What Does an Athletic Equipment Manager Do?
Players notice their gear only when it fails. Athletic equipment managers fit, clean, repair and track the helmets, pads and uniforms for high school, college and professional teams, so coaches, trainers and athletes can trust what goes onto the field. Road games add packing to the list, down to spare cleats and a sewing kit.
Also known as: Athletic Equipment Attendant
Athletic Equipment Manager Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of an athletic equipment manager include:
- Issue uniforms, practice gear and shoes to athletes and collect them at season's end.
- Fit helmets and shoulder pads to each player and recheck the fit through the season.
- Send helmets for reconditioning and recertification to NOCSAE standards on schedule.
- Wash, dry and sort practice and game laundry every day of the season.
- Pack and load equipment trunks for road games and set up the visiting locker room.
- Lay out benches, sideline gear and coaches' headsets before games and practices.
- Keep an inventory of every item in the equipment room and flag worn gear for replacement.
- Order equipment and uniforms within budget and track deliveries from vendors.
- Repair jerseys, pads and straps on the spot during practices and games.
- Supervise student managers and attendants and assign their daily tasks.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as an athletic equipment manager, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Equipment fitting for football, hockey and lacrosse
- Inventory software or spreadsheets
- Sewing and basic repair
- Knowledge of helmet safety standards
- Long days, early mornings and travel
- Organization under deadline pressure
- Certified Equipment Manager (CEM) credential, a plus
- Good rapport with coaches and athletes
Education and Training
Student equipment manager jobs are the classic way in. The formal bar is low: a high school diploma and a short spell of training on the job. Sport management coursework rounds out an application, and the climb runs from attendant to assistant to head equipment manager at a larger program.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: varies widely for this role, and BLS does not publish pay for it separately. In the wider BLS group it belongs to (Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants), the middle half of earners made $31,200 to $43,880 a year, and the median was $36,300.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants.
BLS projects employment of locker room, coatroom and dressing room attendants, the group whose figures cover this job, to grow about 6 percent from 2025 to 2035. That small group expects about 4,000 openings a year. Head equipment managers at large college and pro programs usually earn well above these attendant figures, so treat them as a guide to entry pay.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants.