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The differences between 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 an exercise physiologist, becoming a certified athletic trainer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an exercise physiologist has an average salary of $49,399, which is higher than the $47,184 average annual salary of a certified athletic trainer.
The top three skills for an exercise physiologist include patients, rehabilitation and cardiac rehabilitation. The most important skills for a certified athletic trainer are rehabilitation, CPR, and patient care.
| Exercise Physiologist | Certified Athletic Trainer | |
| Yearly salary | $49,399 | $47,184 |
| Hourly rate | $23.75 | $22.68 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 38,633 | 90,171 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
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.
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.
Exercise physiologists and certified athletic trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Exercise Physiologist | Certified Athletic Trainer | |
| Average salary | $49,399 | $47,184 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $82,000 | Between $36,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairfield, CA | Hartford, CT |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | The American Musical and Dramatic Academy |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between an exercise physiologist and a certified athletic trainer in terms of educational background:
| Exercise Physiologist | Certified Athletic Trainer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | 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 exercise physiologists' and certified athletic trainers' demographics:
| Exercise Physiologist | Certified Athletic Trainer | |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5% | Male, 41.5% Female, 58.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |