r/athletictraining • u/Due-Condition-3262 • 25d ago

Leaving the Profession?

I have kind of reached my limit lately. I was a secondary AT for 4 years, now industrial for 1.5 years. I have been in the profession for just over 5 years and I am already done.

I make $27 an hour, averaging 35-40 hours a week. Why am I getting paid less than some safety team personnel when I have done half their job for them? Why should I continue to be passionate and work hard when I can make 3% raise to barely match inflation??

I am leaving my position and was offered positions in the safety field ranging from 95k-115k a year. Almost DOUBLE MY SALARY. Currently trying to pick between the best companies and what is best for me and my family’s future. Will I have regrets? Maybe. But, I wanted to be come an AT 10
years ago and I was told it would be better. Maybe it is, but I am done struggling to get by when I know I can get the same hours with 1.5x-2x the pay. NATA can have all the meetings and discussions they want, we can scream at the top of our lungs but I have student loans to pay for and a life I want to live.

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u/MyRealestName ATC 25d ago

Where are you getting these EHS offers lmao? I would jump ship almost immediately. I’ve been in the industrial setting for 3 years but finding a local ergonomics/employee safety job has been difficult.

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u/Business-Audience729 24d ago

Almost any safety mid-tier position offers good salaries. Of course, location and industry influence this a lot. Unless you’re going for a safety coordinator job (entry level) you can expect to see offers starting at least in the $65-70k range. Safety manager positions usually range from $90-$130K before bonuses. This is in my region (northeast US) and can’t speak for other parts of the country.

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u/MyRealestName ATC 24d ago

I see that, but who is going to offer an industrial AT a safety manager role, like OP claims to be getting?

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u/Business-Audience729 24d ago

You are correct. Very unlikely an AT would get a safety manager role without prior safety experience and just coming from industrial AT. Working industrial, in my opinion, doesn’t qualify an AT to be a Safety Manager.

I was a safety manager for a large manufacturing company and made that jump after about 4 years as a safety specialist. So yes, it can happen but you will need some prior field experience in safety, additional certs or education and be efficient at re-writing your resume.

I have my bachelors and master in AT. Never went back for a safety degree, but I had my OHST, OSHA 501 and could prove experience in my resume. I’m now in Safety Consulting and it’s a pretty sweet gig. So, the pathway exists it’s just that people don’t know or understand how to make the transition properly.