Athletic Trainers vs Nurse Anesthetists: $63K vs $237K Median Pay

Athletic Trainers vs Nurse Anesthetists: what changes?

Consider Athletic Trainers if you want to evaluate and treat musculoskeletal injuries or illnesses. Consider Nurse Anesthetists if you would rather administer anesthesia, monitor patient's vital signs, and oversee patient recovery from anesthesia. Both list master's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Athletic Trainers and Nurse Anesthetists. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Athletic Trainers

National median pay (2025): $62,520
Route into the job: Master's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: 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.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 2,400

Know before you choose

The helping mission includes documentation, direct care, and safety-critical routines where a missed detail can affect a patient.

See the full Athletic Trainers brief

Nurse Anesthetists

National median pay (2025): $236,590
Route into the job: Master's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Manage patients' airway or pulmonary status, using techniques such as endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, pharmacological support, respiratory therapy, and extubation.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 2,400

Know before you choose

Exposure to illness or infection is a recurring part of the work context, even when safety procedures are followed.

See the full Nurse Anesthetists brief

How the national numbers differ

Nurse Anesthetists has the edge on median pay

Nurse Anesthetists is at $236,590, compared with $62,520 for Athletic Trainers.

Athletic Trainers has the edge on projected growth

Athletic Trainers is at 12.7% projected growth, compared with 9.7% projected growth for Nurse Anesthetists.

51.8/ 100

Athletic Trainers

64.5/ 100

Nurse Anesthetists

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Athletic Trainers vs Nurse Anesthetists

Dimension	Athletic Trainers	Nurse Anesthetists
Median pay (2025)	$62,520	$236,590
Pay percentile	52.4 percentile	97.8 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	12.7%	9.7%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	2,400	2,400
2025 employment	35,200	54,500
How you qualify	Master's degree	Master's degree
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 5	Job Zone 5
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Athletic Trainers brief Read Nurse Anesthetists brief

Athletic Trainers vs Nurse Anesthetists: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Athletic Trainers

Nurse Anesthetists

How the national numbers differ

Nurse Anesthetists has the edge on median pay

Athletic Trainers has the edge on projected growth

Athletic Trainers vs Nurse Anesthetists

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