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The differences between clinical exercise physiologists and certified 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 a certified 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 $47,184 average annual salary of a certified athletic trainer.
The top three skills for a clinical exercise physiologist include patients, rehabilitation and cardiac rehabilitation. The most important skills for a certified athletic trainer are rehabilitation, CPR, and patient care.
| Clinical Exercise Physiologist | Certified Athletic Trainer | |
| Yearly salary | $53,276 | $47,184 |
| Hourly rate | $25.61 | $22.68 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 108,099 | 90,171 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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.
A certified athletic trainer is a health and medical expert who specializes in providing health care assistance to athletes. They typically devise strategies to prevent injuries during training sessions and other activities, develop health care plans, and provide immediate care or first aid when injuries occur. There are also instances where they work together with physicians and other health care professionals, such as when diagnosing and treating injuries, developing rehabilitation structures, and administrating other health care services.
Clinical exercise physiologists and certified athletic trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Exercise Physiologist | Certified Athletic Trainer | |
| Average salary | $53,276 | $47,184 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $95,000 | Between $36,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bakersfield, CA | Hartford, CT |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Boston Medical Center | The American Musical and Dramatic Academy |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between a clinical exercise physiologist and a certified athletic trainer in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Exercise Physiologist | Certified Athletic Trainer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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 certified athletic trainers' demographics:
| Clinical Exercise Physiologist | Certified Athletic Trainer | |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7% | Male, 41.5% Female, 58.5% |
| 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, 9.5% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 8.3% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 10% |