Design and monitor exercise programs to help patients improve heart health and recover from illness.
You may also see this posted as: Clinical Exercise Physiologist, Exercise Specialist, Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant, Bariatric Weight Loss Counselor, Certified Exercise Physiologist (EPC), Clinical Exercise Specialist.
Clinics, hospitals, and fitness centers
Full time, some evenings
Realistic
working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world
Investigative
solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work
Social
helping, teaching, caring for, or supporting other people
O*NET job zone 4 of 5
High preparation—usually a four-year degree plus experience—is common.
Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.
May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.
BLS estimates 64% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.
Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.
Bachelor's degree
Training path: Bachelor's in exercise science.
Related work experience: None.
On-the-job training: None.
No state license in most places; professional certification can help.
Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.
Designs exercise programs to help patients recover from or manage chronic conditions.
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Standard Occupational Classification 29-1128. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.