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Job outlook for health fitness specialists in the United States
Health fitness specialist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected health fitness specialist job growth rate is 19% from 2018-2028.
About 57,800 new jobs for health fitness specialists are projected over the next decade.
Health fitness specialist salaries have increased 6% for health fitness specialists in the last 5 years.
There are over 8,654 health fitness specialists currently employed in the United States.
There are 57,379 active health fitness specialist job openings in the US.
The average health fitness specialist salary is $37,089.
Are health fitness specialist jobs in demand?
Health fitness specialist job and salary trends over time
Health fitness specialist jobs over time
Health fitness specialist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 8,654 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 9,688 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 12,712 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 12,047 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 10,938 | 0.00% |
Average health fitness specialist salary over time
Health fitness specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $37,089 | $17.83 | +0.3% |
| 2024 | $36,979 | $17.78 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $36,458 | $17.53 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $35,899 | $17.26 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | $34,938 | $16.80 | +5.5% |
Health fitness specialist jobs by state
Most common states for health fitness specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 207 | 30% |
| 2 | Vermont | 623,657 | 150 | 24% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,498 | 22% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,179 | 21% |
| 5 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 628 | 20% |
| 6 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 150 | 20% |
| 7 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 1,294 | 19% |
| 8 | Delaware | 961,939 | 179 | 19% |
| 9 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 103 | 18% |
| 10 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 1,717 | 17% |
| 11 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 297 | 17% |
| 12 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 145 | 17% |
| 13 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 1,857 | 16% |
| 14 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 1,320 | 16% |
| 15 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 978 | 16% |
| 16 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 472 | 16% |
| 17 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 463 | 16% |
| 18 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 309 | 16% |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 171 | 16% |
| 20 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 882 | 15% |
Most common cities for health fitness specialists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burlington | 1 | 4% | $38,239 |
| 2 | College Park | 1 | 3% | $36,773 |
| 3 | Elk Grove Village | 1 | 3% | $35,372 |
| 4 | Florence | 1 | 3% | $36,247 |
| 5 | Foster City | 1 | 3% | $47,738 |
| 6 | Georgetown | 1 | 3% | $36,320 |
| 7 | Santa Clara | 2 | 2% | $47,685 |
| 8 | Broomfield | 1 | 2% | $37,924 |
| 9 | Tampa | 2 | 1% | $31,578 |
| 10 | Boulder | 1 | 1% | $37,945 |
| 11 | Columbia | 1 | 1% | $36,763 |
| 12 | Gaithersburg | 1 | 1% | $36,775 |
| 13 | San Jose | 2 | 0% | $47,652 |
| 14 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $27,307 |
| 15 | Colorado Springs | 1 | 0% | $38,158 |
Health Fitness Specialist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of health fitness specialist experts
Eastern Kentucky University
University of Nebraska - Kearney
University of North Alabama
What general advice would you give to a Health Fitness Specialist?
John John Petrizzo PT, DPT, CSCS: I think that having good people skills will become increasingly important in our field in the next few years. You can be knowledgeable, but if you can't communicate what you know well to others, it is going to hurt your chances of being successful.
What Health Fitness Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
John John Petrizzo PT, DPT, CSCS: I would encourage a graduate beginning their career in the field to be open to new opportunities as you never know where they might take you.
Matthew Sabin PhD, LAT, ATC, SMTC, CIDN
AT Program Director | ProfessorEastern Kentucky University
Sports, Kinesiology, And Physical Education/Fitness
What general advice would you give to a Health Fitness Specialist?
Matthew Sabin PhD, LAT, ATC, SMTC, CIDN: There are so many different fields within the area of kinesiology that this is often a difficult question to answer. Coming right out of school, I believe content knowledge is important. I think you can maximize your marketability (employers and clients) through strategically pursuing additional certifications/credentials that compliment your education, strengths and desired job setting. If you can balance that with soft-skills, like communication, team building, problem solving and critical thinking, I believe you enhance your marketability.
I think it is also fair to acknowledge that if you plan to pursue an industry that requires you to build a client base, thinking you will graduate and "maximize" your salary may be a misnomer. The goal will be to continue to develop those skills ("hard" and "soft") to maximize your earning overtime. Clients/patients want someone working with them who knows their field and is effective. Employers see that over time or word of mouth and marketing spread the news. That is what leads to your value increasing.
