107 New Athletic Trainer Jobs — Monday, September 28, 2026 - Is Indeed Burying AT Jobs?

Sep 28

9 min read

107 new Athletic Trainer job postings hit the board this week, and salary transparency rebounded a bit.

69 of the 107 postings, about 64 percent, included real compensation. That's considerably better than last week, but it still means more than one out of every three postings is keeping you in the dark.

There are some solid opportunities in this group despite hiring slowing down.

UC San Diego is approaching $100,000 for a Division I Men's Basketball assignment. An Oregon high school position reaches more than $90,000 when annualized over its 240-day contract and includes PERS retirement. WorkCare is paying $38 to $46 an hour for a Monday-Friday industrial role. And there is a collegiate position in Texas paying $62,000 to $75,000 that is open to ATs without previous experience.

On the uglier side, Then there's a seasonal Minor League Baseball position paying $15 an hour.

We'll get to that.

The bigger conversation this week came from an employer I spoke with who let me know some of the challenges they were having with Indeed. Indeed changed their algorithm to try to force companies into paying large sums to have their jobs show up in search. This employer couldn't find their own free Athletic Trainer postings on Indeed, even when searching the position and exact location.

That makes what we are doing with Athletic Trainer Finder that much more important: when we search for Athletic Trainer jobs on other sites, we aren't actually seeing the AT job market.

Certified Athletic Trainer | WorkCare

Flagstaff, AZ | $38–$46/hour

A full-time industrial position paying $38 to $46 an hour with a consistent Monday-Friday schedule and no travel.

At 40 hours per week, that's roughly $79,000 to $95,700 annually.

This is why industrial continues to be difficult for some traditional athletic training settings to compete with.

The job focuses on injury prevention, OSHA first aid, ergonomics, worker education and return-to-work management at a manufacturing site.

Flagstaff is not a particularly cheap market, but the combination of compensation and schedule still makes this worth a look.

I would want to understand the clinical autonomy of the AT at the site, what medical oversight looks like, and exactly how the employer defines success in the injury-prevention program.

Athletic Trainer | Centennial School District

Gresham, OR | $34.26–$47.42/hour | 240-Day Contract

This is one of the better secondary school postings this week.

Centennial is offering an eight-hour-per-day, 240-day Athletic Trainer position with PERS retirement, medical coverage and paid leave.

At the posted hourly rate, the contract annualizes to roughly $65,800 to $91,000.

More importantly, the posting reads like an actual healthcare position: injury assessment, rehabilitation, emergency care, concussion management and emergency action planning are all part of the role.

The question is how the eight-hour day works once athletics moves into the evening.

If you're working during the school day and then covering a 7:00 PM event, where do those hours go?

If the district has a good answer to that, this is a very solid secondary school opportunity.

Traveling Certified Athletic Trainer | Athletic Training Solutions

Nationwide | $65,000–$93,000

This one is going to depend entirely on where you are in life.

The position can require up to 75 percent travel.

For some ATs, that's an immediate no.

For somebody who has the flexibility to travel, however, a salary that can reach $93,000 makes it worth looking at.

The biggest thing I would want to understand is what 75 percent travel actually looks like in practice. Are assignments weeks long? Months long? How often are you coming home? How much notice do you receive before being sent somewhere else?

Travel should come with a premium.

If an employer needs you to repeatedly relocate or spend significant time away from home, the compensation should reflect the inconvenience.

This range at least starts that conversation.

Athletic Trainer | Baylor Scott & White / Trinity Valley Community College

Athens, TX | $62,000–$75,000

If you're a newer AT who wants collegiate athletics, this one deserves a look.

The role is primarily focused on NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball, with additional athletic training room responsibilities during the offseason.

The salary is $62,000 to $75,000.

And here's the part that stands out:

No previous experience is required.

We regularly see collegiate postings asking for several years of experience while offering salaries in the low $50,000s. Here you have an employer willing to bring in someone earlier in their career while still putting a reasonably competitive salary range on the position.

That's a much better entry point into collegiate athletics than asking someone to take $45,000 because they need to "get experience."

