Exercise Physiologists
Also called Bariatric Weight Loss Counselor, Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Therapist, Clinical Cardiac Exercise Physiologist, or Clinical Exercise Physiologist
Updated · Source: O*NET 31.0
What Exercise Physiologists do
You use exercise as medicine, testing people's hearts and lungs and then coaching them through workouts built for their exact condition.
Exercise physiologists design and run fitness programs for people who need more than a generic gym plan. Many clients are recovering from heart or lung problems, managing weight, or rebuilding strength after illness. You interview someone about their medical history and goals, run tests (including stress tests on an electrocardiograph, or EKG, a machine that records the heart's electrical signals while someone exercises), then write a program spelling out which machines to use, how hard, and how often.
Then you stay with them. You demonstrate correct form, watch for signs of distress, and step in with medical care if someone struggles. You read their numbers over time and adjust. It sits between healthcare and coaching: part science, part teaching, part patience.
A day in the life
You start indoors, in a climate-controlled clinic or gym floor, checking email and the day's schedule. Your first appointment is new, so you ask about medical history, medications, and what they actually want out of this. You set them up on a treadmill or exercise bike, watch the heart tracing on the monitor, and explain each step so nobody panics. Mid-morning you walk a small group through correct use of the equipment, correcting a squat here, slowing someone down there. You keep an eye on breathing and color, because one person feeling faint changes your whole hour. In the afternoon you review progress data, rewrite two programs, and write up notes. You talk with nurses or therapists about a shared patient before you leave.
This could fit you if you…
- ✓Like science and the human body, especially biology and how the heart and lungs work
- ✓Enjoy explaining things until they click for someone
- ✓Want people contact all day rather than a quiet desk
- ✓Stay calm when someone is in physical distress
- ✓Are comfortable both on a team and running your own sessions
You might not like it if you…
- –Dislike paperwork, since progress notes and program write-ups are part of every day
- –Want to skip the four-year degree and start coaching right away
- –Get frustrated when clients ignore the plan or quit partway through
- –Prefer work where nobody's safety depends on you noticing something
How people get in
- 1Take biology, anatomy, and health classes in high school, and get comfortable speaking in front of people.
- 2Earn a bachelor's degree, the typical entry point, in a field like exercise science and kinesiology, exercise physiology and kinesiology, or kinesiotherapy.
- 3Do the hands-on parts seriously: labs, internships, and clinical placements where you practice testing and coaching real people under supervision.
- 4Learn the emergency side, including basic life support training (CPR and other first-response skills for someone whose heart or breathing stops), so you know what to do when a participant shows signs of trouble.
- 5Look into professional certifications in clinical exercise physiology, which are official proof you have been trained and tested, since many employers expect one.
- 6Apply to hospital heart and lung rehabilitation programs, clinics, and wellness centers; expect around 1,400 openings a year nationally, with projected growth of +12.8% from 2025 to 2035 compared with +3.5% for all jobs.
Who tends to enjoy it
Hands-on
People who like building, fixing, working with tools, machines, plants, or animals.
Curious
People who like figuring things out, research, science, and solving problems.
Helping
People who like teaching, caring for, and working closely with people.
Official task list
Exercise Physiologists 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)
- 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.
- Demonstrate correct use of exercise equipment or performance of exercise routines.
- Prescribe individualized exercise programs, specifying equipment, such as treadmill, exercise bicycle, ergometers, or perceptual goggles.
- Interpret exercise program participant data to evaluate progress or identify needed program changes.
A typical day involves
Skills that matter most
- Instructing
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
What you'll need to know
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Biology
- Education and Training
How much Exercise Physiologists make
The median pay for Exercise Physiologists in the U.S. is $59,460 a year ($28.59 an hour). Most earn between $42,760 and $80,560. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025)
Pay depends a lot on where you live: the median is highest in Washington ($81,310) and lowest in Mississippi ($43,060).
Pay by state and territory
| State | Median pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $50,820 | 70 |
| Arizona | $62,350 | 220 |
| Arkansas | $48,850 | 40 |
| California | $62,440 | 640 |
| Colorado | $63,800 | 370 |
| Connecticut | $62,510 | 100 |
| Delaware | $57,940 | 90 |
| Florida | $60,100 | 330 |
| Georgia | $58,170 | 210 |
| Idaho | $56,750 | 40 |
| Illinois | $60,130 | 300 |
| Indiana | $49,740 | 310 |
| Iowa | $56,640 | 50 |
| Kansas | $59,090 | 60 |
| Kentucky | $51,070 | 60 |
| Louisiana | $52,450 | 40 |
| Maryland | $62,220 | 90 |
| Massachusetts | $65,950 | 180 |
| Michigan | $55,080 | 570 |
| Minnesota | $67,230 | 250 |
| Mississippi | $43,060 | 30 |
| Missouri | $52,570 | 160 |
| Nevada | $55,240 | — |
| New Hampshire | $63,590 | 50 |
| New Jersey | $64,680 | 130 |
| New York | $59,940 | 360 |
| North Carolina | $52,450 | 370 |
| North Dakota | $50,430 | 50 |
| Ohio | $51,660 | 340 |
| Oklahoma | $49,190 | 80 |
| Oregon | $71,630 | 80 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,040 | 640 |
| South Carolina | $46,550 | 230 |
| South Dakota | $51,630 | 30 |
| Tennessee | $53,570 | 140 |
| Texas | $56,780 | 520 |
| Utah | $43,850 | 220 |
| Virginia | $52,400 | 240 |
| Washington | $81,310 | 160 |
| West Virginia | $50,270 | 60 |
| Wisconsin | $63,210 | 340 |
| Wyoming | $62,070 | — |
Where to study for this
College programs that commonly lead to this career, and how many US colleges offer each.
- Exercise Science and Kinesiology 874 colleges
- Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology 165 colleges
- Kinesiotherapy 6 colleges
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Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), occupation 29-1128.00, used under CC BY 4.0 and modified by Whittle. Pay: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), SOC 29-1128. Outlook and entry education: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Program links: NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. How we build these pages.