# Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary

> 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/recreation-and-fitness-studies-teachers-postsecondary
- SOC code: 25-1193.00
- Career family: Education
- Median annual pay: $77,270 (10th percentile $44,900, 90th percentile $134,890)
- Projected growth: As fast as average, +2.2%
- Openings a year: 1,000
- Typical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code SIC)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 37 |
| Investigative (I) | 62 |
| Artistic (A) | 39 |
| Social (S) | 100 |
| Enterprising (E) | 26 |
| Conventional (C) | 45 |

## What you'd do

- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 88/100)
- Training and Teaching Others (importance 88/100)
- Getting Information (importance 86/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 81/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 81/100)
- Coaching and Developing Others (importance 79/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 77/100)
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others (importance 76/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 76/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 75/100)

## Skills

Instructing, Speaking, Active Listening, Learning Strategies, Reading Comprehension, Writing, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Monitoring, Time Management

## Knowledge

Education and Training, English Language, Computers and Electronics, Psychology, Biology, Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management, Mathematics, Therapy and Counseling, Communications and Media

## Also called

Adjunct Instructor, Adjunct Professor, Aquatic Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Athletic Instructor, College Faculty Member, College Professor, Education Programs Professional, Exercise Instructor

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/3105) (CIP 3105, 1,394 colleges)
- [Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1313) (CIP 1313, 1,257 colleges)
- [Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/3101) (CIP 3101, 162 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Rice University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/rice-university-2227) | Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $48,301 | $87,404 | not reported |
| [Emory University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/emory-university-main-campus-916) | Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $40,920 | $87,254 | $12,250 |
| [California State University-Sacramento](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-sacramento-375) | Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $69,280 | $82,062 | $23,000 |
| [University of Virginia-Main Campus UVA](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-virginia-main-campus-uva-3072) | Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | not reported | $81,110 | $15,250 |
| [CUNY Brooklyn College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-brooklyn-college-735) | Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $54,793 | $80,207 | $12,875 |
| [University of Scranton](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-scranton-3036) | Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $30,531 | $79,700 | $27,000 |
| [Wake Forest University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/wake-forest-university-3149) | Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $39,950 | $79,599 | $19,500 |
| [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor-main-campus-2956) | Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $47,967 | $79,411 | $20,234 |

## Related careers

- [Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/health-specialties-teachers-postsecondary): $107,310 median pay
- [Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/family-and-consumer-sciences-teachers-postsecondary): $75,870 median pay
- [Education Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/education-teachers-postsecondary): $75,350 median pay
- [Psychology Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/psychology-teachers-postsecondary): $80,340 median pay
- [Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/environmental-science-teachers-postsecondary): $94,980 median pay
- [Fitness and Wellness Coordinators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/fitness-and-wellness-coordinators): $69,770 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.