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The differences between rehabilitation technicians and exercise physiologists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an exercise physiologist has an average salary of $49,399, which is higher than the $29,533 average annual salary of a rehabilitation technician.
The top three skills for a rehabilitation technician include patients, rehabilitation and physical therapy. The most important skills for an exercise physiologist are patients, rehabilitation, and cardiac rehabilitation.
| Rehabilitation Technician | Exercise Physiologist | |
| Yearly salary | $29,533 | $49,399 |
| Hourly rate | $14.20 | $23.75 |
| Growth rate | 24% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 31,196 | 38,633 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 43 | 38 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
A rehabilitation technician is responsible for assisting therapists and other medical personnel on supporting the patients in their daily activities and physical therapy sessions. Rehabilitation technicians provide high-quality care services for the patients by administering medications, accompanying them on medical appointments, and ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of all equipment and facilities to prevent hazards within the premises. They may also perform administrative and clerical duties such as updating patients' information on the database, writing reports, processing payments for medical procedures, and maintaining medical charts for reference.
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.
Rehabilitation technicians and exercise physiologists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Rehabilitation Technician | Exercise Physiologist | |
| Average salary | $29,533 | $49,399 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $37,000 | Between $29,000 And $82,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Fairfield, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Lawrence General Hospital | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a rehabilitation technician and an exercise physiologist in terms of educational background:
| Rehabilitation Technician | Exercise Physiologist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Kinesiology | Kinesiology |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between rehabilitation technicians' and exercise physiologists' demographics:
| Rehabilitation Technician | Exercise Physiologist | |
| Average age | 43 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 31.0% Female, 69.0% | Male, 45.5% Female, 54.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 14.4% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 9.5% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 13% |