Physical Fitness Technician Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Physical Fitness Technician maps to BLS occupations averaging about $88,093, with roughly 716,950 workers nationwide in those roles. Median in-state published tuition is about $7,979; common paths include Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors and Physical Therapist Assistants.
Key Statistics
Physical Fitness Technician: what the data shows
Common questions about physical fitness technician degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a physical fitness technician degree?
A Physical Fitness Technician program is classified under NCES CIP 31.0507 in the Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness field family (31.05).
A program that prepares individuals for employment in health and fitness clubs, wellness centers, public and private recreation facilities, hospitals and corporate fitness programs where they will perform a variety of instructional and administrative duties. Includes instruction in human anatomy and physiology, fitness techniques, exercise science, personal training, nutrition, and customer service
IPEDS counted 240 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of physical fitness technician degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 31.05 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Exercise Science and Kinesiology (CIP 31.0505)
- Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (CIP 31.0501)
- Sport and Fitness Administration/Management (CIP 31.0504)
- Sports Studies (CIP 31.0508)
How long does it take to get a physical fitness technician degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 31.0507 in our file:
- 165 Associate (39.2% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
- 240 Bachelor's (57.0% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 16 Master's (3.8% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What degree do you need?
For Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%). Bachelor's awards account for a majority of IPEDS completions for CIP 31.0507, but occupation data show multiple pathways.
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a physical fitness technician degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Physical Fitness Technician to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors | 303,620 | $46,180 |
| Physical Therapist Assistants | 108,010 | $65,510 |
| Physical Therapist Aides | 44,010 | $34,520 |
| Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 12,680 | $75,890 |
| Physical Therapists | 248,630 | $101,020 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a physical fitness technician degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness bachelor's program family: median debt $28,390, median earnings $54,562 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 0.93.
About 4.0% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $7,979 and median net price is $15,996.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Physical Fitness Technician and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$7,979 Median In-State Public
$35,615 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Physical Fitness Technician majors are, on average, $7,979 for in-state public colleges, and $35,615 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Physical Fitness Technician programs.
Institutions awarding the most Physical Fitness Technician degrees
| # | Institution | State | Completions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bryan University | AZ | 110 |
| 2 | Focus Personal Training Institute | NY | 107 |
| 3 | Northern Arizona University | AZ | 77 |
| 4 | MiraCosta College | CA | 60 |
| 5 | Orange Coast College | CA | 39 |
| 6 | Lionel University | CA | 38 |
| 7 | National Personal Training Institute | FL | 37 |
| 8 | Santa Rosa Junior College | CA | 36 |
| 9 | East Carolina University | NC | 30 |
| 10 | College of the Desert | CA | 28 |
IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), all award levels for this CIP in our extract.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Physical Fitness Technician from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Physical Fitness Technician.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 2 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 3 | Southern New Hampshire University | NH | 163,164 |
| 4 | University of Phoenix-Arizona | AZ | 85,991 |
| 5 | Grand Canyon University | AZ | 73,371 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Physical Fitness Technician programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haskell Indian Nations University | KS | $600 |
| 2 | Barstow Community College | CA | $1,104 |
| 3 | Taft College | CA | $1,108 |
| 4 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
| 5 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Physical Fitness Technician programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada College | CA | $32 |
| 2 | Canada College | CA | $32 |
| 3 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $480 |
| 4 | College of San Mateo | CA | $536 |
| 5 | College of San Mateo | CA | $536 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Physical Fitness Technician programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for Physical Fitness Technician programs across institutions.
Where students complete this major (IPEDS)
Bachelor's-level completions (IPEDS Completions, award level 5) summed by institution state. State is taken from IPEDS Directory (HD2023) for each reporting institution.
Geographic concentration
The largest number of reported bachelor's completions for Physical Fitness Technician is in AZ (77 completions). That state represents about 32.1% of U.S. bachelor's completions reported for this CIP in the IPEDS file we use.
Among states, the highest concentration relative to all bachelor's degrees awarded in-state is MO (0.06% of that state's bachelor's completions).
Top states by count of bachelor's completions for this CIP (IPEDS).
| State | Bachelor's completions (this CIP) | % of U.S. total (this CIP) | % of state's all bachelor's |
|---|---|---|---|
| AZ | 77 | 32.1% | 0.06% |
| MO | 41 | 17.1% | 0.06% |
| NC | 30 | 12.5% | 0.02% |
| NY | 19 | 7.9% | 0.01% |
| NE | 16 | 6.7% | 0.05% |
| PR | 15 | 6.2% | 0.05% |
| MI | 11 | 4.6% | 0.01% |
| IN | 10 | 4.2% | 0.01% |
| VA | 7 | 2.9% | 0.01% |
| TN | 5 | 2.1% | 0.01% |
| TX | 3 | 1.2% | 0.00% |
| NJ | 2 | 0.8% | 0.00% |
| IA | 1 | 0.4% | 0.00% |
| KS | 1 | 0.4% | 0.00% |
| PA | 1 | 0.4% | 0.00% |
| SC | 1 | 0.4% | 0.00% |
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 31.05 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Exercise Science and Kinesiology CIP 31.0505
- Parks, Recreation, & Leisure CIP 31.0501
- Sport and Fitness Administration/Management CIP 31.0504
- Sports Studies CIP 31.0508
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 31.0507 in the survey year used in our extract (421 total across levels below).
- 165 Associate (39.2% of IPEDS total)
- 240 Bachelor's (57.0% of IPEDS total)
- 16 Master's (3.8% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $88,093. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Physical Fitness Technician graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors | $64,082 | 303,620 |
| Physical Therapist Assistants | $85,555 | 108,010 |
| Physical Therapist Aides | $40,345 | 44,010 |
| Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | $141,278 | 12,680 |
| Physical Therapists | $124,258 | 248,630 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness CIP family (268 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Physical Fitness Technician graduate.
- $28,390 median federal loan debt among completers
- $54,562 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 0.93 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 4.0% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$88,093 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Physical Fitness Technician majors is $88,093.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Physical Fitness Technician majors.
Occupations by Share
716,950 2023 Workforce
The number of Physical Fitness Technician graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Physical Fitness Technician by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Physical Fitness Technician in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Physical Fitness Technician.
Age distribution for Physical Fitness Technician degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
240 Total Degrees Awarded
135 Male (56.25%)
105 Female (43.75%)
Gender distribution of Physical Fitness Technician degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
141 White (58.75%)
54 Hispanic or Latino (22.50%)
17 Black or African American (7.08%)
11 Two or More Races (4.58%)
4 Asian (1.67%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Physical Fitness Technician degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Physical Fitness Technician are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Physical Fitness Technician.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Physical Fitness Technician field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Physical Fitness Technician majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Physical Fitness Technician majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Physical Fitness Technician majors.
About
A program that prepares individuals for employment in health and fitness clubs, wellness centers, public and private recreation facilities, hospitals and corporate fitness programs where they will perform a variety of instructional and administrative duties. Includes instruction in human anatomy and physiology, fitness techniques, exercise science, personal training, nutrition, and customer service
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Physical Fitness Technician.
CIP Code
31.0507 - Physical Fitness Technician
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $28,390 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $54,562, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.93. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Physical Fitness Technician graduate.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $88,093. The largest mapped role by headcount is Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors (303,620 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $7,979 in-state at public colleges and $35,615 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.