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136 New Athletic Trainer Jobs — Monday, February 23, 2026
- Kyle Peckham
- Feb 23
- 5 min read
Welcome to the 8th edition of the Athletic Trainer Finder Weekly Digest. This is the last newsletter before National Athletic Training Month kicks off, and to celebrate I’m going to start shifting toward more real-time updates. My goal is to update the board throughout the week so you’re seeing jobs as they actually hit the market. It may not be every single day, but I’m committed to making this the most comprehensive and useful tool out there for athletic trainers navigating the job search.
This week we saw one of the major players open their job board to all ATs, signaling greater access and transparency across the profession. Transparency and access to information have been cornerstones of my mission with AT Finder from day one, so it’s encouraging to see movement in that direction.
Across the market, there was a noticeable wave of 2026–27 secondary school roles posted. Some were solid opportunities. Others were much harder to make sense of. A few listings were nothing more than a title and a location with no meaningful details attached. I wasn’t able to include those because there simply wasn’t enough information to evaluate or share responsibly. If we want the profession to move forward, job postings need to reflect real clarity around expectations, structure, and compensation.
I don’t love singling out specific postings, but one this week needed to be addressed. The title read “NATA Certified Athletic Trainer One Year Only (Ends May 2026) @ Sparks High.” We all know certification comes from the Board of Certification, not the NATA. That isn’t a minor typo. That’s a fundamental misunderstanding of how our profession is structured. When you combine that with a coaching stipend classification, a “sedentary” physical demands description for what is clearly a sideline emergency care role, and $19,400 for part-time multi-sport varsity coverage, the disconnect becomes hard to ignore. This isn’t about being dramatic. It’s about recognizing patterns. When an employer doesn’t understand credentialing, scope, and workload, it tends to show up in how the job is designed and valued. There are secondary school roles out there that treat ATs like licensed healthcare professionals. This one doesn’t read like one of them, and I would approach it and others like it with serious caution.
You’ll notice some featured and verified roles this week. Those employers are investing resources to increase visibility within the newsletter. You’ll also see that they appear in a different section than my weekly picks. That’s intentional. My picks are always the top roles I believe in for the week, regardless of feature or verified status. That won’t change.
Let’s get into this week’s picks.
Director of Clinical Services
Stoneham, MA
$95,000–$125,000 (annual)
This is not a sideline role disguised as leadership — it’s a true administrative position overseeing 20+ clinical staff across multiple orthopedic locations. The salary floor is strong and the ceiling supports long-term career growth rather than incremental bumps. The posting outlines responsibility for workflow and operational oversight, which signals actual authority, not ceremonial “director” language. The evaluation point here isn’t pay — it’s how much direct patient care versus management is expected — but structurally this is one of the most senior, stable roles on the board.
Head Athletic Trainer
San Antonio, TX
$79,000 (annual)
A clearly stated $79k salary with a Monday–Friday daytime structure immediately separates this from most secondary postings. The role explicitly references on-site Nurse Practitioners and mental health support, which suggests the AT is part of a staffed system rather than operating solo. The posting also mentions optional PRN shifts for additional income, which creates earning flexibility without inflating the base. The key question is daily volume and campus load, but financially and structurally, this is solid.
Head Athletic Trainer
Alvin, TX
$74,327 (annual)
This reads like a true program lead role with responsibility for supervising the athletic training program and coordinating physician collaboration. The salary is fully transparent and relatively competitive for a Texas ISD head position. It clearly outlines concussion oversight, rehabilitation, and emergency care responsibilities, suggesting full-scope practice. The follow-up question is staffing depth — whether this is solo or supported — but as written, this is a serious district-level role.
Athletic Trainer
Washington, DC
$73,238–$118,227 (annual)
This is one of the more aggressive public-school pay bands posted nationally. The lower end already exceeds what many districts cap at, and the upper end pushes into long-term career territory. The range is wide, which always requires clarification on placement within the band, but the transparency forces that discussion upfront. For a large urban district to publish this range signals recognition of market pressure.
Athletic Trainer
Lexington, IL
$60,000–$85,000 (annual)
This role clearly outlines a split between high school coverage and fitness center responsibilities, rather than burying that detail. The posting references a team of 10 athletic trainers, which reduces the risk of solo overload. Tuition reimbursement and scholarship opportunities are explicitly listed. The salary band is broad, so the interview conversation will matter.
Featured Jobs of the Week
These employers have committed resources to enhancing their job's visibility and confirmed their salary ranges.
Associate Athletic Trainer
Baltimore, MD
$60,000 (annual) + $2,000 sign-on bonus (Baltimore hires)
This role is transparent from the start — a clearly stated $60k base with a defined 9/80 schedule and no nights, weekends, or event coverage. That structure alone separates it from most traditional athletic training roles. The position applies the sports medicine model in an industrial setting, focusing on injury prevention, ergonomic assessment, and return-to-work planning rather than reactive coverage. The base salary sits right at your minimum threshold, so upward mobility and long-term earning potential will matter, but as written, this is a lifestyle-forward role with defined advancement pathways and predictable hours.
Assistant Athletic Trainer
Colby, KS
$46,000–$51,500 (annual)
This is a transparent, full-time 12-month collegiate role with clearly stated compensation and participation in the Kansas state retirement system, which adds long-term structural value beyond base salary alone. In a region where the local living wage sits around $43,000, this range sits just above the area’s cost structure and provides a serviceable standard of living. The position supports 11 varsity sports within the NJCAA and includes relocation assistance, which lowers the barrier for someone open to geographic flexibility. For an AT looking to build hands-on collegiate experience in a stable, community-centered environment, this is a straightforward opportunity with clearly defined expectations. This could be the type of a role that looks more attractive to a newer AT looking to gain more experience rather than a seasoned veteran.
Verified Jobs of the Week
The Following salary ranges have been independently confirmed by the employer
Assistant Athletic Trainer l New Mexico Highlands University l Las Vegas, NM l $50,000–$60,000 (annual)
As we head into National Athletic Training Month, I keep coming back to something simple: access to information changes leverage. When you can clearly see what’s out there, the salaries, the structures, the red flags, the real opportunities, you make better decisions. That’s the point of this platform. Not hype. Not noise. Just clarity. Whether you’re actively applying or just quietly watching the market, stay informed and stay intentional. And as always, until next week, stop looking, start finding.
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