Athletic Trainer | Men's Basketball | UC San Diego

La Jolla, CA | $90,000–$98,184

The best collegiate number of the week, by a lot. Career appointment, union contract, Division I, dedicated sport.

Now the caveat. La Jolla is one of the most expensive zip codes in the country. $98,000 in San Diego lives more like the high $50s or low $60s in most of the Midwest. Go in with your eyes open on housing... it's expensive!

Even so, this is what a D-I number looks like when a school attemptsto price its market.

Ask about summer and off-season expectations, any secondary coverage beyond men's basketball, what support staff you'd have, and how UC retirement works for this appointment. The filing deadline is October 12.

FEATURED POSTINGS THIS WEEK

★ Clinical Athletic Trainer (Physician Extender) | Recruitment Accelerator Employer

Minnesota | $62,800–$78,600 annually

I spoke with the hiring team this week about a Clinical Athletic Trainer opening within an orthopedic department, and this is one of those roles where the actual opportunity is better than the job posting initially makes it look.

This is a physician extender position working directly with two orthopedic surgeons.

The AT in this role will take patient histories, perform orthopedic exams, assist with procedures, coordinate imaging and physical therapy orders, provide post-operative care, fit DME, cast and splint, assist with ultrasound-guided injections, and work alongside the physicians throughout the patient visit.

This is not simply rooming patients and turning over exam rooms.

What stood out to me:

A more predictable schedule

The role is primarily built around a traditional orthopedic clinic schedule, roughly 8:00–5:00, with limited nights and weekends.

There is some sports coverage, but it is shared across a larger Athletic Training staff. The expectation is only a handful of games per person rather than the type of nightly coverage schedule many ATs are used to.

There are also potential paid outreach opportunities for those interested in additional coverage.

Potential OR opportunities

The organization is actively working toward creating opportunities for its Athletic Trainers to work alongside surgeons in the operating room.

The position already includes surgical assistance as assigned, and there is interest in continuing to expand that part of the AT role.

For someone looking to build a career in orthopedics, that is a pretty interesting opportunity.

The salary range needs some context

The posted starting range is:

$30.21–$37.77/hourApproximately $62,800–$78,600 annually

But the upper end of that posted range is not the ceiling of the position.

The full pay scale extends to approximately $95,000 annually, leaving room for continued financial advancement within the role.

The hiring team also indicated that experience matters and that they are willing to advocate for strong, experienced candidates during the hiring process.

You still report through Athletic Training

This was something I specifically wanted to understand.

The ATs working in the orthopedic clinic remain under Athletic Training leadership rather than being absorbed into a completely separate clinical structure.

The organization is intentionally trying to grow its Athletic Training program and create opportunities based on what its ATs are interested in pursuing.

That matters.

If you are moving from a traditional setting into the physician-practice world, you are still joining a department that understands Athletic Training and is looking at ways to expand the role rather than simply using an AT to fill a generic clinical position.

Who might this be a fit for?

An Athletic Trainer who wants to:

• Transition into the physician-practice setting• Develop deeper orthopedic experience• Continue performing evaluations and hands-on patient care• Work directly alongside orthopedic surgeons• Potentially gain operating-room experience• Have a more predictable weekday schedule• Find a role with room for professional and financial growth

Location: Minnesota

Starting Pay: $30.21–$37.77/hour

Annualized: Approximately $62,800–$78,600

Pay Scale: Extends to approximately $95,000

Schedule: Primarily daytime clinic hours

Experience: 1–3 years preferred

Benefits include medical, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, tuition reimbursement, employer-paid short- and long-term disability, and additional benefits.

If this sounds like something you would seriously consider, reach out to me directly.

I can give you the full details, answer questions about what I learned from the employer, and connect qualified candidates directly with the hiring team.

That is the point of the AT Finder Recruitment Accelerator: helping Athletic Trainers understand the opportunity behind the posting before deciding whether it is worth pursuing.

★ Industrial Athletic Trainer | Recruitment Accelerator Employer

Northwest Ohio | $65,000–$75,000 | Full-Time, 4×10 Schedule

AT Finder is working directly with an employer in Northwest Ohio to recruit an athletic trainer for a full-time industrial position.

