Exercise Physiologists
Exercise Physiologists (SOC 29-1128) earn a median $59,460 a year ($28.59 an hour) in the United States, with 8,560 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What exercise physiologists do
Exercise physiologists assess, plan or implement fitness programs aimed at improving cardiorespiratory function, body composition, muscular strength, muscular endurance or flexibility. They explain the program and any physiological testing to participants, interpret participant data to judge progress or decide what needs to change, and prescribe individualized programs that specify equipment such as a treadmill, exercise bicycle or ergometer. They demonstrate correct use of equipment and routines, recommend ways to build more physical activity into daily life, and give clinical oversight of exercise for participants at all risk levels. Because some participants show symptoms of distress, the job includes giving appropriate medical care in an emergency. Alternate titles such as cardiac rehabilitation exercise physiologist and clinical exercise specialist show a clinical side to the work. About three in five respondents report a bachelor's degree and nearly a third a master's. The SOC separates the occupation from physical therapists, athletic trainers, and exercise trainers and group fitness instructors, each of which has its own code.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a bachelor's degree as the typical level of education for this occupation (59 percent).
Also called: Applied Exercise Physiologist, Bariatric Weight Loss Counselor, Cardiac Exercise Physiologist, Cardiac Exercise Specialist, Cardiac Rehabilitation Exercise Physiologist.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $20.56 | $23.86 | $28.59 | $32.32 | $38.73 | $29.30 | 8,560 |
| Annual | $42,760 | $49,620 | $59,460 | $67,230 | $80,560 | $60,940 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where exercise physiologists earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $31.65 | $36.72 | $39.09 | $40.90 | $46.93 | $39.36 | 160 | 0.04 | 0.79 |
| Annual | $65,830 | $76,370 | $81,310 | $85,060 | $97,620 | $81,870 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $26.93 | $30.48 | $34.44 | $36.54 | $39.07 | $34.15 | 80 | 0.04 | 0.72 |
| Annual | $56,010 | $63,400 | $71,630 | $75,990 | $81,260 | $71,030 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $29.63 | $30.19 | $32.32 | $37.46 | $45.74 | $34.97 | 250 | 0.08 | 1.51 |
| Annual | $61,640 | $62,790 | $67,230 | $77,910 | $95,140 | $72,750 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $28.88 | $30.00 | $31.71 | $37.26 | $46.81 | $34.72 | 180 | 0.05 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $60,060 | $62,410 | $65,950 | $77,500 | $97,370 | $72,210 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $26.74 | $29.32 | $31.10 | $35.60 | $38.12 | $32.63 | 130 | 0.03 | 0.53 |
| Annual | $55,620 | $60,990 | $64,680 | $74,050 | $79,290 | $67,870 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $17.77 | $26.40 | $30.02 | $39.10 | $51.10 | $33.30 | 640 | 0.04 | 0.64 |
| Annual | $36,970 | $54,900 | $62,440 | $81,330 | $106,290 | $69,250 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $18.70 | $20.31 | $23.10 | $28.38 | $32.61 | $24.96 | 640 | 0.11 | 1.90 |
| Annual | $38,900 | $42,240 | $48,040 | $59,030 | $67,820 | $51,910 | ||||
| Michigan | Hourly | $23.14 | $24.26 | $26.48 | $30.20 | $31.69 | $27.32 | 570 | 0.13 | 2.34 |
| Annual | $48,140 | $50,450 | $55,080 | $62,820 | $65,910 | $56,820 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $17.74 | $22.40 | $27.30 | $30.20 | $38.05 | $27.57 | 520 | 0.04 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $36,890 | $46,590 | $56,780 | $62,810 | $79,150 | $57,340 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $21.74 | $25.46 | $30.67 | $36.23 | $36.23 | $30.40 | 370 | 0.13 | 2.36 |
