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The national median salary for Exercise Physiologists is $58,157 per year ($27.96/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $48,651 and $65,437 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $79,830 per year. There are approximately 8,110 exercise physiologists employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+9.5%
Much faster than average
Annual openings
2K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
24K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
14% from new growth86% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
5K
$58,390
Offices of Other Health Practitioners
NAICS 621300
1K
$50,400
Offices of Physicians
NAICS 621100
730
$59,280
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services
NAICS 621900
500
$38,550
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999100
270
$94,680
Wage range across top 5 industries: $38,550 to $94,680 (146% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$19.68
$40,934
P25
$23.39
$48,651
P50MEDIAN
$27.96
$58,157
P75
$31.46
$65,437
P90
$38.38
$79,830
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · health sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.4%
Quits Rate
1.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance openings rebounded to 1.36M (+87K) in March with rate at 5.4%. Hires rose to 700K (+75K). The sector remains structurally tight; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average exercise physiologists salary?
The national median salary for Exercise Physiologists is $58,157 per year ($27.96/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $48,651 and $65,437 annually.
How much do top-earning exercise physiologists make?
The 90th percentile salary for Exercise Physiologists is $79,830 per year ($38.38/hr). The 75th percentile is $65,437 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for exercise physiologists?
Entry-level Exercise Physiologists (10th percentile) earn approximately $40,934 per year ($19.68/hr). The 25th percentile is $48,651 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.