Exercise Physiologists
Also called: Bariatric Weight Loss Counselor, Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Therapist, Clinical Cardiac Exercise Physiologist, Clinical Exercise PhysiologistAssess, 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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 10 of its 25 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 12.8% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 5.0 hires for every 10 job openings in health care and social assistance, which employs about 93% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.5.0 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $50,820 | $45,340 to $61,050 | 70 |
| Arizona | $62,350 | $54,990 to $77,630 | 220 |
| Arkansas | $48,850 | $45,760 to $60,320 | 40 |
| California | $62,440 | $54,900 to $81,330 | 640 |
| Colorado | $63,800 | $52,950 to $75,350 | 370 |
| Connecticut | $62,510 | $49,850 to $67,520 | 100 |
| Delaware | $57,940 | $45,500 to $73,320 | 90 |
| Florida | $60,100 | $50,880 to $65,520 | 330 |
| Georgia | $58,170 | $51,050 to $66,350 | 210 |
| Idaho | $56,750 | $50,340 to $62,490 | 40 |
| Illinois | $60,130 | $54,240 to $74,860 | 300 |
| Indiana | $49,740 | $46,090 to $62,060 | 310 |
| Iowa | $56,640 | $48,090 to $64,840 | 50 |
| Kansas | $59,090 | $50,540 to $64,190 | 60 |
| Kentucky | $51,070 | $49,040 to $55,540 | 60 |
| Louisiana | $52,450 | $44,770 to $60,270 | 40 |
| Maryland | $62,220 | $52,930 to $64,810 | 90 |
| Massachusetts | $65,950 | $62,410 to $77,500 | 180 |
| Michigan | $55,080 | $50,450 to $62,820 | 570 |
| Minnesota | $67,230 | $62,790 to $77,910 | 250 |
| Mississippi | $43,060 | $36,750 to $57,690 | 30 |
| Missouri | $52,570 | $49,690 to $61,820 | 160 |
| Nevada | $55,240 | $55,230 to $55,260 | not published |
| New Hampshire | $63,590 | $56,320 to $74,620 | 50 |
| New Jersey | $64,680 | $60,990 to $74,050 | 130 |
| New York | $59,940 | $59,940 to $79,070 | 360 |
| North Carolina | $52,450 | $49,090 to $62,870 | 370 |
| North Dakota | $50,430 | $49,030 to $53,460 | 50 |
| Ohio | $51,660 | $49,160 to $62,090 | 340 |
| Oklahoma | $49,190 | $47,560 to $49,880 | 80 |
| Oregon | $71,630 | $63,400 to $75,990 | 80 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,040 | $42,240 to $59,030 | 640 |
| South Carolina | $46,550 | $35,260 to $59,070 | 230 |
| South Dakota | $51,630 | $51,070 to $63,820 | 30 |
| Tennessee | $53,570 | $47,200 to $64,610 | 140 |
| Texas | $56,780 | $46,590 to $62,810 | 520 |
| Utah | $43,850 | $28,860 to $64,650 | 220 |
| Virginia | $52,400 | $45,790 to $67,060 | 240 |
| Washington | $81,310 | $76,370 to $85,060 | 160 |
| West Virginia | $50,270 | $49,290 to $62,140 | 60 |
| Wisconsin | $63,210 | $60,660 to $72,240 | 340 |
| Wyoming | $62,070 | $54,660 to $97,800 | not published |
Nationally: $59,460. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 10 of its 25 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI alone | Explain exercise program or physiological testing procedures to participants. | Not published |
| AI alone | Develop exercise programs to improve participant strength, flexibility, endurance, or circulatory functioning, in accordance with exercise science standards, regulatory requirements, and credentialing requirements. | 0.05% |
| Not much | Provide clinical oversight of exercise for participants at all risk levels. | Not published |
| Not much | Provide emergency or other appropriate medical care to participants with symptoms or signs of physical distress. | Not published |
| Not much | Interview participants to obtain medical history or assess participant goals. | Not published |
| Not much | Demonstrate correct use of exercise equipment or performance of exercise routines. | 0.01% |
See all 25 tasks
| Not much | Prescribe individualized exercise programs, specifying equipment, such as treadmill, exercise bicycle, ergometers, or perceptual goggles. | Not published |
| AI + software | Interpret exercise program participant data to evaluate progress or identify needed program changes. | Not published |
| AI alone | Recommend methods to increase lifestyle physical activity. | 0.03% |
| AI alone | Assess physical performance requirements to aid in the development of individualized recovery or rehabilitation exercise programs. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Teach behavior modification classes related to topics such as stress management or weight control. | Not published |
