Athletic Trainers vs Orthotists and Prosthetists: $63K vs $81K Median Pay

Athletic Trainers vs Orthotists and Prosthetists: what changes?

Consider Athletic Trainers if you want to evaluate and treat musculoskeletal injuries or illnesses. Consider Orthotists and Prosthetists if you would rather design, measure, fit, and adapt orthopedic braces, appliances or prostheses, such as limbs or facial parts for patients with disabling conditions. Both list master's degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Athletic Trainers and Orthotists and Prosthetists. 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

Orthotists and Prosthetists

National median pay (2025): $81,110
Route into the job: Master's degree; Internship or residency follows qualifying education. Check its duration, pay, and licensing requirements
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: Internship or residency follows qualifying education. Check its duration, pay, and licensing requirements.
Work to investigate: Fit, test, and evaluate devices on patients, and make adjustments for proper fit, function, and comfort.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 700

Know before you choose

Training continues through internship/residency after the degree path.

See the full Orthotists and Prosthetists brief

How the national numbers differ

Athletic Trainers has the edge on annual openings

Athletic Trainers is at 2,400 annual openings, compared with 700 annual openings for Orthotists and Prosthetists.

Orthotists and Prosthetists has the edge on median pay

Orthotists and Prosthetists is at $81,110, compared with $62,520 for Athletic Trainers.

Orthotists and Prosthetists has the edge on projected growth

Orthotists and Prosthetists is at 12.9% projected growth, compared with 12.7% projected growth for Athletic Trainers.

51.8/ 100

Athletic Trainers

51.1/ 100

Orthotists and Prosthetists

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 Orthotists and Prosthetists

Dimension	Athletic Trainers	Orthotists and Prosthetists
Median pay (2025)	$62,520	$81,110
Pay percentile	52.4 percentile	73.5 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	12.7%	12.9%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	2,400	700
2025 employment	35,200	9,500
How you qualify	Master's degree	Master's degree; Internship or residency follows qualifying education. Check its duration, pay, and licensing requirements
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.	Internship or residency follows qualifying education. Check its duration, pay, and licensing requirements.

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 Orthotists and Prosthetists brief

Athletic Trainers vs Orthotists and Prosthetists: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Athletic Trainers

Orthotists and Prosthetists

How the national numbers differ

Athletic Trainers has the edge on annual openings

Orthotists and Prosthetists has the edge on median pay

Orthotists and Prosthetists has the edge on projected growth

Athletic Trainers vs Orthotists and Prosthetists

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