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Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeModerate pressure

What they do

Teach courses pertaining to recreation, leisure, and fitness studies, including exercise physiology and facilities management. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Kinds of work

  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $77,270 Median per year Most earn $44,900–$134,890

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.
  • Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
  • Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
  • Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department heads.
  • Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
  • Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.

Job outlook

United States
2% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 1,000 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools76.4%
  • Junior colleges23.1%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

This is not an entry-level job. Most people need a doctoral degree and about 2 to 4 years of related work experience first, so the path usually takes a decade or more after high school. Teaching at a college or university is the goal, and the steps below show one common route.

  1. Bachelor's degree in exercise science, kinesiology, or recreation management

    4 years

    You build a foundation in anatomy, physiology, and how people move and train, which you'll need for every later step.

  2. Fitness and Wellness Coordinator

    2-4 years

    You run wellness programs, manage staff or facilities, and learn how recreation services work in real life, which gives your teaching real-world examples.

  3. Doctoral degree (PhD or similar) in kinesiology, recreation, or exercise science

    4-6 years

    You study a research topic in depth and learn to teach and publish, which colleges require before they hire full-time faculty in this field.

  4. Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary

    Ongoing

    You teach courses such as exercise physiology and facilities management, and you may also do research, depending on the job.

Where it can lead

  1. Associate Professor

    Several years as a full-time faculty member, usually while working toward tenure of experience first

    You take on more teaching responsibility, a bigger research record, and more service to your school, which usually comes with a longer-term position.

  2. Department Chair

    Several years as a professor or associate professor of experience first

    You lead a academic department, manage budgets and staff, and set course plans, which takes strong leadership and communication skills.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology, anatomy, and health classesThese classes build the science background that exercise physiology and fitness courses rely on later.
  • Coach or help with a youth sports team or rec programWorking with groups of kids shows you what it takes to teach and guide people in movement and fitness.
  • Get a first aid and CPR certificationMany schools and community centers offer it, and it's a useful safety skill in any fitness or recreation setting.
  • Find a part-time job at a rec center, gym, or summer campYou'll learn how facilities are run and how to work with a wide range of people.
  • Join a debate, public speaking, or leadership clubSpeaking clearly in front of others is a core skill for any teacher.

In college

  • Major in exercise science, kinesiology, or recreation managementThis major covers the physiology and program-management knowledge this career depends on.
  • Take statistics and research methodsDoctoral programs and faculty jobs expect you to read, design, and analyze research.
  • Work as a research assistant in a campus labYou'll get hands-on research experience and may help write papers, which graduate schools look for.
  • Be a teaching assistant or peer tutorHelping classmates learn gives you early teaching practice and shows you whether you enjoy it.
  • Earn a nationally recognized fitness certificationA certification from a respected fitness organization shows employers and graduate programs you have professional-level training.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a professor or coach to let you help with research or teaching now. Experience in both will make you a stronger candidate for graduate school.
  • Look at graduate programs and talk to current faculty early. Ask what they wish they'd known and what kinds of research the programs focus on.
  • Keep a steady record of your work, such as projects, presentations, or any teaching you do. Graduate programs and future employers will want to see it.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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