| Annual | $45,210 | $52,950 | $63,800 | $75,350 | $75,350 | $63,230 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $38.64 | $38.82 | $40.53 | $45.83 | $46.93 | $41.62 | 100 | 0.05 | 0.84 |
| Annual | $80,370 | $80,740 | $84,300 | $95,330 | $97,620 | $86,570 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.74 | $26.40 | $38.38 | $48.22 | $52.78 | $36.90 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $36,900 | $54,900 | $79,840 | $100,300 | $109,780 | $76,760 | ||||
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | Hourly | $30.23 | $30.73 | $35.76 | $37.07 | $38.88 | $34.78 | 50 | 0.04 | 0.72 |
| Annual | $62,870 | $63,920 | $74,380 | $77,100 | $80,870 | $72,350 | ||||
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | Hourly | $19.24 | $27.14 | $34.98 | $36.23 | $36.23 | $31.27 | 260 | 0.16 | 2.89 |
| Annual | $40,010 | $56,450 | $72,760 | $75,350 | $75,350 | $65,050 | ||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | Hourly | $30.19 | $30.77 | $32.96 | $37.76 | $49.16 | $35.97 | 180 | 0.09 | 1.67 |
| Annual | $62,790 | $64,000 | $68,560 | $78,550 | $102,250 | $74,830 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $20.75 | $21.72 | $23.68 | $29.35 | $35.26 | $26.56 | 370 | 0.13 | 2.32 |
| Annual | $43,150 | $45,180 | $49,260 | $61,050 | $73,340 | $55,240 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $28.82 | $28.82 | $29.51 | $37.75 | $46.63 | $34.77 | 330 | 0.04 | 0.63 |
| Annual | $59,940 | $59,940 | $61,380 | $78,510 | $96,990 | $72,310 | ||||
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | Hourly | $19.24 | $27.14 | $34.98 | $36.23 | $36.23 | $31.27 | 260 | 0.16 | 2.89 |
| Annual | $40,010 | $56,450 | $72,760 | $75,350 | $75,350 | $65,050 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $24.48 | $27.34 | $30.56 | $36.77 | $40.39 | $32.66 | 220 | 0.05 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $50,920 | $56,860 | $63,570 | $76,490 | $84,020 | $67,920 | ||||
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | Hourly | $24.32 | $25.49 | $26.78 | $30.35 | $31.61 | $27.85 | 220 | 0.11 | 2.06 |
| Annual | $50,580 | $53,020 | $55,700 | $63,130 | $65,740 | $57,920 | ||||
Top industries employing exercise physiologists
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals employ 56.5% of exercise physiologists nationally (4,840 jobs) at a median $59,740 a year ($28.72 an hour), followed by Offices of Other Health Practitioners (13.7%) and Offices of Physicians (8.8%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 4,840 | 56.5% | $59,740 | $28.72 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners NAICS 621300 | 1,170 | 13.7% | $45,180 | $21.72 |
| Offices of Physicians NAICS 621100 | 750 | 8.8% | $57,010 | $27.41 |
| Other Ambulatory Health Care Services NAICS 621900 | 270 | 3.2% | $53,940 | $25.93 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100 | 250 | 2.9% | $97,470 | $46.86 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (8,560). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $47,940 for exercise physiologists in May 2021 and $59,460 in May 2025, with employment of 6,860 and 8,560.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $47,940 | $23.05 | 6,860 |
| May 2022 | $51,350 | $24.69 | 6,580 |
| May 2023 | $54,860 | $26.38 | 8,060 |
| May 2024 | $58,160 | $27.96 | 8,110 |
| May 2025 | $59,460 | $28.59 | 8,560 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
42 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington profile | $39.09 | $81,310 | $65,830 | $97,620 | 160 | 0.04 | 0.79 |
| 2 | Oregon profile | $34.44 | $71,630 | $56,010 | $81,260 | 80 | 0.04 | 0.72 |
