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The differences between clinical exercise physiologists and athletic trainers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a clinical exercise physiologist, becoming an athletic trainer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a clinical exercise physiologist has an average salary of $53,276, which is higher than the $47,028 average annual salary of an athletic trainer.
The top three skills for a clinical exercise physiologist include patients, rehabilitation and cardiac rehabilitation. The most important skills for an athletic trainer are patients, rehabilitation, and CPR.
| Clinical Exercise Physiologist | Athletic Trainer | |
| Yearly salary | $53,276 | $47,028 |
| Hourly rate | $25.61 | $22.61 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 108,099 | 56,812 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Clinical exercise physiologists, or CEP, are health professionals who utilize scientific rationale for designing, enforcing, and supervising exercise programming. The physiologists set exercise programs for people with conditions, diseases, and/or physical issues. They analyze the fitness of their patients to improve or main their health. Their job includes the assessment of patients' needs and making sure that they are following the safe exercise practices set for them. In addition, CEP may work with patients who have been recovering from any medical emergency or those who need to regain their physical strength.
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.
Clinical exercise physiologists and athletic trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Exercise Physiologist | Athletic Trainer | |
| Average salary | $53,276 | $47,028 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $95,000 | Between $35,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bakersfield, CA | Greenwich, CT |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Boston Medical Center | Ethical Culture Fieldston School |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a clinical exercise physiologist and an athletic trainer in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Exercise Physiologist | Athletic Trainer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Kinesiology | Athletic Training |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between clinical exercise physiologists' and athletic trainers' demographics:
| Clinical Exercise Physiologist | Athletic Trainer | |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7% | Male, 53.1% Female, 46.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 5.6% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 10% |