Exercise Physiologists: Career Overview
Assess, plan, or implement fitness programs that include exercise or physical activities such as those designed to improve cardiorespiratory function, body composition, muscular strength, muscular endurance, or flexibility.
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What Do Exercise Physiologists Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of exercise physiologists span:
- Develop exercise programs to improve participant strength, flexibility, endurance, or circulatory functioning, in accordance with exercise science standards, regulatory requirements, and credentialing requirements.
- Provide emergency or other appropriate medical care to participants with symptoms or signs of physical distress.
- Demonstrate correct use of exercise equipment or performance of exercise routines.
- Recommend methods to increase lifestyle physical activity.
- Interpret exercise program participant data to evaluate progress or identify needed program changes.
- Prescribe individualized exercise programs, specifying equipment, such as treadmill, exercise bicycle, ergometers, or perceptual goggles.
- Provide clinical oversight of exercise for participants at all risk levels.
- Explain exercise program or physiological testing procedures to participants.
What Exercise Physiologists Need to Know
Top exercise physiologists combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Applied Exercise Physiologist
- Bariatric Weight Loss Counselor
- Cardiac Exercise Physiologist
- Cardiac Exercise Specialist
- Cardiac Rehabilitation Exercise Physiologist
- Certified Exercise Physiologist (EPC)
- Clinical Exercise Physiologist
- Clinical Exercise Specialist
How Many Exercise Physiologists Are There?
There are roughly 1,742,736 exercise physiologists working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +1.7% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Exercise Physiologists Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $144,072 |
| Hourly median | $69.27 |
| 10th percentile | $93,666 |
| 25th percentile | $118,869 |
| 75th percentile | $169,275 |
| 90th percentile | $194,477 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Exercise Physiologists Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Maine | $87,300 |
| Washington | $80,850 |
| New York | $73,250 |
| Oregon | $69,180 |
| Massachusetts | $68,950 |
| Connecticut | $68,590 |
| Florida | $62,570 |
| California | $61,930 |
| Minnesota | $61,690 |
| New Hampshire | $61,420 |
| Illinois | $61,270 |
| Indiana | $61,080 |
| Colorado | $61,060 |
| Wisconsin | $60,890 |
| Nebraska | $60,670 |
| New Jersey | $60,340 |
| Arizona | $59,460 |
| Virginia | $59,390 |
| Maryland | $59,350 |
| Wyoming | $59,280 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,890 |
| Missouri | $56,590 |
| Delaware | $55,910 |
| West Virginia | $54,770 |
| Iowa | $53,940 |
| Texas | $53,850 |
| Ohio | $53,660 |
| Michigan | $53,150 |
| Idaho | $53,090 |
| Georgia | $52,880 |
| Nevada | $52,010 |
| Tennessee | $51,560 |
| South Dakota | $51,460 |
| North Carolina | $50,560 |
| Alabama | $48,980 |
| Kentucky | $48,270 |
| South Carolina | $47,680 |
| Oklahoma | $47,320 |
| Arkansas | $46,770 |
| Kansas | $45,080 |
| Louisiana | $43,480 |
| Utah | $33,540 |
Where Exercise Physiologists Earn the Most
Compensation for exercise physiologists vary by region. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $77,349 | 2.7% | 0.71 |
| New England | $70,499 | 3.7% | 0.86 |
| Middle Atlantic | $63,191 | 11.1% | 0.85 |
| Great Lakes | $56,883 | 23.1% | 1.64 |
| Plains States | $55,490 | 6.8% | 1.01 |
| Southeast | $55,457 | 29.0% | 1.21 |
| Southwest | $53,917 | 15.5% | 1.17 |
| Rocky Mountains | $50,363 | 8.1% | 2.03 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $84,390 | 30 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $81,260 | 90 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $74,840 | 220 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $73,090 | |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $67,690 | 220 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $65,640 | 120 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | MI | $65,430 | 50 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | FL | $64,990 |
Top Industries Employing Exercise Physiologists
The largest employers of exercise physiologists are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 7,290 | $56,780 |
| Educational Services | 100 | $61,430 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 90 | $71,390 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 30 | $66,230 |
Below are examples of industries where exercise physiologists work:
Tools and Technology
- Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for exercise physiologists tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Contact With Others
- Telephone Conversations
How to Become Exercise Physiologists
Entry-level exercise physiologists positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Dietitians and Nutritionists (Primary-Long)
- Occupational Therapists (Primary-Long)
- Physical Therapists (Primary-Short)
- Radiation Therapists (Supplemental)
- Recreational Therapists (Primary-Long)
- Respiratory Therapists (Supplemental)
- Acute Care Nurses (Supplemental)
- Cardiologists (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Students preparing for exercise physiologists often complete programs in:
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness Studies, and Kinesiology
1 programs across 1 majors
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
1 programs across 1 majors
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 29-1128.00 (Exercise Physiologists).
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