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
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Coat Check Attendant, Coat Checker, Coat Room Attendant, Fitting Room Attendant, Ladies Locker Room Attendant, Locker Room Attendant, Spa 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.
Athletic Equipment Manager Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $26,590 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $31,200 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $36,300 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $43,880 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $54,260 |
Highest-Paying States for Athletic Equipment Managers
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Hawaii ($51,100), District of Columbia ($50,440), Montana ($50,370), Washington ($47,500), California ($46,560). Pay is lowest in Iowa ($23,720), Utah ($23,660), Oklahoma ($21,590).
Median pay in all 38 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $26,440 |
| Alaska | $26,350 |
| Arizona | $36,400 |
| Arkansas | $27,180 |
| California | $46,560 |
| Colorado | $37,690 |
| Connecticut | $40,260 |
| District of Columbia | $50,440 |
| Florida | $35,290 |
| Georgia | $33,430 |
| Hawaii | $51,100 |
| Illinois | $38,890 |
| Indiana | $26,320 |
| Iowa | $23,720 |
| Kansas | $28,520 |
| Maine | $35,620 |
| Maryland | $38,840 |
| Massachusetts | $40,770 |
| Michigan | $29,640 |
| Minnesota | $29,710 |
| Missouri | $30,680 |
| Montana | $50,370 |
| Nevada | $36,620 |
| New Hampshire | $34,330 |
| New Jersey | $36,650 |
| New York | $37,420 |
| North Carolina | $33,140 |
| Ohio | $28,960 |
| Oklahoma | $21,590 |
| Oregon | $37,520 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,460 |
| Rhode Island | $41,250 |
| South Carolina | $33,250 |
| Texas | $34,100 |
| Utah | $23,660 |
| Virginia | $38,010 |
| Washington | $47,500 |
| Wisconsin | $28,540 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as locker room, coatroom, and dressing room attendants about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 92% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
- 73% spend more than half the workday on their feet
- 71% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 70% use their hands on tools, objects or controls for more than half the day
- 56% are on the phone every day
- 55% deal with rude or angry people at least once a week
- 54% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or GED | 65% |
| Less than high school | 22% |
| Some college | 8% |
| Post-secondary certificate | 5% |
Tools and Software Athletic Equipment Managers Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy organized work with data, records and clear procedures as well as hands-on work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Speaking, Active Listening, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Monitoring, Coordination.
Knowledge areas used most: Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Education and Training, Sales and Marketing.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 2 of 5, which means some preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 39-3093.00 (Locker Room, Coatroom, and Dressing Room Attendants). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.