| 3 | Minnesota profile | $32.32 | $67,230 | $61,640 | $95,140 | 250 | 0.08 | 1.51 |
| 4 | Massachusetts profile | $31.71 | $65,950 | $60,060 | $97,370 | 180 | 0.05 | 0.90 |
| 5 | New Jersey profile | $31.10 | $64,680 | $55,620 | $79,290 | 130 | 0.03 | 0.53 |
| 6 | Colorado profile | $30.67 | $63,800 | $45,210 | $75,350 | 370 | 0.13 | 2.36 |
| 7 | New Hampshire profile | $30.57 | $63,590 | $51,630 | $79,050 | 50 | 0.07 | 1.32 |
| 8 | Wisconsin profile | $30.39 | $63,210 | $55,100 | $77,320 | 340 | 0.11 | 2.08 |
| 9 | Connecticut profile | $30.05 | $62,510 | $46,570 | $81,740 | 100 | 0.06 | 1.03 |
| 10 | California profile | $30.02 | $62,440 | $36,970 | $106,290 | 640 | 0.04 | 0.64 |
| 11 | Arizona profile | $29.98 | $62,350 | $51,950 | $77,630 | 220 | 0.07 | 1.24 |
| 12 | Maryland profile | $29.92 | $62,220 | $50,980 | $76,130 | 90 | 0.03 | 0.60 |
| 13 | Wyoming profile | $29.84 | $62,070 | $49,620 | $97,800 | ** | ** | ** |
| 14 | Illinois profile | $28.91 | $60,130 | $50,220 | $84,020 | 300 | 0.05 | 0.89 |
| 15 | Florida profile | $28.89 | $60,100 | $47,800 | $88,070 | 330 | 0.03 | 0.60 |
| 16 | New York profile | $28.82 | $59,940 | $53,610 | $107,800 | 360 | 0.04 | 0.67 |
| 17 | Kansas profile | $28.41 | $59,090 | $49,830 | $73,550 | 60 | 0.04 | 0.72 |
| 18 | Georgia profile | $27.97 | $58,170 | $44,980 | $80,510 | 210 | 0.04 | 0.77 |
| 19 | Delaware profile | $27.85 | $57,940 | $41,960 | $83,910 | 90 | 0.19 | 3.51 |
| 20 | Texas profile | $27.30 | $56,780 | $36,890 | $79,150 | 520 | 0.04 | 0.67 |
| 21 | Idaho profile | $27.29 | $56,750 | $49,550 | $74,650 | 40 | 0.04 | 0.76 |
| 22 | Iowa profile | $27.23 | $56,640 | $45,190 | $75,530 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.54 |
| 23 | Nevada profile | $26.56 | $55,240 | $55,230 | $60,410 | ** | ** | ** |
| 24 | Michigan profile | $26.48 | $55,080 | $48,140 | $65,910 | 570 | 0.13 | 2.34 |
| 25 | Tennessee profile | $25.75 | $53,570 | $40,620 | $73,360 | 140 | 0.04 | 0.80 |
| 26 | Missouri profile | $25.27 | $52,570 | $46,700 | $69,260 | 160 | 0.06 | 1.00 |
| 27 | Louisiana profile | $25.22 | $52,450 | $40,410 | $81,330 | 40 | 0.02 | 0.38 |
| 28 | North Carolina profile | $25.22 | $52,450 | $43,900 | $71,270 | 370 | 0.07 | 1.35 |
| 29 | Virginia profile | $25.19 | $52,400 | $43,800 | $90,110 | 240 | 0.06 | 1.07 |
| 30 | Ohio profile | $24.84 | $51,660 | $44,310 | $71,560 | 340 | 0.06 | 1.13 |
| 31 | South Dakota profile | $24.82 | $51,630 | $48,390 | $71,540 | 30 | 0.07 | 1.21 |
| 32 | Kentucky profile | $24.55 | $51,070 | $45,960 | $64,810 | 60 | 0.03 | 0.51 |
| 33 | Alabama profile | $24.43 | $50,820 | $40,540 | $76,910 | 70 | 0.03 | 0.56 |
| 34 | North Dakota profile | $24.24 | $50,430 | $49,030 | $64,590 | 50 | 0.11 | 2.00 |
| 35 | West Virginia profile | $24.17 | $50,270 | $47,290 | $75,400 | 60 | 0.09 | 1.54 |
| 36 | Indiana profile | $23.92 | $49,740 | $34,060 | $71,130 | 310 | 0.10 | 1.76 |
| 37 | Oklahoma profile | $23.65 | $49,190 | $43,240 | $57,830 | 80 | 0.05 | 0.88 |
| 38 | Arkansas profile | $23.49 | $48,850 | $40,800 | $66,890 | 40 | 0.03 | 0.50 |
| 39 | Pennsylvania profile | $23.10 | $48,040 | $38,900 | $67,820 | 640 | 0.11 | 1.90 |
| 40 | South Carolina profile | $22.38 | $46,550 | $32,100 | $64,420 | 230 | 0.10 | 1.83 |
| 41 | Utah profile | $21.08 | $43,850 | $28,860 | $73,570 | 220 | 0.12 | 2.26 |
| 42 | Mississippi profile | $20.70 | $43,060 | $34,980 | $93,640 | 30 | 0.03 | 0.53 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (29-1120), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 29-1128 Exercise Physiologists.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 29-1128, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 29-1128.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.