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AI Automation Index
Will AI Replace Athletic Trainers?
Task-level automation exposure for Athletic Trainers: 23 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.
E-E-A-T Verified
Developed & audited by Gini Loh Automation Exposure
39%
weighted task index
23 of 23 tasks scored
Median Salary
$62,520 / year
BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation
Employment Level
Medium
30,500 people hold this job — size, not growth
Projected 2025–35
+12.7%
employment change
2,400 openings a year · BLS line item
Pay by state
BLS OEWS publishes 50 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.
$46,940 – $78,490
Highest medians
California $78,490
Hawaii $76,320
New Jersey $76,210
District of Columbia $74,450
New Mexico $72,440
Lowest medians
Alabama $46,940
West Virginia $50,510
Iowa $55,430
North Carolina $56,540
Arkansas $57,240
State figures come from the 29-9091 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.
What the score is made of
Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.
Automation potential 39%
Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.
Physical work 21%
Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.
Judgment & influence 68%
Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.
Routine administration 8%
Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.
Rewritten by O*NET 0%
Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.
Consequence of error 44/100
Moderate
O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.
Constituent Task Mix
23 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.
High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 21%
5 tasks
Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 43%
10 tasks
Low exposure (below 35%) 35%
8 tasks
How would you survive?
Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.
Simulate Upskilling →Emerging & rewritten tasks
Tasks O*NET added or rewrote for this occupation in its recent updates (05/2025 – 08/2026), with who proposed them. Additions are not in the scored task inventory — they are new work O*NET is still measuring, so they appear here and nowhere in the index. A Revision replaces a task that is scored, which is why only those move the "Rewritten by O*NET" share.
- New 08/2021 · Incumbent
Develop emergency action plans for sports facilities.
Constituent Tasks
#4221 · Core · 55% automatable
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.
decision support — Treatment goals need clinical accountability and context
Analyze patient data to determine patient needs or treatment goals.
#4225 · Core · 53% automatable
Assess and report the progress of recovering athletes to coaches or physicians.
data analysis — Outcome analysis from records, clinician interprets
Evaluate patient outcomes to determine effectiveness of treatments. Inform medical professionals regarding patient conditions and care.
#4222 · Core · 14% automatable
Care for athletic injuries, using physical therapy equipment, techniques, or medication.
physical manipulation — Diagnostic instruments applied to patients by hand
Operate diagnostic or therapeutic medical instruments or equipment. Treat patients using physical therapy techniques.
#4223 · Core · 50% automatable
Evaluate athletes' readiness to play and provide participation clearances when necessary and warranted.
decision support — Treatment goals need clinical accountability and context
Evaluate patient functioning, capabilities, or health. Analyze patient data to determine patient needs or treatment goals.
#18691 · Core · 67% automatable
Perform general administrative tasks, such as keeping records or writing reports.
data analysis — Facility records need human verification and compliance
Prepare reports summarizing patient diagnostic or care activities. Maintain medical facility records. Perform clerical work in medical settings.
#23925 · Core · 8% automatable
Clean and sanitize athletic training rooms.
physical manipulation — Physical cleaning of work areas
Clean facilities or equipment. Maintain clean work areas.
#4231 · Core · 60% automatable
Instruct coaches, athletes, parents, medical personnel, or community members in the care and prevention of athletic injuries.
decision support — General regimens good; individual assessment needs human
Advise athletes, coaches, or trainers on exercise regimens, nutrition, or equipment use.
#4224 · Core · 6% automatable
Apply protective or injury preventive devices, such as tape, bandages, or braces, to body parts, such as ankles, fingers, or wrists.
physical manipulation — Applying bandages and splints needs manual dexterity
Apply bandages, dressings, or splints.
#4226 · Core · 48% automatable
Collaborate with physicians to develop and implement comprehensive rehabilitation programs for athletic injuries.
decision support — AI drafts programs; trainer assesses client and adjusts
Develop exercise or conditioning programs. Collaborate with healthcare professionals to plan or provide treatment.
#4230 · Core · 4% automatable
Travel with athletic teams to be available at sporting events.
situated mobility — Hands-on accompaniment and assistance in the world
Accompany patients or clients on outings to provide assistance. Accompany individuals or groups to activities.
#4228 · Core · 55% automatable
Plan or implement comprehensive athletic injury or illness prevention programs.
decision support — AI drafts programs; trainer assesses client and adjusts
Develop exercise or conditioning programs.
#4232 · Core · 22% automatable
Inspect playing fields to locate any items that could injure players.
visual inspection — Workplace safety inspection needs on-site presence
Inspect work environments to ensure safety.
#4227 · Core · 60% automatable
Advise athletes on the proper use of equipment.
decision support — General regimens good; individual assessment needs human
Advise athletes, coaches, or trainers on exercise regimens, nutrition, or equipment use.
#4236 · Core · 55% automatable
Confer with coaches to select protective equipment.
interpersonal — Safety consultation involves accountability and human dialogue
Consult with others regarding safety or health equipment or facilities.
#4229 · Core · 55% automatable
Develop training programs or routines designed to improve athletic performance.
decision support — AI drafts programs; trainer assesses client and adjusts
Develop exercise or conditioning programs.
#4235 · Core · 10% automatable
Massage body parts to relieve soreness, strains, or bruises.
physical manipulation — Alternative procedures are hands-on
Treat patients using alternative medical procedures.
#4237 · Core · 4% automatable
Accompany injured athletes to hospitals.
situated mobility — Hands-on accompaniment and assistance in the world
Accompany patients or clients on outings to provide assistance. Accompany individuals or groups to activities.
#4239 · Core · 40% automatable
Lead stretching exercises for team members prior to games or practices.
decision support — General regimens good; individual assessment needs human
Teach exercise or fitness techniques. Advise athletes, coaches, or trainers on exercise regimens, nutrition, or equipment use.
#4233 · Core · 35% automatable
Conduct research or provide instruction on subject matter related to athletic training or sports medicine.
information retrieval — Literature review aided; wet-lab and clinical research human
Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues. Train medical providers.
#4234 · Core · 60% automatable
Recommend special diets to improve athletes' health, increase their stamina, or alter their weight.
decision support — General regimens good; individual assessment needs human
Advise athletes, coaches, or trainers on exercise regimens, nutrition, or equipment use.
#18692 · Supplemental · 72% automatable
File athlete insurance claims and communicate with insurance providers.
data analysis — Medical billing coded and processed; human audits denials
Process medical billing information.
#18693 · Supplemental · 30% automatable
Teach sports medicine courses to athletic training students.
interpersonal — Provider training is clinical, hands-on, accountable
Train medical providers.
#4238 · Supplemental · 39% automatable
Perform team support duties, such as running errands, maintaining equipment, or stocking supplies.
data analysis — Medical supply inventory records and thresholds automatable
Maintain medical equipment or instruments. Maintain inventory of medical supplies or equipment.
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How this was scored
- 1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
- 2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
- 3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
- 4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.
Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.
Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast
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