Vantaggi
I have a lot of autonomy working at the high school. But, your time and level of intensity will depend on the school that you're placed at. I happed to be at a very sport-heavy school. You really run your own show, no one is micro-managing you, and you can make it what you want for the most part. There are some perks like continuing ed stipend, extra pay for monthly meetings, and gas reimbursement. You don't need to fill a quota of referrals. The pay is okay, compared to other compensation packages within athletic training. But the pay is still not good enough to support a family of 4 with all the costs that go into creating a happy home (with savings).
Svantaggi
It all depends on the school you're assigned. The work is A LOT if you're at a sports-heavy school. This can be great if you enjoy ALL the football and chaos, but not great if you don't. The total hours worked is manageable, but the volume of work is insane. Most days I feel over-stimulated, exhausted, and empathetically burnt-out.