| Not much | Conduct stress tests, using electrocardiograph (EKG) machines. | Not published |
| AI alone | Teach courses or seminars related to exercise or diet for patients, athletes, or community groups. | Not published |
| Not much | Teach group exercise for low-, medium-, or high-risk clients to improve participant strength, flexibility, endurance, or circulatory functioning. | Not published |
| Not much | Supervise maintenance of exercise or exercise testing equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Measure oxygen consumption or lung functioning, using spirometers. | Not published |
| Not much | Measure amount of body fat, using such equipment as hydrostatic scale, skinfold calipers, or tape measures. | Not published |
| Not much | Calibrate exercise or testing equipment. | Not published |
| AI + software | Present exercise knowledge, program information, or research study findings at professional meetings or conferences. | Not published |
| Not much | Mentor or train staff to lead group exercise. | Not published |
| Not much | Evaluate staff performance in leading group exercise or conducting diagnostic tests. | Not published |
| Not much | Perform routine laboratory tests of blood samples for cholesterol level or glucose tolerance. | Not published |
| AI + software | Plan or conduct exercise physiology research projects. | Not published |
| AI alone | Educate athletes or coaches on techniques to improve athletic performance, such as heart rate monitoring, recovery techniques, hydration strategies, or training limits. | 0.11% |
| Not much | Order or recommend diagnostic procedures, such as stress tests, drug screenings, or urinary tests. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 5 of the 25 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 25 tasks fall under 21 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #5 Provide information or assistance to the public
- #20 Present research or technical information
- #26 Research healthcare issues
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train others on health or medical topics | |||
| Administer diagnostic tests to assess patient health | |||
| Operate medical equipment | |||
| Maintain medical equipment or instruments | |||
| Provide information or assistance to the public | |||
| Present research or technical information | |||
| Research healthcare issues | |||
| Advise others on healthcare or wellness issues |
Show all 21 activities
| Explain medical information to patients or family members | |||
| Analyze health or medical data | |||
| Advise patients or clients on medical issues | |||
| Monitor health conditions of humans or animals | |||
| Collect information about patients or clients | |||
| Evaluate patient or client condition or treatment options | |||
| Develop patient or client care or treatment plans | |||
| Evaluate personnel capabilities or performance | |||
| Examine people or animals to assess health conditions or physical characteristics | |||
| Train others to use equipment or products | |||
| Administer emergency medical treatment | |||
| Order medical tests or procedures | |||
| Prescribe medical treatments or devices |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A plan or strategy32%
- Advice or a recommendation23%
- An explanation or answer13%
- A document or report7%
- An app or website6%
How they worked with Claude
2% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for exercise physiologists specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 5,590 moves out
- 1 Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors Moderate +7.3% 10%
- 2 Coaches and Scouts Moderate +6.1% 6%
- 3 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 6%
- 4 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 4%
- 5 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 4,352 moves in
- 1 Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors Moderate +7.3% 11%
- 2 Coaches and Scouts Moderate +6.1% 6%
- 3 Personal Care Aides 4%
- 4 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 3%
- 5 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
3 programs: Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology, Exercise Science and Kinesiology and Kinesiotherapy/Kinesiotherapist.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
74.6% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | <0.5% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 47.6% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/29-1128.00