Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1193) earn a median $77,270 a year in the United States, with 12,630 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is California.
What recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary do
Recreation and fitness studies teachers give college courses on recreation, leisure, and fitness, with subjects that include exercise physiology and the management of facilities. Lecture topics include anatomy, therapeutic recreation, and conditioning theory. They moderate classroom discussions, prepare course materials, grade assignments, administer examinations, and track attendance and grades. Alternate titles such as aquatic instructor and athletic instructor point to practical, activity-based teaching. They plan and revise curricula and keep up with the field by reading current literature and talking with colleagues. Some pursue research. Fitness trainers and recreation workers who run programs for the public are counted in other occupations. Some faculty mainly teach while others also carry out research, and the definition reaches subjects from exercise physiology to facilities management and therapeutic recreation.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, the most commonly reported level of education for this occupation is a doctoral degree.
Also called: Adjunct Instructor, Adjunct Professor, Aquatic Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 12,630 |
| Annual | $44,900 | $59,990 | $77,270 | $101,450 | $134,890 | $86,620 | ||
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 recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary 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 | ||||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,950 | 0.11 | 1.32 |
| Annual | $59,970 | $77,450 | $127,780 | $165,970 | $210,140 | $125,840 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 90 | 0.03 | 0.42 |
| Annual | $58,690 | $78,210 | $97,640 | $123,180 | $167,340 | $105,220 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 290 | 0.08 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $62,270 | $70,490 | $87,960 | $104,340 | $140,280 | $94,740 | ||||
| Michigan | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 320 | 0.07 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $50,680 | $63,100 | $83,690 | $123,230 | $173,460 | $109,870 | ||||
| Wyoming | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 30 | 0.11 | 1.38 |
| Annual | $59,340 | $59,340 | $83,260 | $98,480 | $98,480 | $77,150 | ||||
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 | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,950 | 0.11 | 1.32 |
| Annual | $59,970 | $77,450 | $127,780 | $165,970 | $210,140 | $125,840 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 1,460 | 0.10 | 1.28 |
| Annual | $38,200 | $49,080 | $76,480 | $99,060 | $123,750 | $77,610 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 730 | 0.15 | 1.81 |
| Annual | $49,830 | $60,170 | $73,860 | $83,640 | $103,680 | $74,490 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 670 | 0.07 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $40,100 | $60,700 | $80,190 | $103,040 | $158,460 | $90,190 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 640 | 0.11 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $50,680 | $63,820 | $83,150 | $104,420 | $125,260 | $89,050 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 170 | 0.10 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $71,310 | $113,380 | $159,690 | $180,440 | $250,700 | $154,130 | ||||
| Fresno, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 60 | 0.13 | 1.56 |
| Annual | $72,010 | $106,210 | $137,850 | $137,850 | $160,250 | $127,470 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 200 | 0.08 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $69,260 | $103,550 | $134,190 | $196,050 | $278,130 | $153,870 | ||||
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 60 | 0.06 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $75,610 | $106,720 | $131,850 | $164,960 | $209,430 | $138,400 | ||||
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 160 | 0.10 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $48,280 | $78,110 | $130,420 | $171,100 | $212,990 | $128,840 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 770 | 0.12 | 1.50 |
| Annual | $60,580 | $75,560 | $106,660 | $167,180 | $208,490 | $121,550 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 750 | 0.08 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $53,200 | $61,680 | $78,730 | $102,470 | $141,510 | $91,070 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 330 | 0.07 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $43,210 | $48,690 | $61,880 | $80,290 | $105,080 | $69,120 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 310 | 0.08 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $43,630 | $62,500 | $79,310 | $101,720 | $125,310 | $83,270 | ||||
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 280 | 0.23 | 2.87 |
| Annual | $38,470 | $49,040 | $73,840 | $104,740 | $149,430 | $86,870 | ||||
