Recreation and fitness studies teachers work at colleges and universities, teaching students about exercise science, wellness, and athletic programs. You'll need a doctoral degree and a passion for helping others develop expertise in the field.
Pathly builds you a free, personalized roadmap and helps your counselor champion you along the way.
You teach recreation and fitness courses to postsecondary students, covering topics like exercise physiology, sports management, and wellness programming. Your days involve preparing lesson plans, delivering lectures, leading discussions, and evaluating student work. You stay current with research and developments in your field, mentor students one-on-one, and communicate regularly with colleagues about curriculum and student progress. You may also supervise labs or practical training sessions where students apply what they learn.
Core work activities
Career video courtesy of CareerOneStop.
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median of $77,270 a year, based on 2025 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and location.
The outlook is modest. Employment is projected to grow 2 percent from 2024 to 2034, little or no change for all occupations, with about 1,100 openings a year.
Top skills
Knowledge areas
You'll need a doctoral degree in recreation, fitness, exercise science, or a related field. This typically follows a bachelor's degree and takes several years of graduate study. During your doctoral program, you'll take advanced coursework, conduct research, and often teach or assist with teaching. Many programs require you to complete a dissertation. Before or during graduate school, gaining experience working in fitness, recreation, or athletic settings can strengthen your candidacy for teaching positions.
Most paths to this role involve completing a bachelor's degree, then pursuing a master's and doctoral degree. The timeline is longer than many careers, so Pathly can map the recreation and fitness study teacher, postsecondary path that fits you with your counselor to map out the steps and make sure this trajectory fits your goals.
You do not need a license to work as a recreation and fitness study teacher, postsecondary, but professional certifications can strengthen your resume.
Common certifications
You're drawn to working with people, helping them learn and grow. You enjoy explaining complex ideas clearly and building strong relationships with students and colleagues.
Reading about a career is the easy part. Turning it into a plan is where most students get stuck. Pathly takes you from curious to a clear next step, and gives your counselor the insight to champion you along the way.
Start with a quick quiz and assessments that surface your personality, your EQ, and what really motivates you, so your next steps are built around who you actually are.
Your free AI guide weighs this career against your strengths and goals, and surfaces the colleges, trades, and scholarships that match, so you know if it truly fits before you commit.
Get a personalized, step-by-step plan to reach this career, with the training, coursework, and credentials tracked in one place. Link your school or IEC and your counselor in the loop.
Last updated July 1, 2026.
Data sources. Career details from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Salary and outlook figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 wages; 2024–2034 projections), delivered via the CareerOneStop API. Certification, licensing, wage, and outlook data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).