Exercise science professionals know they have a great responsibility to ensure the safety and health of clients and patients at all ages and skills levels in whatever fields they specialize in. The exercise science professions offer many exciting and challenging career opportunities allowing professionals to earn a good living, help others, and enjoy a great quality of life.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, careers related to the field of exercise science are growing. Here are some exercise science jobs from the Occupational Outlook Handbook and other resources:
Employment is projected to grow 19% through 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations. Preventative health care, focused on wellness and fitness, is starting to mature as an important aspect of the health care system. As businesses, government, and insurance organizations continue to recognize the benefits of health and fitness programs for their employees, incentives to join gyms or other types of health clubs are expected to increase the need for fitness trainers and instructors.
Employment is expected to grow 20% through 2031, faster than average for all occupations. An increasing emphasis on youth, high school, college, and other amateur sports will require more knowledgeable coaches in areas of fitness, strength, performance, sport science, sport psychology, and nutrition. Numbers of staff members in professional and collegiate sports are also expanding with a greater emphasis on injury prevention and post-event recovery. Strength & Conditioning/ Performance Coaches for college or professional sports teams need to have advanced understanding of fitness, functional sport training, corrective exercise, wellness, applied sport science, sport psychology, and several other keys areas.
Many fitness and health professionals aspire to own their personal business focusing on personal training, sport performance enhancement training, golf performance training, wellness coaching, nutritional counseling, and/or many other unique business options
Employment in this field has grown rapidly over the past decade with total rounds of golf played in the US increasing by more than 15% since 2019. Recreational golfers have seen, and duplicated, the positive impact of fitness and conditioning in improving professional golfers performance. Recreational golfers seek out professionals who can enhance their golf performance and educate them on how to prevent injury. If you enjoy developing performance, fitness, and injury prevention plans for golfers, this is the field for you.
Employment in this field is expected to grow 17% through 2030, faster than most careers in the United States. If you enjoy coaching and educating others regarding wellness and health, as well as developing wellness plans that help patients prevent and recover from injuries and acute & chronic disease, this is the field for you.
According to the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA), “Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitators® (TSAC-F®)” apply scientific knowledge to physically train military, fire and rescue, law enforcement, protective services, and other emergency personnel to improve performance, promote wellness, and decrease injury risk”.
Earning your online exercise science degree at PennWest California will open up numerous opportunities to start or advance in many occupations and related career fields. Here’s a checklist of potential career pathways (NOTE: Some of these career pathways may require additional education):
Exercise science, fitness, wellness, and sport performance industries are big business and require highly educated professionals to help the industries continue to evolve. As one example, in a recent report, Allied Market Research analyzed the Sports Training Market. The report states ‘the Sports Training Market Size was valued at $11.00 billion in 2021, and is estimated to reach $18.85 billion by 2031. The word “sports training” is used in the sporting context to refer to the process of getting athletes ready for their best possible performance. Sports training is a comprehensive, scientific, and organized method of preparing athletes for elite levels of athletic performance.”
Based on reports like these, thousands of highly educated professionals will be required to sustain and grow the exercise science, fitness, wellness, and sport performance industries. If salary is the driving factor behind your decision to work in the fitness career, then there are a wide variety of pay scales within the industry. Entry-level fitness trainers can make around $45,000-$60,000, managers / supervisors in the $80,000-$150,000 range, while being the CEO of a gym chain or owner of a fitness/wellness company can net an average salary of $1-$5 million.
It is important to find the aspect of the industry in which you most enjoy and feel most comfortable working in. Your salary options are relatively endless depending on the career path you would like to pursue. These salaries are really just the beginning of options available. The sport science industry is expected to grow 10% through 2028 to serve aging populations and the increased interest in healthy living.
Choosing PennWest California for undergraduate or graduate study in exercise science is an important first step to unlocking excellent career opportunities for your future. Earning an online exercise science degree expands your skillset and increases your career opportunities whether you choose to work in Pennsylvania, across the country or even around the world. Exercise science students at PennWest enroll from all 50 states, and from more than 20 countries from the Bahamas to Switzerland. We’re also pleased to welcome students in military service worldwide.
For twenty years, PennWest Global Online is a nationally respected leader for outstanding online exercise science bachelor’s degree and master’s degree programs. PennWest Global Online offers you excellent options:
Graduates of PennWest California’s online degree programs in exercise science are successful professionals in athletics, fitness, health and wellness, healthcare and many other related fields. You’ll find PennWest Global Online exercise science alumni in a wide range of top jobs at leading employers, including: