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Exercise specialist salary
Average exercise specialist salary
$41,669
Average Exercise Specialist Salary Insights
The average salary for an Exercise Specialist stands at $41,669 per year, translating to approximately $20 per hour. This figure reflects nationwide trends and can vary significantly based on geographical location, experience, and specific job responsibilities. For example, experienced specialists often command higher salaries, especially in metropolitan areas.
Where Can You Earn More?
States such as California, New York, and Texas typically offer higher salaries for Exercise Specialists due to the concentration of health and fitness facilities. Additionally, specialized roles within rehabilitation settings may provide enhanced earning potential.
Career Advancement Opportunities
As an Exercise Specialist, continuing education and obtaining certifications can greatly impact your salary. Roles in corporate wellness or sports teams may offer competitive pay and benefits, making it essential to stay updated on industry trends.
Conclusion
Understanding the salary landscape for Exercise Specialists is crucial for making informed career decisions. Whether you are starting your journey or looking to advance, knowing where you can earn more will help you achieve your professional goals.
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Where can an Exercise Specialist earn more?
Exercise specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average exercise specialist salary by state
The average exercise specialist salary in Alaska, California, and Hawaii are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average exercise specialist salary states are Vermont, Tennessee, and Maine.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for exercise specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $58,624 | $28.18 |
| 2 | Mississippi | $48,044 | $23.10 |
| 3 | Nebraska | $45,386 | $21.82 |
| 4 | California | $58,231 | $28.00 |
| 5 | Wyoming | $43,718 | $21.02 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $45,702 | $21.97 |
| 7 | Iowa | $44,297 | $21.30 |
| 8 | Arizona | $44,259 | $21.28 |
| 9 | Nevada | $50,065 | $24.07 |
| 10 | Missouri | $45,544 | $21.90 |
| 11 | Utah | $49,530 | $23.81 |
| 12 | Hawaii | $50,698 | $24.37 |
| 13 | Oregon | $48,425 | $23.28 |
| 14 | Indiana | $44,093 | $21.20 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $41,330 | $19.87 |
| 16 | Washington | $47,553 | $22.86 |
| 17 | Idaho | $44,133 | $21.22 |
| 18 | Delaware | $42,285 | $20.33 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $43,898 | $21.10 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $47,489 | $22.83 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $42,954 | $20.65 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $38,362 | $18.44 |
| 23 | Alabama | $40,445 | $19.44 |
| 24 | Kansas | $39,346 | $18.92 |
| 25 | Montana | $39,737 | $19.10 |
| 26 | New York | $43,611 | $20.97 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $38,058 | $18.30 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $38,587 | $18.55 |
| 29 | Florida | $38,941 | $18.72 |
| 30 | Rhode Island | $37,707 | $18.13 |
| 31 | New Hampshire | $36,462 | $17.53 |
| 32 | Vermont | $36,195 | $17.40 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $39,651 | $19.06 |
| 34 | Connecticut | $38,997 | $18.75 |
| 35 | New Mexico | $36,959 | $17.77 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $37,740 | $18.14 |
| 37 | Ohio | $37,914 | $18.23 |
| 38 | District of Columbia | $42,501 | $20.43 |
| 39 | Illinois | $38,879 | $18.69 |
| 40 | Texas | $36,531 | $17.56 |
| 41 | Massachusetts | $37,048 | $17.81 |
| 42 | Colorado | $39,402 | $18.94 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $36,568 | $17.58 |
| 44 | Minnesota | $38,736 | $18.62 |
| 45 | Virginia | $36,995 | $17.79 |
| 46 | Maine | $35,105 | $16.88 |
| 47 | Maryland | $34,923 | $16.79 |
| 48 | Georgia | $36,207 | $17.41 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $35,204 | $16.93 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $33,518 | $16.11 |
| 51 | Michigan | $35,060 | $16.86 |
Highest paying cities for exercise specialists
The highest-paying cities for exercise specialists are Kaneohe, HI, Medford, OR, and Las Vegas, NV.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaneohe, HI | $50,704 | $24.38 |
| 2 | Medford, OR | $50,653 | $24.35 |
| 3 | Las Vegas, NV | $49,962 | $24.02 |
| 4 | Salt Lake City, UT | $49,282 | $23.69 |
| 5 | Longview, WA | $48,578 | $23.35 |
| 6 | Richmond, IN | $44,231 | $21.26 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $43,917 | $21.11 |
| 8 | Greenville, NC | $43,481 | $20.90 |
| 9 | Colorado Springs, CO | $39,612 | $19.04 |
| 10 | Chicago, IL | $38,872 | $18.69 |
| 11 | Warwick, RI | $37,767 | $18.16 |
| 12 | Attleboro, MA | $37,424 | $17.99 |
| 13 | Albany, GA | $36,948 | $17.76 |
| 14 | Albuquerque, NM | $36,785 | $17.69 |
| 15 | Manchester, NH | $36,515 | $17.56 |
| 16 | Tyler, TX | $35,647 | $17.14 |
| 17 | Lansing, MI | $35,059 | $16.86 |
| 18 | Gaithersburg, MD | $34,923 | $16.79 |
Exercise specialist salary details
An exercise specialist's salary ranges from $28,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $61,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an exercise specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $61,000 | $5,083 | $29 |
| 75th Percentile | $51,000 | $4,250 | $25 |
| Average | $41,669 | $3,472 | $20 |
| 25th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
Highest paying exercise specialist jobs
The highest paying types of exercise specialists are director of cardiac rehabilitation, bariatric weight loss clinic manager and counselor, and physical therapist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athletic Trainer | $47,028 | $3,919 | $22.61 | 56,812 |
| Certified Athletic Trainer | $47,184 | $3,932 | $22.68 | 90,171 |
| Physical Therapist | $73,070 | $6,089 | $35.13 | 86,697 |
| Nuclear Medicine Technologist | $72,978 | $6,082 | $35.09 | 56,975 |
| Clinical Exercise Physiologist | $53,276 | $4,440 | $25.61 | 108,099 |
| Exercise Physiologist | $49,399 | $4,117 | $23.75 | 38,633 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for exercise specialists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Clinton Brawner Ph.D.
