Axe ’Em, Jacks!
Rewarding careers
Whether you’re passionate about helping people achieve fitness and wellness goals or sharing your love for dance with others , the Department of Kinesiology and Health Science can help you prepare for a rewarding career.
What kind of jobs can I get with a kinesiology and public health degree?
Here are just a few of the career options available to you, depending on the program you decide to pursue.
- Public health: public health education, health and fitness counseling, workplace safety, patient education and youth outreach
- Kinesiology concentration in exercise science: personal fitness training, sports performance, medicine, rehabilitation, research and allied health fields
- Kinesiology concentration in all-level teaching (early childhood through 12th grade): physical education instruction, allied health field and athletic team coaching
- Master of Science in athletic training: certified athletic training
- Master of Science in fitness and human performance: clinical exercise physiology, exercise stress testing, cardiac rehabilitation careers, sports performance, strength and conditioning, fitness/performance, fitness industry and corporate wellness
Many of these programs also prepare students for graduate and doctoral studies to pursue careers as physicians, physical therapists, occupational therapists and physician assistants.
Job availability and growth
A degree in kinesiology or public health presents many exciting job opportunities. Below we’ve listed just a few.
The job outlook for exercise physiologists is strong with employment in this field projected to grow 10% up to 2028. The median annual wage for exercise physiologists was $49,170 per year in 2019.
Employment of athletic trainers is projected to grow 19% through 2027 as people become more aware of the effects of sports-related injuries. Athletic trainers also will be needed to serve active middle-aged and older populations. The median annual wage for athletic trainers was $48,440 per year in 2019.
Job prospects for physical education teachers are good, but they vary slightly by grade level.
- Elementary education teachers: projected job growth, 3% up to 2028; 2019 median annual wage, $59,420
- Middle school teachers: projected job growth, 3% up to 2028; 2019 median annual wage, $59,660
- High school teachers: projected job growth, 4% up to 2028; 2019 median annual wage, $61,660
* According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Because of the aging population and changes in the health care market, public health careers are projected to see a combined growth rate of 14% up to 2018.
*According to publichealthonline.org.