What Can You Do With a Kinesiology Degree? Jobs & Salaries (2026)

Key takeaway: A kinesiology or exercise science degree leads directly to four occupations: athletic trainer, exercise physiologist, exercise trainer and group fitness instructor, and coach or scout. Median annual wages run from $47,160 to $62,520 according to Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national medians. Two honest cautions belong up front: athletic training now requires a master's degree plus state credentialing, and the clinical careers many kinesiology students are aiming at, physical therapy and occupational therapy in particular, require a separate doctoral or master's professional degree that this major only prepares you to apply for.

Kinesiology is the study of human movement, built on anatomy, exercise physiology, biomechanics, and motor learning, usually with applied coursework in assessment, program design, and nutrition. Students come to it from two directions: those who want to work in fitness, performance, and wellness settings directly, and those using it as the science foundation for a clinical graduate program. Both are legitimate, but they lead to very different timelines and costs, and the difference is worth understanding before you enroll rather than in your senior year. This page covers the jobs the degree leads to on its own and where additional credentials become non-negotiable.

Jobs you can get with a kinesiology degree

Wage source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national medians. A median means half of workers in the occupation earned more and half earned less; individual pay varies by employer, setting, location, experience, and whether the position is full-time, seasonal, or session-based.

Athletic trainer. Athletic trainers are healthcare professionals who work under a physician’s direction to prevent, evaluate, and rehabilitate injuries in physically active people. The daily work includes pre-participation screening, taping and bracing, on-site injury evaluation and emergency care, designing and supervising rehabilitation programs, coordinating return-to-play decisions with physicians, and keeping clinical documentation. Employers include high schools and colleges, professional and club sports, clinics and hospitals, the military, and increasingly industrial employers managing workplace injury. This role is regulated in nearly every state and requires the credentials described in the next section.

Exercise physiologist. Exercise physiologists develop exercise programs for patients and clients whose health status makes generic programming inappropriate: cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation patients, people managing diabetes, metabolic conditions, or obesity, and clients in medically supervised wellness programs. The work involves conducting fitness and stress assessments, interpreting physiological measures, writing individualized prescriptions, monitoring response during sessions, and adjusting programs over time. Hospitals and outpatient rehabilitation programs are the primary employers, with additional roles in corporate wellness and university labs.

Coach and scout. Coaches teach the technical and tactical skills of a sport, run practices, design conditioning and skill-development plans, manage competition strategy, and handle the administrative and recruiting side of a program. Scouts evaluate talent for teams and organizations. Settings range from youth and high school programs, where many positions are part-time or stipend-based, to collegiate and professional roles that are full-time and highly competitive. A kinesiology background contributes directly through training design, injury awareness, and motor learning.

Exercise trainer and group fitness instructor. Trainers and instructors assess client fitness, design and lead individual or group workouts, teach exercise technique, and coach adherence over time. They work in gyms and studios, corporate and community wellness programs, and independently with private clients. Employers generally require a nationally recognized personal training or group fitness certification, which a kinesiology degree prepares you for but does not itself provide. Income varies widely because much of this work is paid by session or class.

What the degree level changes

Bachelor’s level. A bachelor’s in kinesiology is the entry credential for exercise physiologist positions, fitness and personal training roles, strength and conditioning work, health coaching, corporate wellness, and many coaching jobs. In practice, employers pair the degree with a certification: personal training, group fitness, strength and conditioning, or clinical exercise credentials issued by independent certifying bodies. Plan on earning at least one, and check which certification your target employers actually recognize.

Master’s level and above. A master’s in kinesiology supports collegiate strength and conditioning, clinical exercise physiology roles that expect graduate preparation, research positions, and teaching. It is also the level at which athletic training now sits.

Athletic training, stated precisely. Entry into the athletic training profession requires a master’s degree from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education, followed by passing the Board of Certification examination and obtaining state licensure or registration where required. A bachelor’s in kinesiology does not qualify you to work as an athletic trainer; it is pre-professional preparation for that master’s. Verify a program’s accreditation status before enrolling if this is your goal.

Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and related clinical paths. These are separate professional degrees, not concentrations of a kinesiology program. Physical therapists must complete a Doctor of Physical Therapy from an accredited program and pass a national licensure examination; occupational therapists complete an accredited master’s or doctoral program with their own national examination and licensure. Kinesiology is a common and well-suited undergraduate major for applicants because it covers much of the required science prerequisite list, but the graduate program is where the clinical credential is earned. If a clinical career is your goal, map the prerequisites of the specific programs you intend to apply to early, since they vary by school.

Common questions

What jobs can you get with a kinesiology degree?

The occupations most directly tied to the degree are exercise physiologist, exercise trainer and group fitness instructor, coach and scout, and athletic trainer, the last of which requires graduate-level preparation and credentialing. Graduates also work in strength and conditioning, corporate and community wellness, cardiac rehabilitation support, and sports program administration.

How much do kinesiology majors make?

Using Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national medians: athletic trainers had a median annual wage of $62,520, exercise physiologists $59,460, coaches and scouts $47,320, and exercise trainers and group fitness instructors $47,160. Coaching and training pay in particular is affected by part-time and session-based work arrangements.

Do you need a master’s in kinesiology?

For most fitness, coaching, and wellness roles, no. You do need a master’s to become an athletic trainer, and graduate study is standard for collegiate strength and conditioning, clinical exercise physiology, research, and teaching. If your target is physical or occupational therapy, a separate professional degree is required.

Can you become a physical therapist with a kinesiology degree?

Not directly. Practicing as a physical therapist requires a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from an accredited program plus passing a national licensure exam. Kinesiology is a strong undergraduate preparation for DPT admission because it covers many prerequisites, but the bachelor’s alone does not permit clinical practice.

What certifications do kinesiology graduates need?

It depends on the role. Fitness and training jobs typically require a nationally recognized personal training or group fitness certification; strength and conditioning positions commonly expect a strength and conditioning credential; clinical exercise physiology roles often expect a clinical exercise certification. These are issued by independent organizations after graduation, not by your degree program.

Is a kinesiology degree worth it?

It is a strong fit if you want to work in fitness, performance, or wellness, or if you are deliberately using it as preparation for a clinical graduate program and have budgeted for that additional degree. It is a weaker fit if you expect the bachelor’s alone to lead to clinical work. Weigh the trade-offs on the is a kinesiology degree worth it page.

Keep exploring

• Start at the kinesiology and exercise science hub, then compare levels: bachelor’s and master’s.
• Check accelerated options, affordable programs, and the online format guide.
• Find schools near you through kinesiology programs by state.
• Compare adjacent fields: sports management, public health, and psychology.

Data verified: August 12, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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