Career
Exercise physiologists
Design exercise programs that help people recover and stay well.
$59,460
Median pay
+12.8%
Job growth, 2025–35
1,400
Openings a year
Bachelor's degree
Typical education
4 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Explain exercise program or physiological testing procedures to participants.
- Develop exercise programs to improve participant strength, flexibility, endurance, or circulatory functioning, in accordance with exercise science standards, regulatory requirements, and credentialing requirements.
- Provide clinical oversight of exercise for participants at all risk levels.
- Provide emergency or other appropriate medical care to participants with symptoms or signs of physical distress.
- Interview participants to obtain medical history or assess participant goals.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then ideas & analysis?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Explain exercise program or physiological testing procedures to participants.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Instructing, Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
4 years of education after high school (bachelor's degree), for a median of $59,460 a year and 1,400 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Kinesiology and Exercise ScienceSee the degree →
- PhysiologySee the degree →
- Exercise Physiology and KinesiologyCIP 26.0908
- Exercise Science and KinesiologyCIP 31.0505
- Kinesiotherapy/KinesiotherapistCIP 51.2311
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians
- Physical Therapists$102,760 · +11.9%
- Physical Therapist Assistants$68,380 · +23.0%
- Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors$47,160 · +7.3%
- Athletic Trainers$62,520 · +12.7%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.