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Career Change Finder

Jobs for Former Exercise Physiologists

Exercise Physiologists build instructing, complex problem solving and judgment and decision making skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Athletic Trainers (88%).

Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers

Skills you enjoy

Pick the skills you want to keep using. The list re-ranks.

Sorted by skill match.

25 careers that use your skills

  1. 1Athletic Trainers
    88%
    Median pay
    $62,520
    Pay change
    +5%
    Extra educationGraduate degree
  2. 2Physical Therapist Assistants
    86%
    Median pay
    $68,380
    Pay change
    +15%
    Extra educationNone
  3. 3Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
    76%
    Median pay
    $64,400
    Pay change
    +8%
    Extra educationNone
  4. 4Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors
    74%
    Median pay
    $47,160
    Pay change
    −21%
    Extra educationNone
  5. 5Ophthalmic Medical Technologists
    74%
    Median pay
    $50,290
    Pay change
    Not compared
    Pay for the broader BLS group “Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other”
    Extra educationNone
  6. 6Midwives
    73%
    Median pay
    $65,790
    Pay change
    Not compared
    Pay for the broader BLS group “Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Workers, All Other”
    Extra educationGraduate degree
  7. 7Paramedics
    73%
    Median pay
    $60,600
    Pay change
    +2%
    Extra educationNone
  8. 8Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians
    73%
    Median pay
    $74,310
    Pay change
    +25%
    Extra educationNone
  9. 9Massage Therapists
    72%
    Median pay
    $58,450
    Pay change
    −2%
    Extra educationNone
  10. 10Adapted Physical Education Specialists
    72%
    Median pay
    $76,580
    Pay change
    Not compared
    Pay for the broader BLS group “Special Education Teachers, All Other”
    Extra educationNone

Compared with Exercise Physiologists, median $59,460. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.

Your transferable skills

How important each skill is in work as exercise physiologists (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).

Instructing4.12
Complex Problem Solving3.88
Judgment and Decision Making3.88
Service Orientation3.88
Social Perceptiveness3.88
Persuasion3.00

Skills to learn

The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.

  • Operations Monitoring
  • Coordination
  • Equipment Maintenance
  • Repairing

Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.

Your top 3 moves, up close

A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.

Athletic Trainers

88% skill match · $62,520 · +5% pay

First step

  • Most common education: Master's Degree (54% of workers).
  • Usually needs a graduate degree — more preparation than your current job.
  • A professional certification is often expected.
  • On-the-job training: none or short demonstration.

Skills to add

Quality Control Analysis · Operations Monitoring · Management of Financial Resources

Is this right for you?

  • Work outdoors in all weather
  • Mistakes can have serious consequences
  • Exposure to disease or infection

Physical Therapist Assistants

86% skill match · $68,380 · +15% pay

First step

  • Most common education: Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree (84% of workers).
  • A professional certification is often expected.
  • On-the-job training: over 3 months, up to and including 6 months.

Skills to add

Equipment Maintenance · Operations Monitoring · Repairing

Is this right for you?

  • Exposure to disease or infection
  • Mistakes can have serious consequences
  • Long hours on your feet

Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses

76% skill match · $64,400 · +8% pay

First step

  • Most common education: Some College Courses (38% of workers).
  • A professional certification is often expected.
  • On-the-job training: anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month.

Skills to add

Coordination · Time Management · Operation and Control

Is this right for you?

  • Exposure to disease or infection
  • Tight deadlines are common
  • Long hours on your feet

Similar roles in the same field

If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.

Free help near you

Former exercise physiologists can get free career counseling, job search help and, if you qualify, help paying for training through American Job Centers, which are funded by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Find an American Job CenterFind training programs

Links go to CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Questions former exercise physiologists ask

What jobs can former exercise physiologists do?

The closest matches are Athletic Trainers (88% skill match, median $62,520), Physical Therapist Assistants (86% skill match, median $68,380) and Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses (76% skill match, median $64,400), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.

Which exercise physiologist career changes pay more?

Among the 25 matches, 17 pay more than exercise physiologists at the median. The biggest increases: Medical Dosimetrists (+148%, $147,470), Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary (+80%, $107,310) and Genetic Counselors (+68%, $100,040).

Do former exercise physiologists need another degree?

18 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones. 7 usually need a graduate degree: Athletic Trainers, Midwives and Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary.

How is the skill match calculated?

We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.

Keep exploring

Sources. Skills, tasks and education: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Data Sources & Licenses