Know (AND Show) Your Worth as an Athletic Trainer
Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth
Zig Ziglar
Somewhere along the way, asking for more money as an Athletic Trainer became taboo...signaling that we were in it for the wrong reasons, didn’t love our work, didn’t care about our athletes, or weren’t passionate about the profession.
Schools we worked for told us we should be proud to be a **insert team name here**
Pro teams told us we were lucky to be trusted with athletes of that caliber
Companies told us that if money was our main objective, they didn’t want someone like us working for them
More experienced ATs told us, “you knew what you were getting into!”
I don’t know when or how things got like this, but what I DO know is that we are deserving of being paid our worth!
The time, heart, and soul ATs pour into our work deserves compensation as well as recognition.
I'm sharing some strategies that have helped my colleagues and I negotiate raises, bonuses, hours, and starting salaries at new jobs. I know that not all of these will apply to every setting, or feel feasible for every AT, but I hope you find the one that works for you!
Document Everything
From hours in the ATR to treatments completed, your workload may sneakily increase from year-to-year. This might be due to good things, like a supportive new coach, compliant athletes, and an interest in pre-hab, or as a result of random things like schedule changes or the addition of a sport or team.
Chances are the increased workload didn't come with an increased salary if your title didn't change, but by documenting things that your AD isn't tracking, you can make a stronger case for more than a cost-of-living raise at your next annual review.
Add On A Specialty Cert
While I'm not an advocate of collecting certifications just to have an alphabet soup after your name, many job settings have a structure in place for a raise and/or bonus if an AT has additional certifications that they feel are of value to their patients or athletes.
These are also often resume builders that can increase your starting salary at the next job. If you're interested in a specialty cert, this is worth a conversation with your supervisor. (It's also worth asking if they will pay for your study materials/exam fee!) Just be sure to pick something that has value in your current job setting, will continue to help you on your chosen career path, and that you are truly interested in!
Utilize the AMCIA
Completing this worksheet, which helps to identify needs and goals when it comes to student-athlete healthcare, is a great way to show administrators the demand on you and your staff.
Utilization of the AMCIA as part of an overall department assessment can provide the short-term result of increased compensation for the work being done. In the long-term, it can be used to justify additional positions being added to more appropriately disperse the workload, leading to improved work-life balance.
Show Them The Money
One of the worst things I heard in the PT setting was that when ATs can't bill insurance for services, we aren't directly bringing money in - and therefore are "worth" less to the company. Something I wish I had tracked instead of just verbalized is the difference in outcomes for a PT with an experienced AT partner - more patients seen because they were working together as a trusted team, and patients who stayed in PT for longer (sometimes even paying fee-for-service when insurance cut them off) because the AT was able to take them through advanced return to sport while the PT focused on newer, more acute cases.
Track Your "Secondary" Accomplishments
Here I'm referring to anything non-patient facing that will improve your company or program. While you may having standing secondary duties - say, inventory and ordering, what about the project-based work you've taken upon yourself that isn't a consistent part of your job description? You may be able to negotiate a bonus for completed projects, or a raise for an upcoming project. A few from my past:
Updating overall policies and specific protocols according to position statements/evidence-based research
Spearheading an EMR transition
Training and mentoring new hires
A Few More Things:
Be prepared to discuss what a competitive salary looks like for your position, setting, and experience level.
Encourage transparency among colleagues when it comes to salary.
If your request is denied, clarify what exactly it would take for you to earn what you are seeking.
Put everything in writing - both your requests and your supervisor's expectations/negotiations etc - to put yourself in the best position to negotiate next year.
If you're interested, ask about growth opportunities.
Be your own advocate!
Suggestions from other ATs:
After I initially posted this on Instagram, a few ATs DM’d and commented with strategies that have worked for them, so I want to share those with you as well.
“Screenshot all PRN/gig postings you come across for your area that list the pay, even if you can’t work them. I’ve gotten multiple events to bump their rates up simply by providing documentation of what other events are paying.” - Jessica
“I really think we should have required courses in things like billing and coding. I know that we don’t always bill for services, but now that I am having someone help me put together meaningful data behind what I am doing as the only ATC in the state of PA to work with public safety - it is amazing the amount of money my services are worth (cost avoidance/cost saving). If we could accurately understand and portray what we do, then we would have a better leg to stand on when negotiating salaries, benefits, etc.” - Ann
This post has been updated for 2024 NATM, in hopes that it helps you whether you are preparing to negotiate next year’s salary, or looking to make your next career move.
