A sports medicine physician diagnoses and treats injuries and illnesses in athletes and active people. The work is clinical, specialized, and requires a doctoral degree plus additional training. Here is what the role involves, the preparation it takes, and how to get started.
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Sports medicine physicians care for patients with injuries and conditions related to physical activity and athletics. You diagnose problems through examination, imaging, and analysis of patient information. You make clinical decisions about treatment plans, which may include medication, physical therapy, or procedures. You stay current with medical research and best practices in your field. You communicate with patients, other physicians, and healthcare team members about care. You may also educate patients and colleagues about injury prevention and treatment options.
Core work activities
Career video courtesy of CareerOneStop.
Sports Medicine Physicians earn a median of $265,930 a year, based on 2025 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and location.
The outlook is steady. Employment is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as average for all occupations, with about 9,600 openings a year.
Top skills
Knowledge areas
This career requires a doctoral degree in medicine, followed by specialized training in sports medicine. You will complete medical school, which involves classroom study and clinical rotations in various medical specialties. After earning your medical degree, you pursue additional residency training in a related field such as family medicine, internal medicine, or orthopedic surgery. Following residency, you complete a fellowship in sports medicine to develop expertise in this specialty. Throughout your training, you build knowledge in medicine, biology, and patient care while developing critical thinking and clinical decision-making skills.
Becoming a sports medicine physician involves medical school, residency, and fellowship training. The path is long and rigorous, so if you are exploring whether this career fits your timeline and goals, Pathly can map the sports medicine physician path that fits you and work through it with your school counselor or career advisor.
Many sports medicine physicians must be licensed, and professional certifications can strengthen your resume.
Common certifications
Licensing is handled at the state level and the requirements vary, so check the licensing board in your state. Pathly shows your state's specific steps inside your roadmap.
You are drawn to investigative work that involves solving complex medical problems, analyzing patient data, and applying scientific knowledge to clinical practice.
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Last updated July 1, 2026.
Data sources. Career details from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Salary and outlook figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 wages; 2024–2034 projections), delivered via the CareerOneStop API. Certification, licensing, wage, and outlook data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).