Exercise physiologists
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Exercise physiologists in the United States earn a median salary of $59,460 per year — about $29 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 24K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of +9%.
AI & Automation Risk
The role involves a significant amount of physical presence, including conducting stress tests, measuring vital signs with medical equipment, and providing hands-on rehabilitative care. While AI can highly automate the digital aspects of the job—such as analyzing medical history, processing biometric data, and generating personalized exercise regimens—the core requirement for real-time human interaction, physical assessment, and clinical supervision in a medical setting limits its total exposure.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WABEST VALUE | $84,300 | Above avg (111.1) | $75,855 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $74,380 | Above avg (105.4) | $70,555 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $79,840 | Above avg (113.6) | $70,303 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $72,760 | Above avg (105.8) | $68,783 |
| Madison, WI | $66,100 | Average (97.3) | $67,943 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $66,060 | Average (98.2) | $67,300 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $64,610 | Below avg (96.3) | $67,066 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $61,600 | Below avg (92.5) | $66,564 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $68,560 | Above avg (104.8) | $65,406 |
| Richmond, VA | $63,840 | Average (97.9) | $65,237 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $61,510 | Below avg (95.4) | $64,496 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $59,650 | Below avg (92.7) | $64,352 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $66,210 | Above avg (103.3) | $64,085 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $61,640 | Below avg (96.9) | $63,588 |
| Cleveland, OH | $58,400 | Below avg (93.9) | $62,179 |