How to hire a clinical exercise physiologist

How to hire a clinical exercise physiologist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step clinical exercise physiologist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a clinical exercise physiologist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new clinical exercise physiologist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a clinical exercise physiologist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The clinical exercise physiologist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A clinical exercise physiologist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, clinical exercise physiologists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of clinical exercise physiologists.

   Type of Clinical Exercise Physiologist	Description	Hourly rate
   Clinical Exercise Physiologist	Exercise physiologists develop fitness and exercise programs that help patients recover from chronic diseases and improve cardiovascular function, body composition, and flexibility.	$13-45
   Certified Athletic Trainer	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... Show more	$17-29
   Athletic Trainer	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... Show more	$16-29

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Rehabilitation
   • Cardiac Rehabilitation
   • Acls
   • Patient Care
   • EKG
   • Cardiac Rehab
   • ACSM
   • Blood Pressure
   • Medical History
   • Chronic Disease
   • ECG
   • Disease Management
   • Patient Education

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Interpret ECG test results and work with the cardiologist to diagnose specific cardiac conditions.
   • Perform pulmonary function testing, ECG's, and BP monitoring.
   • Assist physicians with ACLS/BLS procedures, chest tube insertions and catheter angiogramsite management.
   • Utilize the components of the nursing process and the applications of nursing diagnosis in the client setting.
   • Assess new-starts, monitor vitals, adjust workload intensities, and interpret EKG responses to varying exercise intensities.
   • Trouble shooting device issues and arrhythmia problems, aiding the physician in adjusting treatment plans tailor to patient specific needs.

   More clinical exercise physiologist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the clinical exercise physiologist job description is a good way to get more applicants. A clinical exercise physiologist salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a clinical exercise physiologist in Texas may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level clinical exercise physiologist. Additionally, a clinical exercise physiologist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average clinical exercise physiologist salary

   $53,276yearly

   $25.61 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level clinical exercise physiologist salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average clinical exercise physiologist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$69,129	$33
   2	New York	$65,450	$31
   3	Wisconsin	$58,154	$28
   4	Indiana	$57,319	$28
   5	Pennsylvania	$56,354	$27
   6	North Carolina	$54,642	$26
   7	Minnesota	$54,527	$26
   8	Washington	$54,447	$26
   9	Massachusetts	$53,583	$26
   10	Oregon	$52,823	$25
   11	Arizona	$52,444	$25
   12	Virginia	$52,284	$25
   13	Alabama	$50,019	$24
   14	Maryland	$49,930	$24
   15	Florida	$46,329	$22
   16	Colorado	$44,041	$21
   17	Georgia	$43,470	$21
   18	Texas	$42,146	$20

   Average clinical exercise physiologist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Boston Medical Center	$77,724	$37.37	8
   2	University of California	$77,383	$37.20	235
   3	University of Maryland Medical System	$75,916	$36.50	116
   4	Oak Grove Tech	$72,079	$34.65	1
   5	Cedars-Sinai	$67,504	$32.45	178
   6	Memorial Healthcare System	$63,514	$30.54	10
   7	Novant Health	$62,632	$30.11	76
   8	PeaceHealth	$59,697	$28.70	59
   9	Highmark	$59,332	$28.52	33
   10	University of Washington	$57,098	$27.45	36
   11	Mayo Clinic	$56,750	$27.28	129
   12	LifeScan	$56,584	$27.20	2
   13	The University System of Maryland Foundation	$54,701	$26.30
   14	Beaufort Memorial Hospital	$54,682	$26.29	8
   15	Franciscan Health	$50,899	$24.47	40
   16	Ashe Memorial Hospital	$50,374	$24.22	3
   17	Mercy Health	$48,258	$23.20	135
   18	UPMC	$48,026	$23.09	94
   19	Banner Health	$48,023	$23.09	137
   20	Essentia Health	$46,083	$22.16	146

4. Writing a clinical exercise physiologist job description

   A clinical exercise physiologist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a clinical exercise physiologist job description:

   Clinical exercise physiologist job description example

   100 FTE%, day shift. Scheduled shifts are Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM. Hours may vary depending on the operational needs of the department.

   Pay :

   • Relocation assistance may be available for qualified applicants

   Be part of something remarkable

   Bring your experience to a multi-disciplinary preventive cardiology department that offers rehabilitation services along with other patient care ancillary services.

   We are seeking a Clinical Exercise Physiologist (Exercise Physiologist, Exercise Specialist, Cardiac Rehab Therapist) to:

   • Coordinate a treatment plan to meet the clinical and educational needs of heart patients, families, patients at risk for cardiovascular disease and patients with peripheral artery disease.
   • Work on moderate to complex situations requiring a varying level of skill.
   • Communicate and interact with a wide variety of internal and external professionals to provide the best patient care.
   • Conduct stress tests with and without nuclear imaging.

   Education :

   Minimum - Master's degree in clinical Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology, Exercise Science or related field with emphasis in cardiac rehabilitation.

   Work Experience :

   Minimum - Three (3) month internship in a comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation program

   Preferred - One or more years of relevant clinical experience in cardiac rehabilitation

   Licenses and Certifications :

   Minimum -

   • Current CPR and ACLS certification.

   • American College of Sports Medicine Clinical Exercise Specialist or Registered Clinic Exercise Physiologist Certification

   • Minimum Qualification Substitute in place of ACSM Clinical Exercise Specialist or Registered Clinic Exercise Physiologist Certification for Pediatric Fitness Center, Research Park Fitness Center

   Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

   UW Health is committed to being a diverse, equitable, inclusive and anti-racist workplace and is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer. Our integrity shines through in patient care interactions and our daily work practices as we work to embrace the knowledge, unique perspectives and qualities each employee and faculty member brings to work each day. Applications from Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals, LGBTQ+ and non-binary identities, women, persons with disabilities, military service members and veterans are strongly encouraged. EOE, including disability/veterans.

   UW Health East Madison Hospital - is UW Health's newest hospital and one of the most advanced hospitals and wellness centers in the country. Here, health care is seen as a holistic endeavor where our mission is to not only diagnose and treat you when you're sick, but also to partner with you in health and wellness.

   View Full Job Description

   UW Hospital and Clinics benefits

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find clinical exercise physiologists for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your clinical exercise physiologist job on Zippia to find and recruit clinical exercise physiologist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting clinical exercise physiologists requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new clinical exercise physiologist

   Once you've found the clinical exercise physiologist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new clinical exercise physiologist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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