends. | 55% AI helps |
| Conduct research or provide instruction on subject matter related to athletic training or sports medicine. AI speeds literature review and drafting; instruction stays live. | 55% AI helps |
| Plan or implement comprehensive athletic injury or illness prevention programs. AI can outline prevention programs; trainer adapts and implements them. | 45% AI helps |
| Teach sports medicine courses to athletic training students. AI helps build slides and materials; live teaching stays human. | 45% AI helps |
| Collaborate with physicians to develop and implement comprehensive rehabilitation programs for athletic injuries. AI drafts rehab program templates; physician collaboration remains human. | 40% AI helps |
| Instruct coaches, athletes, parents, medical personnel, or community members in the care and prevention of athletic injuries. AI can draft education materials, but delivery is in person. | 35% AI helps |
| Recommend special diets to improve athletes' health, increase their stamina, or alter their weight. AI can draft diet guidance; referral to dietitians still needed. | 35% AI helps |
Show the other 13 tasks
| Task | AI exposure |
|---|---|
| Advise athletes on the proper use of equipment. Equipment guidance is informational, but fitting needs hands-on checks. | 25% AI helps |
| Confer with coaches to select protective equipment. AI can compare equipment options; choice still needs fitting and coach talks. | 25% AI helps |
| Evaluate athletes' readiness to play and provide participation clearances when necessary and warranted. Clearance needs in-person exam and legal accountability for athlete safety. | 15% Needs a person |
| 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. Hands-on palpation and live clinical judgement with injured athletes. | 12% Needs a person |
| Perform team support duties, such as running errands, maintaining equipment, or stocking supplies. Mostly physical errands, equipment upkeep, and stocking supplies. | 8% Needs a person |
| Inspect playing fields to locate any items that could injure players. Physical inspection of fields for hazards on site. | 6% Needs a person |
| Care for athletic injuries, using physical therapy equipment, techniques, or medication. Hands-on physical treatment with equipment and techniques on the body. | 5% Needs a person |
| Apply protective or injury preventive devices, such as tape, bandages, or braces, to body parts, such as ankles, fingers, or wrists. Hands-on taping, bandaging, and bracing of body parts. | 4% Needs a person |
| Clean and sanitize athletic training rooms. Physical cleaning and sanitizing of a room. | 3% Needs a person |
| Lead stretching exercises for team members prior to games or practices. Leading physical stretching sessions in person with athletes. | 3% Needs a person |
| Travel with athletic teams to be available at sporting events. Physical travel and on-site presence at sporting events. | 2% Needs a person |
| Massage body parts to relieve soreness, strains, or bruises. Manual massage requires physical hands-on contact with the body. | 2% Needs a person |
| Accompany injured athletes to hospitals. Physically accompanying injured athletes to hospital settings. | 2% Needs a person |
How athletic trainers compare
All occupations (923)
Healthcare practitioners and technical (89)
Pay and outlook in the US
- Median pay
- $62,520 a year, May 2025
- People employed
- 30,500 in the US, May 2025
- Projected change in jobs
- +12.7% from 2024 to 2034
Skills to build
- Hold the BOC Athletic Trainer Certified (ATC) credential
- Tape, brace, and bandage ankles, wrists, and fingers manually
- Tailor AI-drafted training plans in BioEx Systems Exercise Pro
- Verify progress reports in Microsoft Word before sending to physicians
- Accompany injured athletes to hospitals and emergency departments
Safer roles nearby
5 related occupations with lower scores.
Questions about athletic trainers and AI
Will AI replace athletic trainers?
Partly. About 3 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly record keeping and insurance claims. Hands-on care stays with athletic trainers because injuries need a trained person in the room to assess, tape, and treat the body.
Which athletic trainer tasks is AI taking over?
Administrative work is taking over first. General administrative tasks have an exposure score of 75, covering record keeping and report writing, since these are routine text and data work. Insurance claims follow at 65, because claim forms and routine insurer correspondence are largely templated paperwork.
Which athletic trainer tasks stay human?
Taping, bracing, and bandaging score 4 on exposure, one of the lowest scores in the job, because they need hands on a body part. Massage and accompanying injured athletes to hospitals score 2, since manual contact and physical presence need a person on site.
How can athletic trainers stay valuable as AI spreads?
Check every AI-drafted progress report in Microsoft Word before it reaches coaches or physicians. Use BioEx Systems Exercise Pro to tailor AI-generated training plans to each athlete. Keep hands-on skills current through taping and rehabilitation work, since those tasks stay with people.
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