Athletic Trainers vs Physical Therapists AI Risk

Job 1

Job 2

Job 1

Job 2

low risk

Athletic Trainers

80 shared · 11 different

core competencies

low risk

Physical Therapists

Side-by-Side Comparison

Physical Therapists leads 5–0

Metric	Athletic Trainers	Physical Therapists
Risk Score	23.4%	22.6%
Risk Tier	Low Risk	Low Risk
Risk Percentile	15th	12th
Tasks at Risk (>50%)	5 / 15	2 / 15
Median Salary	$60,250	$101,020
Employment	29K	249K

Skill Comparison

Sorted by largest difference

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public

Monitoring and Controlling Resources

Personnel and Human Resources

Administration and Management

Performing Administrative Activities

Clerical

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work

Reading ComprehensionAI-Vulnerable

Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates

Operations Analysis

Active LearningAI-Augmented

Protective Factors

Higher values indicate stronger protection against AI displacement

Athletic Trainers

37%

total discount

Physical Therapists

37%

total discount

Task Risk Comparison

Tasks sorted by AI automation risk — higher means more automatable

Athletic Trainers

5 of 15 at risk

86%File athlete insurance claims and communicate with insurance providers.

68%Perform general administrative tasks, such as keeping records or writing reports.

51%Assess and report the progress of recovering athletes to coaches or physicians.

51%Plan or implement comprehensive athletic injury or illness prevention programs.

51%Inspect playing fields to locate any items that could injure players.

Physical Therapists

2 of 15 at risk

86%Record prognosis, treatment, response, and progress in patient's chart or enter information into computer.

51%Review physician's referral and patient's medical records to help determine diagnosis and physical therapy treatment required.

49%Identify and document goals, anticipated progress, and plans for reevaluation.

41%Discharge patient from physical therapy when goals or projected outcomes have been attained and provide for appropriate follow-up care or referrals.

40%Instruct patient and family in treatment procedures to be continued at home.

Wage Comparison

Physical Therapists earns +$40,770(+68%) vs Athletic Trainers

Athletic TrainersPhysical Therapists

10th

$45,380$74,420

25th

$51,590$83,470

Median

$60,250$101,020

75th

$70,880$117,190

90th

$84,100$132,500

Premium Head-to-Head Analysis

Displacement Timeline Comparison

Athletic Trainers2028–2035

Physical Therapists2028–2035

20242030203520402045

Physical Therapists has a longer runway before significant displacement, projected 0 years later than Athletic Trainers.

Risk-Adjusted Salary

Salary weighted by displacement risk: salary × (1 − risk%)

Athletic Trainers

$46,158

from $60,250

Physical Therapists

$78,240

from $101,020

After adjusting for AI risk, Physical Therapists offers $32,082 more in risk-adjusted pay.

Transition Feasibility

Skill Overlap

Low overlap — significant retraining needed for transition

Unique to Athletic

Unique to Physical

Combined Protection Strategy

Regardless of which path you choose, focus on these protective factors

Fine Manipulation

Creativity

Regulatory Barriers

Social Intelligence

Athletic TrainersPhysical Therapists

Find transitions from Athletic Trainers Find transitions from Physical Therapists