Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary: Job Description
Teach courses pertaining to recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, including exercise physiology and facilities management. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
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What Tasks Do Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary span:
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as anatomy, therapeutic recreation, and conditioning theory.
- Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Top recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Adjunct Instructor
- Adjunct Professor
- Aquatic Instructor
- Assistant Professor
- Associate Professor
- Athletic Instructor
- College Faculty Member
- College Professor
Job Outlook
There are roughly 534,840 recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +11.6% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $84,688 |
| Hourly median | $40.72 |
| 10th percentile | $52,580 |
| 25th percentile | $68,634 |
| 75th percentile | $100,743 |
| 90th percentile | $116,797 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $130,340 |
| Arizona | $94,660 |
| New York | $82,770 |
| Nebraska | $82,400 |
| Idaho | $82,220 |
| Maryland | $81,110 |
| Michigan | $80,310 |
| Massachusetts | $80,270 |
| Tennessee | $79,410 |
| South Carolina | $78,280 |
| Minnesota | $77,080 |
| Missouri | $76,890 |
| Illinois | $75,840 |
| Texas | $75,570 |
| Oregon | $75,180 |
| New Mexico | $75,170 |
| Pennsylvania | $72,390 |
| Connecticut | $71,180 |
| New Jersey | $69,550 |
| Oklahoma | $69,270 |
| Florida | $68,140 |
| Washington | $66,840 |
| Alabama | $66,270 |
| New Hampshire | $66,160 |
| Wyoming | $65,460 |
| Wisconsin | $65,070 |
| Maine | $64,940 |
| Puerto Rico | $64,520 |
| West Virginia | $64,430 |
| Iowa | $64,230 |
| Mississippi | $64,160 |
| Indiana | $63,960 |
| Louisiana | $63,510 |
| North Carolina | $63,450 |
| Georgia | $63,260 |
| Kentucky | $63,190 |
| Colorado | $62,530 |
| Arkansas | $61,490 |
| Ohio | $61,090 |
| North Dakota | $60,130 |
| South Dakota | $59,980 |
| Kansas | $59,070 |
| Virginia | $57,930 |
| Utah | $55,770 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $115,522 | 20.4% | 1.38 |
| Middle Atlantic | $77,313 | 14.0% | 0.97 |
| Southwest | $76,163 | 13.6% | 1.18 |
| New England | $75,074 | 4.3% | 1.14 |
| Plains States | $70,608 | 6.3% | 1.03 |
| Great Lakes | $69,727 | 14.5% | 1.13 |
| Southeast | $65,826 | 22.9% | 1.48 |
| Other U.S. Territories | $64,520 | 0.3% | 0.50 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | CA | $143,060 | 190 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | CA | $136,970 | 140 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $132,210 | 780 |
| Fresno, CA | CA | $130,410 | 60 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $127,900 | 230 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $118,390 | 50 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | IL | $101,620 | 110 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | AZ | $99,600 | 80 |
Which Industries Hire Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
The bulk of recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 12,680 | n/a |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Google Docs (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)
- Project management software: Microsoft Project (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Computer based training software: Learning management system LMS (in demand)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
- Freedom to Make Decisions
Getting Started in This Career
This career aligns with Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Fitness and Wellness Coordinators (Primary-Long)
- Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Long)
- Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Short)
- Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Short)
- Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Short)
- Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Long)
- Education Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Short)
- Social Work Teachers, Postsecondary (Primary-Long)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Aspiring recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary often complete programs in:
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness Studies, and Kinesiology
4 programs across 2 majors
Education
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
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: 25-1193.00 (Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary).