What Can You Do With an Exercise Science Degree? 6 Jobs to Consider

Completing an exercise science program demonstrates a keen understanding of sports medicine. In other words, you understand strength and conditioning at a deep level, along with how proper nutrition impacts the body and how all of this adds up to a legitimate form of medicine that enhances the well-being of others.

Still, you’re left with a question—what can you do with an exercise science degree?

What Is an Exercise Science Degree?

An exercise science degree sees you explore the branch of health science related to how exercise affects the body. You’ll learn how to diagnose and treat exercise-related injuries and combine insights from multiple fields, including biology, nutrition, and human physiology, in those diagnoses and treatments.

These skills open up several career paths, many focusing on how you can help clients (or students) improve their quality of life through exercise.

How Is Exercise Science Growing?

Tremendously, with that growth likely fueled by the fact that 83% of Americans say they aren’t the weight they’d like to be and 79% claim they’d prefer being incredibly fit over being famous. In other words, the American public is becoming more health conscious, with exercise science and its growth reflecting that trend. Honing in on the exercise physiology sector alone, we see anticipated growth of 10.3% between 2022 and 2032, which is likely why there are already 16,500 exercise physiologists in the U.S.

What Six Careers Can You Pursue With an Exercise Science Degree?

With a degree in exercise science, an array of career opportunities opens up. Those include the six in this list:

1. Physical therapy assistant
2. Exercise physiologist
3. Athletic director
4. Physical education teacher
5. Occupational therapy
6. Nutritionist

#1 – Physical Therapy Assistant

Though an exercise science degree isn’t enough to become a physical therapist—a specialized doctor of physical therapy degree is required—it does enable you to become an assistant to one of these professionals.

Even in an assistant’s role, you can earn a healthy average yearly salary of $83,849, according to Indeed, which bases its assessment on over 56,000 salaries. As for responsibilities, you’ll work with patients on implementing their training plans and collecting data that you feed back to the physical therapist.

#2 – Exercise Physiologist

Similar to a physical therapy assistant, an exercise physiologist uses their exercise science degree in a supportive capacity. They work alongside other medical professionals to improve the overall health of their patients.

Often, this may involve tailoring exercise plans for people who have chronic health conditions affecting their circulation of respiratory systems, along with educating patients on the importance of those plans. The average salary is $49,029 per year, with potential to reach the $80,000 range in the future.

#3 – Athletic Director

Moving away from the medical field, becoming an athletic director combines exercise science knowledge with business acumen. They’ll help create athletic training programs while managing teams of athletic trainers to execute those programs. Event planning, marketing, hiring trainers, and ordering equipment also fall under their remit, as does dealing with legal issues related to their work.

For that expanded workload, athletic directors are among the highest-paid exercise science graduates, earning an average of $69,992 and having the potential to hit the $130,000 range with experience.

#4 – Physical Education Teacher

Physical education (PE) is interesting because we can approach it from multiple tracks. There’s the traditional PE teacher hired by a school to oversee the athletic development of entire classes of children. They’re paid an average of $74,064 per year, making this an attractive career path.

However, fitness trainers and instructors are also essentially PE teachers, only with a general focus on adults and the choice between working with individuals or groups. Falling under the “personal trainer” umbrella, these professionals often work with gyms and earn an average of $46,607 per year.

#5 – Occupational Therapy

Moving back to the medical side of exercise and sports science, occupational therapy focuses on helping people overcome mobility challenges they face in their day-to-day lives. So, becoming an occupational therapist often entails working with people to develop exercise techniques that help them reclaim their independence, creating programs and recommending (and utilizing) patient-relevant equipment along the way.

Average salaries reflect the more direct nature of this patient work, meaning you can earn around $93,500 per year with this career.

#6 – Nutritionist

The careers we’ve focused on so far all leverage the “exercise” aspect of an exercise science degree. That’s far from the only aspect of science you’ll learn, with nutrition playing a key role in the physical programs people follow.

Thus, becoming a nutritionist is within your reach when you have this degree. Creating meal plans and helping people adapt their diets to their physical needs – including tailoring those diets around allergies and nutritional deficiencies – fall under your remit. That food focus also pays off on the monetary front, with an average salary of $57,798 potentially rising to the low six figures per year.

Common Skills Needed in Exercise Science Fields

Your chief skill as an exercise scientist will always be your ability to improve people’s health and fitness – often with a focus on athletic performance – through your knowledge. Having an analytical mind helps with all of these careers in exercise science as a result.

So, too, does having the ability to communicate complex (and often medical) terminology in ways that clients and patients understand. That communication extends to the physical aspects of your work, as you’ll often serve as a demonstrator for the exercises your clients need to do.

Is Exercise Science Right for You?

Having at least an interest (and ideally a passion) in how the body works and what you must do to optimize fitness levels is a good sign that an exercise science program could be right for you. This degree track can also see you working with athletes at multiple levels of performance, with those who have an empathetic nature also being able to use their degrees to enter the medical field.

Want to Take Your Career Even Further? Consider a Master’s in Exercise Science

Perhaps you’ve already earned an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in exercise science, and you’re ready to take your career further. A master’s degree is your next step, with UC offering a Master of Science in Exercise and Sport Science that suits the already busy professional. Worth 30 college credits – and with military and veteran scholarships available – the degree program is entirely online, providing students with a flexible learning schedule.

Learn more by getting in touch with UC today.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What can you do with an exercise science degree?

An exercise science degree opens doors to careers in healthcare, sports performance, and wellness. You can work as an exercise physiologist, athletic director, physical therapy assistant, occupational therapist, nutritionist, or even a personal trainer. Many graduates also use this degree as a stepping stone to advanced studies in physical therapy, occupational therapy, or sports medicine.

Is exercise science the same as kinesiology?

Exercise science and kinesiology are closely related but not identical. Kinesiology is a broader field that studies human movement in general, while exercise science focuses specifically on how exercise impacts the body’s health, performance, and rehabilitation. Both fields share common coursework, but exercise science tends to be more applied in sports performance and healthcare settings.

What is the highest paying job in exercise science?

Among exercise science careers, occupational therapists and athletic directors rank among the highest-paying roles. Occupational therapists earn an average salary of around $93,500 per year, while experienced athletic directors can make well over $100,000. Those who pursue advanced degrees or certifications in physical therapy, sports medicine, or strength and conditioning can also reach six-figure salaries.

Is exercise science in demand? What is the job outlook for exercise science?

Yes, the demand for exercise science professionals is growing as more people prioritize health and fitness. The exercise physiology field alone is projected to grow by 10.3% between 2022 and 2032, with many related careers—such as physical therapy assistants and occupational therapists—seeing strong job growth as well. This trend reflects a rising interest in preventative healthcare and sports performance optimization.