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The differences between exercise physiologists and clinical exercise physiologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an exercise physiologist and a clinical exercise physiologist. Additionally, a clinical exercise physiologist has an average salary of $53,276, which is higher than the $49,399 average annual salary of an exercise physiologist.
The top three skills for an exercise physiologist include patients, rehabilitation and cardiac rehabilitation. The most important skills for a clinical exercise physiologist are patients, rehabilitation, and cardiac rehabilitation.
| Exercise Physiologist | Clinical Exercise Physiologist | |
| Yearly salary | $49,399 | $53,276 |
| Hourly rate | $23.75 | $25.61 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 38,633 | 108,099 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
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.
Exercise physiologists and clinical exercise physiologists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Exercise Physiologist | Clinical Exercise Physiologist | |
| Average salary | $49,399 | $53,276 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $82,000 | Between $29,000 And $95,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairfield, CA | Bakersfield, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | Boston Medical Center |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an exercise physiologist and a clinical exercise physiologist in terms of educational background:
| Exercise Physiologist | Clinical Exercise Physiologist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Kinesiology | Kinesiology |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between exercise physiologists' and clinical exercise physiologists' demographics:
| Exercise Physiologist | Clinical Exercise Physiologist | |
| Average age | 38 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5% | Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7% |
| 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, 11.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 5.6% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 13% |