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Exercise Physiology

Types of Degrees Exercise Physiology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Exercise Physiology may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	5
Bachelor’s Degree	5,832
Master’s Degree	1,185
Doctor’s Degree	110

What Exercise Physiology Majors Need to Know

Programs in Exercise Physiology develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Exercise Physiology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Exercise Physiology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Medicine and Dentistry — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Exercise Physiology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Exercise Physiology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Exercise Physiology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Exercise Physiology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
MEDITECH software	Medical software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Exercise Physiology graduates include:

• Cardiac Exercise Specialist
• Exercise Physiologist
• Applied Exercise Physiologist
• Clinical Exercise Specialist
• Exercise Scientist
• Sports Physiologist
• Fitness Specialist
• Cardiac Rehabilitation Exercise Physiologist
• Injury Prevention Specialist
• Clinical Exercise Physiologist
• Bariatric Weight Loss Counselor
• Kinesiotherapist
• Cardiac Exercise Physiologist
• Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant
• Exercise Specialist

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Exercise Physiology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	49.1%
Master’s degree	29.0%
Doctoral degree	15.4%
Post-doctoral training	6.1%
Post-master’s certificate	0.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Exercise Physiology?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 59.9% women and 40.1% men among Exercise Physiology graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	4,275	59.9%
Men	2,857	40.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Exercise Physiology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	4,621	64.8%
Asian	303	4.2%
Hispanic or Latino	820	11.5%
Black or African American	505	7.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	17	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	14	0.2%
Two or More Races	306	4.3%
Race Unknown	138	1.9%
International Students	408	5.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Exercise Physiology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Exercise Physiology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$32,024
4 years	$53,598
5 years	$65,802

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $65,802 — roughly 105% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Exercise Physiology Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Exercise Physiology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	0
Bachelor’s	3	4
Master’s	5	5

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Exercise Physiology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Exercise Physiology graduates earn a median of $53,598 four years after completion — roughly 41% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences	26.09
Aerospace Physiology and Medicine	26.0912
Biomechanics	26.0913
Cardiovascular Science	26.0907
Cell Physiology	26.0903
Endocrinology	26.0904
Molecular Physiology	26.0902
Oncology and Cancer Biology	26.0911
Pathology/Experimental Pathology	26.0910
Physiology, General	26.0901
Physiology, Pathology, and Related Sciences, Other	26.0999
Reproductive Biology	26.0905

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.