Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2025

DOI

10.4085/1062-6050-0089.25

Publication Title

Journal of Athletic Training

Pages

29 pp.

Abstract

Context

While researchers have previously identified that most athletic trainers (ATs) do not negotiate their salary, little is known about employers' expectations and behaviors relative to establishing and negotiating salaries for the ATs they hire.

Objective

To examine employers' expectations and behaviors regarding AT salary negotiation.

Design

Cross-sectional.

Setting

Web-based survey.

Patients or other participants

413 employers who are in a role that requires them to negotiate salary offers with prospective AT employees and who have minimally hired one AT into the organization they work for accessed the survey from a random sample of 7,000 ATs (6% access rate); 324 employers (age=43.8±10.6 years) completed the entire survey (78% completion rate).

Main outcome measure(s)

A validated survey was used to collect employer demographics, employment organization characteristics, and employer perspectives on negotiation. Chi-square analyses with Bonferonni adjustments were used to determine relationships between organizational factors or employer demographics on employers' negotiation expectations and behaviors.

Results

67.3% of employers expect the candidate to negotiate their salary, and 66.3% reported they are provided the salary range by someone else from their organization. More employers of rurally-located organizations offer in the upper 1/3 of the available range when compared to suburban or urban settings (p=.014). Employers of public organizations also offer more in the upper 1/3 of the available salary range compared to private organizations (p=.025). More employers who were not healthcare providers have withdrawn an employment offer due to negotiation attempts (p=.005).

Conclusions

The lack of organizational influence on negotiation expectations indicates that negotiation attempts do not need to be tailored to specific work settings. ATs may need to adjust expectations when negotiating with publicly-funded or rurally-located organizations, as the offer may already be towards the upper end of the available range. Employers expect ATs to negotiate their salary when offered a position.

Rights

© 2025 National Athletic Trainers' Association. All rights reserved.

ORCID

0000-0003-3171-9141 (Cavallario)

Original Publication Citation

Cavallario, J. M., Andrews, F., Johnson, K., Schalk, K., & Welch Bacon, C. E. (2025). Salary negotiation dynamics for athletic trainers: Insights from employers on expectations and organizational influences. Journal of Athletic Training. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-0089.25

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