109 New Athletic Trainer Jobs — Monday, August 3, 2026 - The Hiring Window Is Closing. That May Give ATs More Leverage.

109 new athletic trainer jobs this week. The board continues to lean heavily toward college athletics, with 41.5% of this week’s postings coming from colleges and universities — the highest collegiate share of the year.

But the more important story may be the calendar. Fall sports are approaching. Preseason is beginning. Some institutions are still trying to fill positions they expected to have staffed weeks ago. That does not mean every employer suddenly has unlimited money. It does mean qualified athletic trainers may have more leverage than they realize.

This is the point in the hiring cycle when candidates should be asking direct questions about salary placement, staffing, schedules, sign-on bonuses, and what the job will actually look like once the season begins. The Minnesota Frost are also on the board this week, becoming the fifth PWHL franchise to post an AT position with a transparent salary range. Detroit, Las Vegas, San Jose, Seattle, and now Minnesota. The league is establishing a pattern of pay transparency is worth recognizing.

The AT Finder Talent Network also crossed 100 athletic trainers this week. Employers have now started reaching out specifically because they want access to the network — not simply because they want another place to post a job. The market is moving.

Let’s get into the picks.

★ Athletic Trainer (6 Openings)  |  Sentara Healthcare — Portsmouth Public Schools

Portsmouth, VA  |  $51,000–$85,000 (Annual)

Sentara Healthcare is hiring six full-time Athletic Trainers for a newly awarded contract at Portsmouth Public Schools — each position serving as the sole AT at an assigned middle or high school. This is a 12-month employment structure with full medical benefits. The benefit package here is genuinely comprehensive: $400 per month in student loan repayment up to $10,000 total, 3% 401(k)/403(b) match, Medbridge subscription for CEUs, tuition reimbursement, 2.5 weeks of paid vacation, 4 weeks of paid parental leave, the ability to sell back unused earned time off at your hourly rate, an annual $250 wellness Visa gift card, a holiday bonus, annual performance raises, and market rate adjustments. The student loan repayment structure alone is one of the more unusual employer benefits on this board all year. Portsmouth runs close to the national average on cost of living. Ask about supply budgets, physician oversight structure, and how the middle school ATs coordinate with the high school staff.

★ Head Athletic Trainer — Hampton Roads Soccer Complex  |  Sentara Health

Virginia Beach, VA  |  $51,000–$85,000 (Annual)

An unusual and genuinely interesting setting — a 24-field soccer complex in Virginia Beach covering athletes from age 4 through 55+, multiple sports leagues year-round, two major annual tournaments including the North American Sand Soccer Championships, and 10 hours per week in a PT clinic. The scope is broader than a traditional sideline AT role and includes weekend tournament coverage as a core expectation. The same Sentara benefit structure applies: student loan repayment, 401(k)/403(b) match, Medbridge, tuition reimbursement, paid parental leave, and the time sellback option. Virginia Beach runs slightly above the national average on cost of living. The honest caveat is the schedule — weeknight practice coverage and weekend tournament events are core to the role.

Athletic Trainer — School Based  | Intermountain Health

Salt Lake City, UT | $26.74–$41.28/hr ($55,619–$85,862 Annually)

Full-time school-based placement within the Intermountain Health network — a hybrid schedule structure that provides flexibility uncommon in traditional secondary school AT roles. The ceiling at $41.28/hr converts to $85,862 annually. Salt Lake City runs roughly 15–20% above the national average on cost of living, more manageable than other western markets. Confirm full benefit eligibility at this position’s hours before evaluating total compensation. Ask how many schools or sites you would cover, what the hybrid schedule actually looks like in practice, and what weekend event coverage expectations are.

Athletic Trainer / Assistant Athletic Director  | Washington Central Unified Union School District

Montpelier, VT | $64,678–$82,039 (Annual)

A dual administrative and clinical role at U-32 Middle/High School in East Montpelier — Head Athletic Trainer and Assistant Athletic Director combined into one full-time position. The scope includes emergency action planning, concussion management, budget oversight, and athletic department administration alongside traditional AT clinical duties. The $64,678–$82,039 range is strong for a Vermont school district role. Vermont runs above the national average on cost of living but remains considerably more manageable than coastal markets. No retirement disclosure listed — ask specifically about Vermont Municipal Employees Retirement System eligibility, as that designation would add meaningful long-term value. BOC certification and Vermont licensure required.

Assistant Athletic Trainer  | Minnesota Frost — PWHL

St. Paul, MN | $60,000–$65,000 (Annual)

The Minnesota Frost are the fifth PWHL franchise to post an AT role with a transparent salary range this year. Detroit, Las Vegas, San Jose, Seattle, and now Minnesota. The league is building a compensation transparency record that is worth tracking. Full-time, 3–5 years of elite hockey experience required, BOC or CATA certification required, Minnesota licensure required. St. Paul runs close to the national average on cost of living. No retirement or bonus disclosure listed — ask specifically. The road trip travel schedule and off-season expectations are the most important operational questions before accepting.

Assistant Athletic Trainer — Women’s Tennis  | The University of Mississippi

Oxford, MS | $51,605–$77,397 (Annual)

SEC Women’s Tennis coverage at Ole Miss — a full scholarship program with a competitive national profile. Oxford, Mississippi runs well below the national average on cost of living and $77,397 is meaningful purchasing power there. The salary ceiling is the strongest argument for this role in the collegiate picks this week. No retirement or bonus disclosure for a state university — Mississippi Public Employees Retirement System eligibility is worth confirming. BOC certification and flexible scheduling including weekends required.

Worth Calling Out This Week

Assistant Director, Athletic Training  | University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY | $52,021–$85,800 (Annual)

The University of Kentucky is offering $52,021–$85,800 for an Assistant Director of Athletic Training. This is an SEC program hiring for a leadership position with supervisory and administrative responsibility.

The ceiling is not competitive for the title. An Assistant Director at a Power Four institution should be a six-figure position. Cost of living does not justify a salary structure that allows a leadership hire to begin near $52,000 and never reach $90,000. Prestige does not pay a mortgage, and a bigger logo should not require an athletic trainer to discount their credential.

What's Worth Noting This Week:

Fall sports are approaching, and many employers still have positions to fill.

At this stage of the summer, an open athletic training position is no longer an abstract future need. Practices are beginning. Physicals need to be reviewed. Emergency action plans need to be updated. Coaches want answers. Athletes are arriving. The vacancy is becoming an operational problem.

That changes the hiring conversation. It does not mean every candidate can demand any salary they want. It does mean athletic trainers should stop treating the posted range as the end of the discussion. Ask where the employer actually expects to hire within the range. Ask whether there is a sign-on bonus. Ask whether relocation assistance is available. Ask whether the schedule, sport assignment, or start date can be adjusted.

Ask what work has accumulated while the position has been vacant — and whether you will be expected to absorb it immediately. Most importantly, do not allow an employer’s urgency to become your emergency.

A rushed hiring process can make it tempting to accept quickly, overlook vague answers, or assume the schedule will work itself out. Get the expectations in writing before you resign, relocate, or commit your family to a major change.

This is also why the AT Finder Talent Network matters. More than 100 athletic trainers have now created profiles, and employers are beginning to approach the network directly. Instead of an AT submitting an application into a crowded system and waiting, employers can identify candidates whose preferences already align with the opportunity.

That does not eliminate negotiation. It improves the candidate’s starting position. Employers still hiring in August need qualified athletic trainers. Qualified athletic trainers should understand the value of that timing. Have you ever negotiated a better salary, schedule, or benefit because an employer needed someone quickly?

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.