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Clinical exercise physiologist salary

Quoted expert
Clinton Brawner Ph.D.

Average clinical exercise physiologist salary

$53,276

$25.61 hourly rate

Entry-level clinical exercise physiologist salary
$29,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Clinical Exercise Physiologist Salaries

As of October 2025, the average salary for a Clinical Exercise Physiologist in the United States is around $53,276 per year. This figure reflects the growing demand for professionals who develop exercise programs to enhance patients' health and wellness. Salaries can vary significantly based on location, experience, and the specific healthcare setting. For instance, states like California and New York often offer higher compensation compared to others.

Salary by State

When considering a career in clinical exercise physiology, examining salary by state is vital. For example, states such as California and Washington report average salaries exceeding $60,000, while opportunities in regions with lower demand may offer salaries closer to $45,000. It’s also important to consider the cost of living in these areas.

Job Opportunities

Positions for Clinical Exercise Physiologists are available in various settings, including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and private practices. Additionally, further specialization can lead to higher-paying roles, such as cardiac rehabilitation or sports physiology. By pursuing certifications and advanced training, professionals can enhance their earning potential and career prospects.

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Where can a Clinical Exercise Physiologist earn more?

Compare salary by location
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92k
72k
52k
32k
12k
Columbus, OH$69,129
Fort Worth, TX$42,146
Compare salary by company
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96k
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Boston Medical Center$77,724
Essentia Health$46,083

Clinical exercise physiologist salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter and Comparably, the average salary for a clinical exercise physiologist typically falls between $53,276 and $93,702.
zippia
$53,276yearly
glassdoor[1]
$68,456yearly
comparably[2]
$93,702yearly
ZipRecruiter[3]
$54,992yearly

Average clinical exercise physiologist salary by state

The average clinical exercise physiologist salary in New Jersey, California, and Alaska are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average clinical exercise physiologist salary states are Texas, Georgia, and New Mexico.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for clinical exercise physiologists

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1New Jersey$70,651$33.97
2California$68,839$33.10
3Alaska$68,180$32.78
4New York$65,008$31.25
5North Dakota$59,365$28.54
6Rhode Island$55,942$26.90
7Wisconsin$58,316$28.04
8Indiana$57,709$27.74
9West Virginia$52,456$25.22
10Pennsylvania$57,841$27.81
11Nevada$59,203$28.46
12Delaware$61,387$29.51
13Mississippi$56,398$27.11
14North Carolina$56,492$27.16
15Arizona$52,427$25.21
16Iowa$54,879$26.38
17Nebraska$53,682$25.81
18Wyoming$50,873$24.46
19Utah$55,687$26.77
20Missouri$53,402$25.67
21Washington$54,136$26.03
22District of Columbia$60,358$29.02
23Louisiana$49,687$23.89
24Minnesota$54,693$26.29
25Vermont$49,185$23.65
26Oregon$52,375$25.18
27Connecticut$58,263$28.01
28Montana$48,623$23.38
29South Dakota$47,110$22.65
30Ohio$51,873$24.94
31Maine$46,831$22.51
32Hawaii$50,768$24.41
33New Hampshire$51,899$24.95
34Massachusetts$54,035$25.98
35Illinois$51,096$24.57
36Kentucky$47,891$23.02
37Michigan$48,419$23.28
38South Carolina$47,732$22.95
39Idaho$51,217$24.62
40Florida$46,382$22.30
41Virginia$51,942$24.97
42Maryland$49,785$23.94
43Kansas$44,927$21.60
44Alabama$48,024$23.09
45New Mexico$42,853$20.60
46Tennessee$42,156$20.27
47Oklahoma$41,626$20.01
48Texas$43,625$20.97
49Colorado$44,059$21.18
50Georgia$43,624$20.97
51Arkansas$38,491$18.51
Top clinical exercise physiologist jobs near you

Highest paying cities for clinical exercise physiologists

The highest-paying cities for clinical exercise physiologists are Bakersfield, CA, New York, NY, and Janesville, WI.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Bakersfield, CA$69,129$33.24
2New York, NY$65,450$31.47
3Janesville, WI$58,154$27.96
4Indianapolis, IN$57,319$27.56
5Altoona, PA$56,354$27.09
6Charlotte, NC$54,642$26.27
7Duluth, MN$54,527$26.21
8Seattle, WA$54,447$26.18
9Boston, MA$53,583$25.76
10Springfield, OR$52,823$25.40
11Chandler, AZ$52,444$25.21
12Alexandria, VA$52,284$25.14
13Mobile, AL$50,019$24.05
14Baltimore, MD$49,930$24.00
15Delray Beach, FL$46,329$22.27
16Littleton, CO$44,041$21.17
17Atlanta, GA$43,470$20.90
18Fort Worth, TX$42,146$20.26

Clinical exercise physiologist salary details

A clinical exercise physiologist's salary ranges from $29,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $95,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average clinical exercise physiologist salary graph
Average clinical exercise physiologist salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a clinical exercise physiologist's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$95,000$7,917$46
75th Percentile$72,000$6,000$35
Average$53,276$4,440$26
25th Percentile$39,000$3,250$19
10th Percentile$29,000$2,417$14

Highest paying clinical exercise physiologist jobs

The highest paying types of clinical exercise physiologists are director of cardiac rehabilitation, bariatric weight loss clinic manager and counselor, and physical therapist.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Certified Athletic Trainer$47,184$3,932$22.6890,171
Athletic Trainer$47,028$3,919$22.6156,812
Cardiovascular Technician$62,986$5,249$30.2837,036
Rehabilitation Technician$29,533$2,461$14.2031,196
Physical Therapy Internship$71,624$5,969$34.43127,064
Physical Therapist$73,070$6,089$35.1386,697

How would you rate the starting salaries for clinical exercise physiologists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

Clinton Brawner Ph.D.

Clinical Exercise Physiology Core Laboratory Edith and Benson Ford Heart & Vascular Institute, Henry Ford Hospital

There is little data specific to the CEP. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not separate clinical and non-clinical exercise physiologists (https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/exercise-physiologists.htm). The CEPA has collected salary data from CEPs (attached). In general, starting salary for a bachelor’s prepared CEP is likely $42k to $45k, with considerable variability across the U.S.

Top companies hiring clinical exercise physiologists now:

  1. Massachusetts General Hospital jobs (2)
  2. Duke University Health System jobs (3)
  3. NCH Healthcare System jobs (3)
  4. PeaceHealth jobs (22)
  5. Cleveland Clinic jobs (3)

Which companies pay clinical exercise physiologists the most?

Clinical exercise physiologist salaries at Boston Medical Center and University of California are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average clinical exercise physiologist salary at companies like University of Maryland Medical System and Oak Grove Tech are highly competitive.

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

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$52,000$51,400$50,800$50,200$49,600$49,000
MaleFemale

Clinical exercise physiologist salary trends

The average clinical exercise physiologist salary has risen by $1,229 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average clinical exercise physiologist earned $52,047 annually, but today, they earn $53,276 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for clinical exercise physiologists over the last decade.

Compare clinical exercise physiologist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average clinical exercise physiologist salary over time

Compare clinical exercise physiologist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Clinical exercise physiologist salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$53,300$25.61+2.2%
2024$52,100$25.05-0.2%
2023$52,200$25.10+0.4%
2022$52,000$25.01+3.6%
2021$50,200$24.12+0.7%

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