What Health Fitness Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Matthew Sabin PhD, LAT, ATC, SMTC, CIDN: Adaptability is the first skill that jumps to mind. Graduates need to know the foundational knowledge but I believe how we apply the knowledge and skills will continue to change. Kinesiology is a broad field that is often a starting point for individuals interested in athletic training, exercise physiology, fitness and wellness, physical therapy, and many other possible fields. Each of these fields requires the professional to know their information but more importantly, how to relay that to the client/patient in a way that impacts and brings change. With that being said, graduates need to work on the soft-skills as much they do in understanding the content of their field.
What will help Health Fitness Specialists increase their earning potential?
Matthew Sabin PhD, LAT, ATC, SMTC, CIDN: This often depends on how well I know the individual, their strengths and weaknesses, etc. In general I would start with... "See your career and occupation as a journey. First, get a good sense of the destination prior to leaving. For your career this means you need to understand why you are going on the trip as well as the destination. A destination without purpose often leads to disappointment or dissatisfaction during the journey. If you can connect each step to your purpose, or your "Why", then you can find joy and fulfillment when things don't work out in your favor all the time. That leads to the idea of the destination. Each graduate needs to understand that there are often many stops along the way in getting to where you want to go. I believe one fallacy we often believe is that graduation leads to the perfect job setting. Individuals working in medicine or health and fitness need to continue gaining skills and knowledge after graduation to become even better and more effective in their careers. This requires you to sometimes accept a job that isn't your final destination or maybe one without the perfect benefits package. Don't delay your career waiting for the perfect setting and opportunity because that final destination may be waiting on you to grow and develop along the way before getting there.
Greg Brown
Professor , Dept. of Kinesiology and Sport SciencesUniversity of Nebraska - Kearney
Sports, Kinesiology, And Physical Education/Fitness
What general advice would you give to a Health Fitness Specialist?
Greg Brown: A lot of undergraduate students in Kinesiology are planning to move on to post-graduate education in allied health (Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Athletic Training, etc.) so their career advice will come from those allied health professionals. For those students going into a career right out of their undergraduate program, typically in the health and fitness industry (e.g. personal training, strength & conditioning, health coaching, corporate wellness), they need to keep an eye on budding trends in the industry and not jump on the latest fad. Basically, a trend is something that is new or innovative that also has staying power and will still be viable in a few years. Fads often seem too good to be true and only last a short time before fading away. Think of wearable technology as a trend while Tae Bo was more of a fad.
What Health Fitness Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Greg Brown: A lot of undergraduate students in Kinesiology are planning to move on to post graduate education in allied health (Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Athletic Training, etc.) so their career advice will come from those allied health professionals.
For those students going into a career right out of their undergraduate program, typically in the health and fitness industry (e.g. personal training, strength & conditioning, health coaching, corporate wellness), they need to keep an eye for budding trends in the industry and not jump on the latest fad. Basically, a trend is something that is new or innovative that also has staying power and will still be viable in a few years. Fads often seem too good to be true and only last a short time before fading away. Think of wearable technology as a trend while Tae Bo was more of a fad.
What will help Health Fitness Specialists increase their earning potential?
Greg Brown: Communication skill are always necessary in this field. You need to be able to talk with others in a relatable way and in a motivating way. Communication through phone, text, email, and other modes will be essential along with in-person.
Being able to motivate elderly people and obese people to adopt a healthier lifestyle is getting to be more important as our population gets older and more obese.
Dr. Hunter Waldman Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Exercise ScienceUniversity of North Alabama
Kinesiology Department
What Health Fitness Specialist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Hunter Waldman Ph.D.: I think verbal and written communication is lacking quite a bit in today's college graduate generation. This is coming from someone who was a college graduate just a few years ago, but since my time as an undergraduate and students today, there is a clear inability for a large percentage of students to pick up on social cues, maintain a productive conversation, or write a respectable email. Jobs in our field are competitive and interviews are still conducted in a face-to-face format. Even if you go to work for yourself, let's say as a personal trainer, then you'll still be interacting with people in a personable manner.
Each interaction can be looked at as if you are marketing yourself to that potential client or employer and if communication is a weakness, that is an issue. Therefore, I'd recommend graduates taking a gap year to 1) find a temporary job that puts you into contact (face-to-face or online) with various people throughout the day so that these skills can be sharpened over time and 2) practice! Excellent written and verbal skills are honed through practice. Everyone can improve these skills and practicing, watching YouTube videos from communication experts, or even having someone read over your email or recording you converse can all be helpful tools for the recent graduate student.