135 New Athletic Trainer Jobs — Monday, July 20, 2026 - Are colleges starting to use non-certified “interns” to fill athletic training vacancies?

135 new athletic trainer jobs this week.

But one thing outside the board caught my attention.

Within a relatively short period of time, I came across two separate references to small colleges using recent athletic training graduates who had not yet passed the BOC exam in roles being described as “internships.”

I do not know how common this is.

I also do not know exactly how these positions are being structured.

But my suspicion is that at least part of this is being driven by the same issue we talk about every week: employers are struggling to fill athletic training positions and are looking for new ways to keep their programs staffed.

There are some obvious questions that come with that arrangement, especially once someone has graduated and is no longer an athletic training student.

More on that in What’s Worth Noting This Week.

First, let’s get into the board.

One thing I tried to pay closer attention to this week was purchasing power.

A $75,000 salary is not a $75,000 salary everywhere.

Where you live matters. So does your schedule. Your retirement package. Your benefits. Your workload. Your commute. Your ability to actually find affordable housing.

Some of the strongest jobs on this week’s board are not necessarily the ones with the biggest number at the top of the posting.

Here are the positions worth a closer look.

Let’s get into the picks.

Head Athletic Trainer | Eastern Connecticut State University

Willimantic, CT | $91,000–$121,000 (Annual)

This may be the strongest traditional collegiate opportunity on the board this week.

Eastern Connecticut is offering a legitimate six-figure ceiling for a Head Athletic Trainer position in a market where that salary should provide considerably more purchasing power than many of the coastal collegiate jobs we routinely see posted at lower salaries.

The position also comes with the advantages of public university employment, including state retirement options and tuition waivers for employees and eligible dependents within the Connecticut State University system.

Five years of experience and a Master’s degree are required, so this is clearly being compensated as an experienced leadership position rather than simply attaching a Head AT title to an entry-level salary.

The biggest question is staffing.

How many athletic trainers report to this position? How much primary sport coverage does the Head AT still carry? How are nights, weekends, and travel distributed?

At $91,000–$121,000, this is absolutely worth finding out.

Athletic Trainer | Work Right NW

Cedar Rapids, IA | $66,000–$75,000 (Annual)

This is a perfect example of why salary cannot be evaluated without location and schedule.

$66,000–$75,000 in Cedar Rapids carries considerably different purchasing power than the same salary in Boston, Santa Barbara, or the Bay Area.

Then look at the schedule.

Monday through Friday. 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. No weekends listed.

Add employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement matching, paid continuing education, licensure reimbursement, and a sign-on bonus, and this becomes one of the stronger quality-of-life opportunities on the board.

The work is industrial and prevention-focused, centered around early intervention, ergonomics, and reducing workplace injuries.

For an AT who is tired of building their life around nights, weekends, and athletic schedules, this deserves a serious look. Ask whether this is a single-site assignment, how much independence the AT has onsite, and what advancement within the company actually looks like.

Certified Athletic Trainer | FLEX Performance – Las Positas College

Livermore, CA | $75–$80/hour (Part-Time)

The Bay Area is expensive.

$75–$80 per hour is still $75–$80 per hour.

FLEX Performance is guaranteeing 25–29 hours per week providing collegiate athletic training services at Las Positas College, with opportunities for additional event coverage.

What makes this particularly interesting is that the compensation is not standing alone.

The position also includes PTO and sick leave accrual, a 401(k) with company matching, continuing education resources, and reimbursement for licensure and professional fees — benefits that are not always attached to part-time athletic training work.

There will be occasional weekend coverage, and anyone considering the role still needs to run the Bay Area housing numbers carefully.

But employers routinely tell us they cannot find athletic trainers for part-time and nontraditional schedules.

This is what it looks like when the hourly rate starts responding to that reality.

Athletic Trainer – H2F | Cognito Systems

Tacoma, WA | $80,172 (Annual)

The continued expansion of the Army’s Holistic Health and Fitness program continues to create interesting career options for athletic trainers outside of traditional sports.

This Tacoma position comes in just over $80,000 and includes potential relocation assistance, an immediately vested 401(k) employer match, tuition reimbursement, professional development opportunities, and a broader benefits package.

The AT works as part of an interdisciplinary human performance team supporting soldiers through injury prevention, rehabilitation, reconditioning, and performance initiatives.

Tacoma is not a low-cost market, but the compensation-to-location equation is considerably more reasonable than several $70,000-range jobs on this week’s board located in much more expensive areas.

Two years of recent athletic training experience are required.