Top industries employing recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools employ 72.0% of recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary nationally (9,090 jobs) at a median $74,710 a year, followed by Junior Colleges (27.6%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300 | 9,090 | 72.0% | $74,710 | * |
| Junior Colleges NAICS 611200 | 3,480 | 27.6% | $96,670 | * |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (12,630). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $72,440 for recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary in May 2021 and $77,270 in May 2025, with employment of 13,860 and 12,630.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $72,440 | * | 13,860 |
| May 2022 | $72,650 | * | 13,400 |
| May 2023 | $75,770 | * | 13,270 |
| May 2024 | $75,890 | * | 12,680 |
| May 2025 | $77,270 | * | 12,630 |
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
41 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 | California profile | * | $127,780 | $59,970 | $210,140 | 1,950 | 0.11 | 1.32 |
| 2 | Maryland profile | * | $97,640 | $58,690 | $167,340 | 90 | 0.03 | 0.42 |
| 3 | Massachusetts profile | * | $87,960 | $62,270 | $140,280 | 290 | 0.08 | 0.99 |
| 4 | Michigan profile | * | $83,690 | $50,680 | $173,460 | 320 | 0.07 | 0.90 |
| 5 | Wyoming profile | * | $83,260 | $59,340 | $98,480 | 30 | 0.11 | 1.38 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania profile | * | $83,150 | $50,680 | $125,260 | 640 | 0.11 | 1.30 |
| 7 | Wisconsin profile | * | $80,500 | $62,640 | $92,460 | 40 | 0.01 | 0.16 |
| 8 | Minnesota profile | * | $80,410 | $50,390 | $125,420 | 260 | 0.09 | 1.09 |
| 9 | New York profile | * | $80,190 | $40,100 | $158,460 | 670 | 0.07 | 0.86 |
| 10 | Connecticut profile | * | $79,200 | $47,540 | $106,260 | 190 | 0.11 | 1.35 |
| 11 | New Mexico profile | * | $79,090 | $55,430 | $96,220 | 40 | 0.05 | 0.59 |
| 12 | South Carolina profile | * | $78,800 | $50,290 | $128,760 | 280 | 0.12 | 1.51 |
| 13 | Texas profile | * | $76,480 | $38,200 | $123,750 | 1,460 | 0.10 | 1.28 |
| 14 | Utah profile | * | $76,350 | $49,030 | $103,790 | 110 | 0.06 | 0.77 |
| 15 | Florida profile | * | $76,100 | $46,140 | $125,260 | 140 | 0.01 | 0.17 |
| 16 | Iowa profile | * | $75,130 | $33,780 | $134,640 | 100 | 0.07 | 0.81 |
| 17 | Washington profile | * | $74,850 | $58,370 | $103,710 | 240 | 0.07 | 0.84 |
| 18 | North Carolina profile | * | $73,860 | $49,830 | $103,680 | 730 | 0.15 | 1.81 |
| 19 | Tennessee profile | * | $73,280 | $50,790 | $99,940 | 220 | 0.07 | 0.82 |
| 20 | Missouri profile | * | $73,180 | $49,030 | $102,760 | 200 | 0.07 | 0.82 |
| 21 | Alabama profile | * | $72,680 | $50,700 | $89,920 | 110 | 0.05 | 0.66 |
| 22 | Arizona profile | * | $71,230 | $48,960 | $133,920 | 90 | 0.03 | 0.34 |
| 23 | Ohio profile | * | $70,260 | $41,490 | $101,460 | 420 | 0.08 | 0.93 |
| 24 | Maine profile | * | $67,670 | $63,630 | $105,550 | 40 | 0.06 | 0.77 |
| 25 | Illinois profile | * | $67,180 | $43,970 | $126,950 | 630 | 0.10 | 1.27 |
| 26 | Indiana profile | * | $67,060 | $39,930 | $104,730 | 410 | 0.13 | 1.59 |
| 27 | West Virginia profile | * | $66,440 | $47,000 | $98,490 | 100 | 0.14 | 1.73 |
| 28 | Georgia profile | * | $66,410 | $40,320 | $106,740 | 160 | 0.03 | 0.41 |
| 29 | Louisiana profile | * | $65,940 | $37,160 | $105,360 | 100 | 0.05 | 0.64 |
| 30 | New Jersey profile | * | $65,900 | $51,170 | $103,630 | 520 | 0.12 | 1.50 |
| 31 | Colorado profile | * | $65,730 | $30,800 | $103,270 | 180 | 0.06 | 0.78 |
| 32 | Virginia profile | * | $65,320 | $49,630 | $104,370 | 310 | 0.08 | 0.94 |
| 33 | Kentucky profile | * | $64,890 | $40,390 | $102,850 | 230 | 0.12 | 1.43 |
| 34 | Oklahoma profile | * | $63,590 | $41,300 | $135,880 | 110 | 0.07 | 0.80 |
| 35 | Oregon profile | * | $63,090 | $35,940 | $130,890 | 480 | 0.24 | 2.99 |
| 36 | Arkansas profile | * | $63,020 | $50,590 | $79,680 | 110 | 0.09 | 1.05 |
| 37 | South Dakota profile | * | $62,280 | $51,630 | $73,820 | 60 | 0.12 | 1.53 |
| 38 | Mississippi profile | * | $60,560 | $30,860 | $95,460 | 190 | 0.16 | 2.01 |
| 39 | Kansas profile | * | $59,730 | $47,240 | $106,990 | 60 | 0.04 | 0.51 |
| 40 | Idaho profile | * | $58,720 | $48,500 | $134,850 | 70 | 0.08 | 0.95 |
| 41 | Alaska profile | * | $58,330 | $46,690 | $91,260 | 60 | 0.20 | 2.41 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (25-1190), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Educational Instruction and Library 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 25-1193 Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary.
*- Wage 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. A withheld or top-coded median in that table shows the marker explained above.
- 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. A withheld or top-coded cell in that table shows the marker explained above.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 25-1193, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 25-1193.00, 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.