Exercise Physiologists
Assess, 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.
Most important skills
- Instructing
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Social Perceptiveness
Key knowledge
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Biology
- Education and Training
- Psychology
- Therapy and Counseling
- Administrative
What the work involves
- Conduct stress tests, using electrocardiograph (EKG) machines.
- Demonstrate correct use of exercise equipment or performance of exercise routines.
- Develop exercise programs to improve participant strength, flexibility, endurance, or circulatory functioning, in accordance with exercise science standards, regulatory requirements, and credentialing requirements.
- Explain exercise program or physiological testing procedures to participants.
- Interpret exercise program participant data to evaluate progress or identify needed program changes.
- Measure amount of body fat, using such equipment as hydrostatic scale, skinfold calipers, or tape measures.
- Measure oxygen consumption or lung functioning, using spirometers.
- Perform routine laboratory tests of blood samples for cholesterol level or glucose tolerance.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Investigative, Social.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Bachelor's Degree (50% of expert ratings)
- Related experience
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (32%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months (36%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 4: Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Exercise Physiologists is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | High | Higher on contact with others than 78% of occupations compared | 76% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | High | Higher on dealing with the public than 70% of occupations compared | 50% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Teamwork | High | Higher on teamwork than 67% of occupations compared | 58% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | High | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 60% of occupations compared | 52% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom” |
| Time pressure | Moderate | Lower on time pressure than 54% of occupations compared | 36% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Conflict situations | High | Higher on conflict situations than 69% of occupations compared | 52% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | High | Higher on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 74% of occupations compared | 48% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Consequence of error | High | Higher on consequence of error than 66% of occupations compared | 28% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: moderate
- Conflict situations: high
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: high
- Consequence of error: high
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 0%
- Contact with others about half the time: 4%
- Contact with others most of the time: 20%
- Constant contact with others: 76%
n = 25, Occupational Expert 08/2026
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 8.33%
- Fairly important: 12.5%
- Important: 8.33%
- Very important: 20.83%
- Extremely important: 50%
n = 24, Occupational Expert 08/2026
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 0%
- Important: 12.5%
- Very important: 29.17%
- Extremely important: 58.33%
n = 24, Occupational Expert 08/2026
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 0%
- Limited freedom: 12%
- Some freedom: 52%
- A lot of freedom: 36%
n = 25, Occupational Expert 08/2026
Time pressure
- Never: 8%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 12%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 8%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 36%
- Every day: 36%
n = 25, Occupational Expert 08/2026
Conflict situations
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 20%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 52%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 24%
- Every day: 4%
n = 25, Occupational Expert 08/2026
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 16%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 48%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 28%
- Every day: 8%
n = 25, Occupational Expert 08/2026
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 12%
- Fairly serious: 16%
- Serious: 24%
- Very serious: 20%
- Extremely serious: 28%
n = 25, Occupational Expert 08/2026
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O*NET-SOC 29-1128.00 · SOC 29-1128 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8