For an AT interested in moving away from traditional sport coverage while still working with a highly active population, H2F continues to be one of the more significant expanding employment sectors in the profession.

Ask about the actual daily schedule, patient volume, field coverage expectations, and opportunities to advance within the broader H2F program.

Assistant/Associate Athletic Trainer | UC Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA | $71,600–$99,500 (Annual)

An athletic training position at a Division I institution with a hiring range approaching six figures is going to attract attention.

It should.

But this one requires a serious cost-of-living conversation.

Santa Barbara is an exceptionally expensive housing market, and $71,600 there does not represent the same financial opportunity as a similar salary in most parts of the country. This position becomes considerably more compelling the closer a candidate can negotiate toward the upper end of the hiring range.

The opportunity itself still deserves a look, particularly for an AT who wants to work within a Division I sports medicine program and take on additional supervisory and administrative responsibilities.

But before getting too excited about the top of the range, ask two important questions: What sport or team assignment comes with the position, and where would your experience realistically place you within the hiring range?

Then run the housing numbers.

At nearly $100,000, this could be an attractive opportunity.

At $71,600 in Santa Barbara, the math becomes much harder.

VERIFIED ROLES OF THE WEEK

These employers have committed resources to enhancing their job's visibility and confirmed their salary ranges.

Industrial Athletic Trainer  |  Moore Wellness Systems | COVINGTON, VA |  $62,000–$67,000 (Annual) | FT

Industrial Athletic Trainer  |  Moore Wellness Systems | ASTON, PA |  $32-$37 (Hourly)  | PT

What's Worth Noting This Week:

Something caught my attention recently.

In one conversation with a small college, I was told that the institution had hired individuals they referred to as “interns” who had completed their athletic training education but had not yet passed the BOC exam.

Separately, I saw a similar arrangement mentioned in a Facebook comment.

Two examples do not make a trend.

But it was enough to make me start asking questions.

My suspicion is that at least some of this is happening out of necessity.

Small colleges are struggling to fill athletic training positions. The athletes still need care. Practices still happen. Games still happen. And when an institution cannot find another athletic trainer, hiring a recent graduate who is preparing for the BOC exam may feel like a reasonable way to add another set of hands.

I understand why an institution might arrive at that solution.

I am less clear about how the arrangement actually works.

If someone is still an enrolled athletic training student completing supervised clinical education, there is an established structure around that experience.

But once someone has graduated and is no longer a student, what exactly is their status?

Calling someone an “intern” does not automatically define what they are legally or professionally permitted to do.

Are they evaluating injuries? Developing rehabilitation programs? Providing coverage? Making return-to-play decisions?

And that leads to another question I think every athletic trainer should be paying attention to:

What happens to the AT being asked to “supervise” them?

Supervision does not automatically extend your license or scope of practice to someone else. In Virginia, for example, an AT must ensure that unlicensed people under their supervision do not perform functions requiring professional judgment or discretion, and the AT is responsible for their actions. In Ohio, unlicensed personnel cannot perform initial evaluations, plan patient care, or initiate or adjust treatment, and the supervising AT remains accountable for their actions. Ohio law also lists supervising an unauthorized person performing athletic training procedures or aiding unlicensed practice as potential grounds for discipline.

That should make us stop and think.

If your employer tells you they have hired an “intern” to help because they cannot fill another AT position, you need to know exactly what that person is legally permitted to do before agreeing to supervise them.

If something goes wrong, who is responsible?

Does the employer’s liability coverage protect you?

Does your individual professional liability policy cover the arrangement?

And could your own license or certification be at risk if the person you are supervising is performing duties they are not legally authorized to perform?

The answers will vary by state, and some states may have temporary or provisional pathways for recent graduates.

But the title attached to the position does not create a scope of practice.

And necessity does not create one either.

I also want to be clear that I do not think the first assumption should be that these colleges are deliberately trying to put anyone at risk.

My suspicion is the opposite.

They cannot fill their positions.

They are trying to maintain coverage.

They are looking for solutions.

But if the solution to not having enough athletic trainers is asking one credentialed AT to supervise an unlicensed individual performing the work of another AT, that is a conversation this profession needs to have.

I want to hear from the community on this one.

Have you seen colleges or other organizations using this model?

Have you worked in one of these positions or supervised someone in one?

And if so, what were they actually permitted to do?

Because the staffing shortage is real.

But no athletic trainer should unknowingly put their own credential on the line just because an employer decided to call someone an “intern.”

Until next week — stop looking, start finding.