What is Occupational Licensing?
An “occupational license” is, put simply, government permission to work in a particular field. To earn the license, an aspiring worker must clear various hurdles, such as earning a certain amount of education or training or passing an exam. In the 1950s, only one in 20 U.S. workers needed the government’s permission to pursue their chosen occupation. Today, that figure stands at almost one in four.
Athletic Trainer Occupational Licensing
License required in 49 states
3rd most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations
Average Fee for License:$546
What They Do
Athletic trainers evaluate and advise athletes to assist them in recovering from injury, avoiding injury or maintaining peak physical fitness.
Athletic Trainer Licensing Overview
Forty-nine states (more than half of states) require a licence to work as an Athletic Trainer. On average, these laws require $546 in fees, 1,460 days of education and about 1 exam. Athletic Trainer Licenses have the 3rd most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied.
Where is an Athletic Trainer the most regulated?
Out of the 49 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Athletic Trainer has the highest burden in Washington. Washington requires $505 in fees, 1 exams, no experience, and 4 years & 7 clock hours education.
Where is an Athletic Trainer the least regulated?
Out of the 49 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Athletic Trainer has the lowest burden in Missouri. Missouri requires $415 in fees, 1 exams, no experience, and 4 years education.
Where is an Athletic Trainer license the most expensive?
An occupational license for a Athletic Trainer costs the most in Maryland. Maryland requires $741 in fees, 1 exams, no experience, and 4 years education.
Where is an Athletic Trainer license the least expensive?
An occupational license for a Athletic Trainer costs the least in District of Columbia. District of Columbia requires $390 in fees, 1 exams, no experience, and 4 years education.
Where does it take the longest to obtain an Athletic Trainer license?
An occupational license for a Athletic Trainer takes the longest to obtain in Pennsylvania, Washington.It takes 1461 days (4 years and 1 days).
Where is it fastest to obtain an Athletic Trainer license?
An occupational license for a Athletic Trainer takes the least time to obtain in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming (1460 days).
What states require exams for an Athletic Trainer license?
To obtain an occupational license for an Athletic Trainer there is at least one exam required in: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming. New Mexico, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Wyoming require 2 exams.
Forty-nine states require a license to work as an athletic trainer. On average, these laws require $472 in fees, four years (1,460 days) of education and about one exam—the third most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied. Because athletic trainers are also licensed by so many states, the occupation is the second most widely and onerously licensed of the 102 studied in this report.
Licensing requirements are quite uniform: Typically, one must hold a bachelor’s degree and pass a national certification exam. Only five states (New Mexico, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming) require more than one exam. Fees vary greatly, however, from $300 in D.C. to $1,000 in Alaska. California and New York are the only two unlicensed states, though New York requires permission to use the title “certified athletic trainer.”
States Ranked by Average Licensing Burden for 102 Lower-Income Occupations
More Burdensome Less Burdensome
Based on data released in November 2022| Burden Rank | State | Occupations Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Alaska | 64 | $690 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Alabama | 63 | $565 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Arkansas | 72 | $515 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Arizona | 68 | $712 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Colorado | 34 | $540 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Connecticut | 65 | $580 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | District of Columbia | 61 | $390 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 18 | Delaware | 42 | $628 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Florida | 55 | $595 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Georgia | 41 | $440 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 14 | Hawaii | 64 | $525 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 36 | Iowa | 71 | $510 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Idaho | 66 | $540 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Illinois | 41 | $590 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Indiana | 37 | $498 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 44 | Kansas | 35 | $473 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Kentucky | 38 | $490 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Louisiana | 77 | $561 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 21 | Massachusetts | 50 | $599 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Maryland | 58 | $741 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 37 | Maine | 46 | $501 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Michigan | 48 | $628 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Minnesota | 35 | $578 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 49 | Missouri | 33 | $415 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Mississippi | 65 | $490 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Montana | 32 | $565 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | North Carolina | 66 | $590 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | North Dakota | 65 | $490 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Nebraska | 61 | $419 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 19 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | 37 | $560 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | New Jersey | 54 | $530 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 5 | New Mexico | 66 | $680 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Nevada | 75 | $730 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Ohio | 40 | $537 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | 42 | $557 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Oregon | 69 | $615 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania | 50 | $410 | 1461 | 3 clock hours & 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 20 |
| 47 | Rhode Island | 70 | $450 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 48 | South Carolina | 60 | $440 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | South Dakota | 32 | $490 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | 69 | $600 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Texas | 38 | $584 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 46 | Utah | 64 | $460 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | Virginia | 72 | $520 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Vermont | 31 | $490 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1 | Washington | 76 | $505 | 1461 | 4 years & 7 clock hours | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | 42 | $465 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | West Virginia | 67 | $643 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 4 | Wyoming | 26 | $605 | 1460 | 4 years | None | 2 | 0 | 18 |
License to Work
The data and information here come from IJ’s License to Work report, released in November 2022.
View Report