How Much Do Kinesiologists Make?

Kinesiology is the study of human movement mechanics and how they affect individuals’ quality of life. Kinesiologists can work with patients in a variety of settings. Exercise physiologists, the occupation the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) uses for kinesiotherapists, earned a median annual wage of $59,460 in May 2025. Your kinesiology salary will depend on where you work and live. This article provides an overview of kinesiologist job duties and salary figures by geographic areas. Discover some of the top-paying cities and states for kinesiologists.

What Does a Kinesiologist Do?

Kinesiotherapists apply scientifically based exercise principles to improve strength, endurance and mobility for people with functional limitations, according to the accreditation standards for kinesiotherapy programs approved by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) and revised in 2026. Assessment typically involves evaluating patients’ physical abilities and activity to determine the most beneficial treatment.

Kinesiotherapy programs lead to a healthcare degree: under the same CAAHEP standards, an accredited kinesiotherapy program must be sponsored by a college or university that awards a minimum of a bachelor’s degree at the completion of the program. The standards also say kinesiotherapists use their assessments to select interventions and develop a goal-specific treatment plan with each client, and that kinesiotherapists administer treatment upon receipt of a prescription from physicians, nurse practitioners, chiropractors or physician assistants whose scope of practice allows them to make such referrals.

The BLS doesn’t report on kinesiologists specifically. Instead, its Standard Occupational Classification lists kinesiotherapist as an example title under exercise physiologists, an occupation it defines as workers who assess, plan or implement fitness programs designed to improve cardiorespiratory function, body composition, muscular strength, muscular endurance or flexibility. The BLS estimates that 8,560 exercise physiologists held wage and salary jobs nationally in May 2025, including 4,840 in general medical and surgical hospitals. These BLS counts do not cover the self-employed.

Common Kinesiology Treatments

According to the CAAHEP standards, which are developed by the Committee on Accreditation of Education Programs for Kinesiotherapy, kinesiotherapists use tests and measures in six areas to evaluate clients:

• Musculoskeletal
• Neurological
• Ergonomic
• Biomechanical
• Psychological
• Task-specific functional

Kinesiotherapists use the results to choose interventions and plan exercise-based treatment, the standards say.

Exercise physiologists also handle record keeping and equipment. O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor’s occupational database, lists documenting and recording information and performing administrative activities, such as maintaining information files, among their work activities. Its task list for the occupation includes calibrating exercise or testing equipment and supervising its maintenance.

What Is the Median Kinesiology Salary?

Exercise physiologists earned a median annual wage of $59,460 in May 2025, according to pay data from the BLS. Their median hourly wage was $28.59. The top 10% of these professionals earned more than $80,560, while the lowest 10% earned less than $42,760. For comparison, the median annual wage for all occupations was $50,980 in May 2025.

Kinesiology Salaries Vary Based on Many Factors

How much money can you make with a kinesiology degree? Given the broad range of exercise physiologists’ duties, kinesiology salaries can depend on many factors, including:

• Location: Pay for exercise physiologists varies by area. In May 2025, their annual mean wage was $81,870 in Washington state, compared with $60,940 nationally, according to the BLS. The city and state tables below show more of these differences.
• Education: Across all workers, BLS data shows that earnings generally rise, and unemployment rates generally fall, as educational attainment increases. Based on 2025 median weekly earnings for full-time wage and salary workers age 25 and older, the BLS reports that doctoral ($2,307), professional ($2,294) and master’s ($1,876) degree holders made more than bachelor’s degree holders ($1,578). These figures cover all occupations, not kinesiology alone.
• Industry: The industry or work setting you choose to practice in can also impact your kinesiologist salary. For example, BLS data shows exercise physiologists employed by colleges, universities and professional schools had a median annual wage of $62,690 in May 2025, compared with $57,010 for those in offices of physicians.

Kinesiology Salaries by Industry

Your kinesiology salary can depend on the industry in which you work. Here are May 2025 median annual wages for exercise physiologists in four of the industries that employ them, with each industry’s exercise physiologist employment, according to BLS industry data:

• Federal, state and local government, including state and local schools and hospitals: $62,070 (970 employed)
• General medical and surgical hospitals: $59,740 (4,840 employed)
• Offices of physicians: $57,010 (750 employed)
• Offices of physical, occupational and speech therapists and audiologists: $45,180 (970 employed)

Kinesiology Degree Salaries by Career Path

The BLS doesn’t publish wages for kinesiology graduates as a group. The table below lists May 2025 national median annual wages for several occupations the BLS tracks that center on exercise, movement or rehabilitation, from BLS national wage data. The BLS classification lists kinesiology professor as an example title for recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary.

Check the education requirements for any path you’re considering. For athletic training, for example, the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE) says baccalaureate athletic training programs stopped enrolling students after the fall 2022 term, so students who want to become athletic trainers now enter a graduate program. To compare paths, see our guides to physical therapy, occupational therapy salaries and kinesiology and exercise science careers.

5 Best-Paying Cities for Kinesiology and Exercise Science Salaries

To develop a list of cities where kinesiologists earned the most, we ranked metropolitan areas by the annual mean wage of exercise physiologists in May 2025 BLS data. The BLS doesn’t publish estimates for every metro area, and it withholds some employment figures (shown as —).

Other metro areas with impressive exercise physiology and kinesiology salary figures, based on the BLS’ May 2025 annual mean wage data, are:

• Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA: $72,350
• New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: $72,310
• Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: $71,960
• Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL: $71,710
• Richmond, VA: $69,110

Top States for Kinesiology Jobs

The chart below, also based on exercise physiologists’ May 2025 employment and annual mean wage data from the BLS, lists the five states with the highest annual mean wages among states with published estimates.

If you’re looking to start your kinesiology career, research kinesiologist salaries and jobs in your area.

Is a Career in Kinesiology Right for You?

If you’re interested in body mechanics and passionate about helping others, a career in kinesiology could be right for you. This versatile job could take you to various workplace settings and cities.