Careers / Exercise Physiologists
Exercise Physiologists — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$59,460
United States, 2025
Employment
8,560
United States, 2025
Typical education
Not recorded
Job Zone 4
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
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.
- O*NET code
- 29-1128.00
- Job zone
- 4
- Experience required
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Typical tasks
- Plan or conduct exercise physiology research projects.
- Explain exercise program or physiological testing procedures to participants.
- Order or recommend diagnostic procedures, such as stress tests, drug screenings, or urinary tests.
- 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.
- Demonstrate correct use of exercise equipment or performance of exercise routines.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$42,760
25th percentile
$49,620
75th percentile
$67,230
90th percentile
$80,560
Most important skills
- Instructing4.1
- Active Listening4.0
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Writing3.9
- Service Orientation3.9
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Social Perceptiveness3.9
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9
- Monitoring3.9
- Learning Strategies3.4
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 19 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
19
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 | 4.8 | Not selected | 4.8 |
| Instructing | 4.1 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.9 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.9 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Writing | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Active Learning | 3.4 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.4 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Negotiation | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $358,550
Compare with Exercise PhysiologistsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle, WA | $84,300 | 100 | 2025 |
| WA | $81,310 | 160 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $79,840 | — | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $74,380 | 50 | 2025 |
| Denver, CO | $72,760 | 260 | 2025 |
| OR | $71,630 | 80 | 2025 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $68,560 | 180 | 2025 |
| MN | $67,230 | 250 | 2025 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $66,210 | 180 | 2025 |
| Madison, WI | $66,100 | 50 | 2025 |
| Raleigh, NC | $66,060 | 30 | 2025 |
| MA | $65,950 | 180 | 2025 |
| NJ | $64,680 | 130 | 2025 |
| Nashville, TN | $64,610 | 40 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $64,170 | 150 | 2025 |
| San Jose, CA | $63,960 | 40 | 2025 |
| Richmond, VA | $63,840 | 60 | 2025 |
| CO | $63,800 | 370 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $63,730 | — | 2025 |
| NH | $63,590 | 50 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Exercise Physiologists to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.