How To Become A Professor Of Exercise Science: What It Is and Career Path

What is a professor of exercise science and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Professors of exercise science teach students who are trying to learn how to lead a healthy lifestyle or how to share that lifestyle with others. Effective, safe exercise is not as simple as running around a track or lifting things up. Exercise science is the science of improving health outcomes by developing individualized exercise programs. Professors of exercise science teach future P.E. teachers, kinesiologists, and physical trainers. They teach courses on anatomy, sports nutrition, and related topics. Like any other professor, a professor of exercise science needs to make lesson plans, lecture on their field, and grade student assignments.

Most professors of exercise science have at least a master's degree, if not a doctorate, in kinesiology or a related subject.

Besides their training in exercise science, professors of exercise science need teaching experience. Most start off as instructors or assistant professors before earning a promotion to the position of full professor. Then they can earn an average salary of $66,961 a year.

ScoreProfessor Of Exercise ScienceUS Average

Salary

5.5

Avg. Salary $70,056

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.3

Growth rate 12%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.28%

Asian 11.20%

Black or African American 7.34%

Hispanic or Latino 10.44%

Unknown 4.97%

White 65.78%

Gender

female 42.86%

male 57.14%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

5.3

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a professor of exercise science

Explore professor of exercise science education requirements

Most common professor of exercise science degrees

Bachelor's

58.2 %

Master's

29.9 %

Doctorate

10.4 %

Start to develop specific professor of exercise science skills

Skills	Percentages
Exercise Physiology	64.13%
Science Courses	13.06%
Health Promotion	12.39%
Committee Chair	5.58%
Exercise Psychology	3.16%

Complete relevant professor of exercise science training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New professors of exercise science learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a professor of exercise science based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real professor of exercise science resumes.

Research professor of exercise science duties and responsibilities

Used blackboard online to manage students tests, grade papers and assign materials.
Instruct PE modules to undergraduate / graduate students.
Counsele pharmaceutical/biotech clients on HIPAA, Medicare/Medicaid coverage and reimbursement.
Experiment with different surface chemistry to improve quality of yields -participate in poster session and presentation to faculty and graduate students.

Prepare your professor of exercise science resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your professor of exercise science resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a professor of exercise science resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable professor of exercise science resume templates

Build a professional professor of exercise science resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your professor of exercise science resume.

Apply for professor of exercise science jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a professor of exercise science job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average professor of exercise science salary

The average professor of exercise science salary in the United States is $70,056 per year or $34 per hour. Professor of exercise science salaries range between $43,000 and $113,000 per year.

Average professor of exercise science salary

$70,056 Yearly

$33.68 hourly

What is a professor of exercise science and how to become one

Key steps to become a professor of exercise science

Explore professor of exercise science education requirements

Most common professor of exercise science degrees

Start to develop specific professor of exercise science skills

Complete relevant professor of exercise science training and internships

Research professor of exercise science duties and responsibilities

Prepare your professor of exercise science resume

Choose from 10+ customizable professor of exercise science resume templates

Apply for professor of exercise science jobs

How did you land your first professor of exercise science job

Average professor of exercise science salary

How do professors of exercise science rate their job?