Clinical Exercise Physiology Core Laboratory Edith and Benson Ford Heart & Vascular Institute, Henry Ford Hospital
Top companies hiring exercise specialists now:
Which companies pay exercise specialists the most?
Exercise specialist salaries at Hancock Wellness and Prime Healthcare are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average exercise specialist salary at companies like West Tennessee Healthcare and University of Illinois Springfield are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hancock Wellness | $55,895 | $26.87 |
| 2 | Prime Healthcare | $53,586 | $25.76 |
| 3 | West Tennessee Healthcare | $53,074 | $25.52 |
| 4 | University of Illinois Springfield | $50,895 | $24.47 |
| 5 | Oregon Health & Science University | $48,987 | $23.55 |
| 6 | Presbyterian | $48,934 | $23.53 |
| 7 | The University of Kansas Health System | $48,902 | $23.51 |
| 8 | Mission Regional Medical Center | $48,236 | $23.19 |
| 9 | Cleveland Clinic | $47,980 | $23.07 |
| 10 | University of Rochester | $47,908 | $23.03 |
| 11 | PeaceHealth | $45,824 | $22.03 |
| 12 | Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs | $45,490 | $21.87 |
| 13 | Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center | $44,221 | $21.26 |
| 14 | Community Health Network | $43,789 | $21.05 |
| 15 | Yale New Haven Health | $43,729 | $21.02 |
| 16 | St. Charles Health System | $43,259 | $20.80 |
| 17 | WakeMed | $42,947 | $20.65 |
| 18 | Avalon Healthcare Solutions | $42,519 | $20.44 |
| 19 | Nash Holdings | $42,499 | $20.43 |
| 20 | Memorial Health Systems Corporation | $42,499 | $20.43 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Exercise specialist salary trends
The average exercise specialist salary has risen by $961 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average exercise specialist earned $40,708 annually, but today, they earn $41,669 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for exercise specialists over the last decade.
Compare exercise specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average exercise specialist salary over time
Compare exercise specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Exercise specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $41,700 | $20.03 | +2.2% |
| 2024 | $40,700 | $19.59 | -0.2% |
| 2023 | $40,800 | $19.63 | +0.4% |
| 2022 | $40,700 | $19.56 | +3.6% |
| 2021 | $39,200 | $18.86 | +0.7% |
Recently added exercise specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford Health | Exercise Specialist-Sanford Wellness Center | Sioux Falls, SD | 06/30/2025 | $33,392 |
| Rwjbarnabas Health | Exercise Specialist | Newark, NJ | 06/29/2025 | $61,567 |
| Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center | Exercise Specialist | Seattle, WA | 06/28/2025 | $47,730 |
| U.S. Physical Therapy | Exercise Specialist | Alexandria, VA | 06/25/2025 | $27,131 |
| Gymguyz | Female Exercise Specialist | New York, NY | 06/25/2025 | $83,480 |
| The Jackson Clinics Physical Therapy | Exercise Specialist | Alexandria, VA | 06/25/2025 | $27,131 |
| Gymguyz West Metro and Minnetonka | Female Exercise Specialist | Minnetonka, MN | 06/22/2025 | $52,175 |
| Heartland Health | Cardiac Rehab Exercise Specialist | Saint Joseph, MO | 06/20/2025 | $36,731 |
| Gymguyz Lehigh Valley | Female Exercise Specialist | Easton, PA | 06/20/2025 | $52,175 |
| U.S. Physical Therapy | Exercise Specialist | Middleburg, FL | 06/18/2025 | $27,131 |
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