Exercise Physiologists

Overview

Exercise Physiologists has a national median salary of $59,460 per year, with +12.8% projected job growth from 2025–2035. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation.

Description

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.

Work Values

• Relationships
• Achievement
• Independence

Work Styles

Responsibilities

Tasks

• 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.

Work Activities

• Assisting and Caring for Others
• Documenting/Recording Information
• Getting Information
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
• Working with Computers
• Training and Teaching Others

Detailed Work Activities

• Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
• Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
• Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
• Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
• Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
• Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.

T-A-S-K

Technology, Abilities, Skills & Knowledge

Education

Education Levels of Current Workers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation. The chart below shows the highest level of education held by people already working in this field, ages 25 and older. It includes workers who earned more education than the job requires and workers who entered the field under earlier requirements, so the largest bar is not the entry requirement. For example, if someone finished a master's degree and then started working in this field, they are counted under “Master's degree” here, but the job itself typically asks for a bachelor's degree.

Certificates

Certifications applicable to Exercise Physiologists:

Video Resources