The schedule is one of the biggest selling points: 40 hours per week across four 10-hour days. The employer is targeting $65,000–$75,000, giving interested athletic trainers a solid compensation range in a relatively affordable part of the country.

The position includes 15 days of paid time off, accrued at 10 hours per month beginning with employment. Continuing education reimbursement is negotiable, and I’m encouraging candidates to look at the entire package and tell me what they would need for the position to make sense for them.

There is also a separate 20-hour-per-week opportunity available for an athletic trainer interested in part-time industrial work in the area.

If the compensation, four-day schedule, industrial setting, or Northwest Ohio location catches your attention, reach out to me and I can give you more information.

And if you like most of what you see but there’s something that would need to change before you’d seriously consider the position, tell me that too. That conversation is part of what the Recruitment Accelerator is built around.

Interested? Reply directly to this newsletter or contact me at atcfinder@gmail.com

Worth Calling Out This Week

2027 Minor League Assistant Athletic Trainer | Boston Red Sox

Various Minor League Affiliates | $15/hour + Housing Stipend

Yes.

$15 an hour... again

The Boston Red Sox are hiring seasonal Assistant Athletic Trainers for the 2027 Minor League season.

Applicants must either already be Certified Athletic Trainers or be enrolled in a CAATE-accredited program and eligible for the BOC exam. The role includes injury management, rehabilitation, athlete monitoring, documentation and the other responsibilities you would expect inside a professional baseball medical operation.

There is a housing stipend, and there are legitimate professional development opportunities attached to working within an MLB organization.

I understand why somebody who wants professional baseball badly enough might take this job.

But let's also call the compensation what it is.

$15 an hour for credentialed healthcare work.

The logo may be valuable to you.

The experience may be valuable to you.

That doesn't mean your labor isn't valuable too.

If you take this one, consider taking the higher salary at Chick-fil-A to help pay the bills.

What's Worth Noting This Week:

Are You Actually Seeing All the AT Jobs?

I had a conversation with an employer this week that caught me a little off guard.

They have Athletic Trainer positions posted on Indeed, but told me their free postings weren't showing up when they searched for them — even when they searched the job and exact location.

So I did a little digging.

Indeed has changed how free postings work. Employers posting directly to Indeed are now limited to three free postings per month, and those postings are eligible for free visibility for up to 30 days. Indeed also makes it pretty clear that sponsored jobs receive greater visibility and are prioritized over free jobs in relevant search results.

Basically, employers can still post jobs for free.

That doesn't necessarily mean you're going to see them.

And that got me thinking about this from our side.

When I search Indeed for "Athletic Trainer," I think I'm seeing the Athletic Trainer jobs that are available.

I'm guessing most of you probably assume the same thing.

But are we?

If employers with legitimate openings aren't able to find their own postings when searching for them, how would we know those jobs exist?

This is exactly why I've built Athletic Trainer Finder the way I have.

And to be clear, employers can pay for visibility on AT Finder too. That's part of how I keep the platform going.

The difference is what happens when you don't pay.

A Featured Job gets more exposure. It gets highlighted on the site, included in places where more ATs will see it, and gets more attention than a standard listing.

But I will never algorithmically bury a legitimate AT job because an employer didn't pay me.

I don't think that serves us.

I've tracked thousands of AT jobs because I want us to have a place where we can actually see our own job market.

Show me the $45,000 job.

Show me the $90,000 job.

Show me the employer that has been trying to hire for six months.

Show me the jobs in settings I didn't even realize were hiring ATs.

Show me the salary.

Give me the information and let me decide.

That's really what AT Finder has become.

It's not just another place for employers to post jobs. It's a place built specifically for our profession where the goal is to make the AT job market more transparent.

Employers can pay to stand out.

They shouldn't have to pay just to exist.

And Athletic Trainers shouldn't have to wonder how many opportunities they never knew were out there.

The AT Finder Talent Network is free for athletic trainers and always will be. Create your profile at atcfinder.app.

Until next week — stop looking, start finding.

VISIT OUR JOB BOARD TO SEE THIS WEEK'S JOBS