Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary

Education and TrainingO*NET 25-1193.00United States

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.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $84,440
Projected change: +9.1%
Typical education: Doctoral degree or more
Employment: 1.78M jobs

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as anatomy, therapeutic recreation, and conditioning theory.
Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.
Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks.
Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.
Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.
Participate in campus and community events.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $49,147
25th percentile: $62,814
50th percentile: $84,440
75th percentile: $118,952
90th percentile: $175,749

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $84,440 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+9.1%faster than average

20251,782,325 jobs

2035 projected1,944,527 jobs

162,202 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

Doctoral degree or more: 74.2%
Master's or Professional degree: 20.8%
Bachelor's degree: 5%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Exercise Science
Kinesiology
Physical Education
Health Sciences
Exercise Physiology
Health Education
Curriculum Development
Learning Management Systems
Physical Therapy
Online Teaching
Talent Management
Pedagogy
Physiology
Athletic Training
Marketing
Health Promotion
Strength Training And Conditioning
Student Engagement
Biology
Public Health

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Adjunct Faculties250 postings
02Exercise Science Interns87 postings
03Fitness Interns61 postings
04Biology Adjunct Faculties53 postings
05Advanced Specialists52 postings
06Adjunct Instructors35 postings
07Health Fitness Professionals33 postings
08Faculties31 postings
09Adjuncts30 postings
10Assistant Professors of Exercise Science26 postings
11Kinesiology Instructors25 postings
12Public Health Directors25 postings
13Health and Wellness Instructors24 postings
14Physical Therapists22 postings
15Adjunct Lecturers21 postings
16Biology Lecturers21 postings
17Lecturers21 postings
18Fitness Specialists16 postings
19Lecturers/Teaching Assistants16 postings
20Science Faculties16 postings

Top employers

01Health Fitness Corporation63 postings
02Pearson Education52 postings
03Trustmark National Bank32 postings
04Herc29 postings
05Metropolitan State University of Denver20 postings
06Tennessee Board of Regents19 postings
07California State University-Chancellors Office18 postings
08EXOS17 postings
09Grand Canyon University16 postings
10Rowan University16 postings
11Texas State University16 postings
12Baylor University14 postings
13South Orange County Community College District14 postings
14University of Minnesota14 postings
15Western Kentucky University14 postings
16Salt Lake Community College13 postings
17Edjoin.Org12 postings
18Johnson & Wales University-Providence12 postings
19Samuel Merritt University12 postings
20University of Miami12 postings

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