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The differences between athletic trainers and exercise physiologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an athletic trainer, becoming an exercise physiologist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an exercise physiologist has an average salary of $49,399, which is higher than the $47,028 average annual salary of an athletic trainer.
The top three skills for an athletic trainer include patients, rehabilitation and CPR. The most important skills for an exercise physiologist are patients, rehabilitation, and cardiac rehabilitation.
| Athletic Trainer | Exercise Physiologist | |
| Yearly salary | $47,028 | $49,399 |
| Hourly rate | $22.61 | $23.75 |
| Growth rate | 17% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 56,812 | 38,633 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
An athletic trainer is a healthcare professional who works with physicians to improve a patient's quality of life. Their profession encompasses the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of chronic medical conditions involving disabilities, functional limitations, and impairments. As an athletic trainer, you will typically do various tasks, including recognizing and evaluating injuries, providing emergency care or first aid, and developing and implementing rehabilitation programs. You are also responsible for planning and implementing programs to help prevent sports injuries among athletes.
An exercise physiologist is a health professional who analyzes the fitness of patients to help them improve their health or maintain good health. Exercise physiologists are required to help patients with heart diseases and other chronic conditions such as diabetes or pulmonary disease to regain their health. Certified exercise physiologists must administer exercise stress tests in health and unhealthy populations. They also assist both amateur and professional athletes in helping them boost their performance in sports.
Athletic trainers and exercise physiologists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Athletic Trainer | Exercise Physiologist | |
| Average salary | $47,028 | $49,399 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $61,000 | Between $29,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | Greenwich, CT | Fairfield, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Ethical Culture Fieldston School | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an athletic trainer and an exercise physiologist in terms of educational background:
| Athletic Trainer | Exercise Physiologist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Athletic Training | Kinesiology |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between athletic trainers' and exercise physiologists' demographics:
| Athletic Trainer | Exercise Physiologist | |
| Average age | 40 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.1% Female, 46.9% | Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 8.3% White, 61.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 5.3% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 13% |