2027 Exercise Science Degree Hiring Strength by State: Where Employers Need Graduates Most

Fast job growth is different from high current demand. A fast-growing state may create new opportunities quickly, but a large established state may still offer more total openings.

BLS national projections for 2024 to 2034 show faster-than-average growth for exercise physiologists, while fitness, rehabilitation, and sports-related roles are also influenced by preventive health, aging populations, youth sports participation, and employer wellness spending.

The states below are worth watching because their growth patterns support exercise science employment across healthcare, fitness, recreation, and rehabilitation. They are especially relevant for students who are willing to enter developing markets before they become more competitive.

The biggest red flag is moving to a fast-growing state without checking the actual number of openings in your specialization. Growth may be strongest in physical therapy support, senior wellness, or fitness management, while sports performance jobs may remain limited and highly competitive.

Cost of living can change the real value of an exercise science job. A higher salary in California, New York, Massachusetts, or Washington may still produce less disposable income than a slightly lower salary in Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona, or parts of Florida.

A practical rule is to check whether housing would exceed 30% of gross monthly income; if it does, the offer may be financially tight even if the headline salary looks strong.

The comparison below is designed for relocation decisions. It does not replace a personal budget, but it highlights why graduates should compare wages and costs together rather than chasing salary alone.

Before accepting an out-of-state offer, build a simple relocation budget. Include rent, utilities, transportation, insurance, certification renewal fees, moving costs, and at least one month of emergency savings. A move makes more sense when the employer offers clear advancement, mentorship, full-time hours, and benefits, not just a slightly higher hourly wage.

In high-demand states, employers often see many applicants with similar coursework in anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, exercise testing, and program design. The graduates who stand out usually show proof that they can work safely with real clients or patients, communicate clearly, document outcomes, and adapt exercise programs to different populations. 

Use the skills below to compare your readiness for competitive states. They are especially important if you are applying in markets where employers expect more than a bachelor's degree transcript.

• Exercise testing and assessment: Employers value graduates who can conduct basic fitness assessments, understand contraindications, and interpret results without overstepping clinical scope.
• Program design for specific populations: Skills in older adult fitness, weight management, athletic performance, post-rehabilitation exercise, and chronic disease support can align with state-specific demand.
• Communication and coaching: Motivational interviewing, behavior change strategies, and client education help graduates succeed in wellness, fitness, and rehabilitation settings.
• Data and technology use: Wearables, heart-rate monitoring, force plates, motion analysis tools, and electronic documentation are increasingly common in performance and clinical environments.
• Professional certifications: Credentials from recognized organizations can strengthen applications, especially for personal training, strength and conditioning, corrective exercise, and group fitness roles.
• Internship experience: State hiring strength matters less if you have no practical hours, so prioritize internships in the exact setting where you want to work.

Students who want a structured way to strengthen their academic background may compare degree and credential options such as kinesiology certification online pathways, especially when they need flexible study while gaining work experience.

Licensing rules are one of the most overlooked factors in exercise science career planning. Many fitness and wellness roles do not require a state license, but some related careers do. Athletic trainers, physical therapist assistants, occupational therapy assistants, dietitians, and certain clinical roles may require an accredited program, supervised hours, an exam, and state authorization.

Before relocating, use this sequence to avoid credential problems. It is especially important if your long-term plan includes healthcare, school athletics, or clinical exercise settings.

1. Identify the exact job title you want, not just the degree field, because licensing rules apply to occupations rather than broad majors.
2. Check the state licensing board or regulatory agency for that occupation before applying to jobs.
3. Confirm whether the employer requires a bachelor's degree, graduate degree, national certification, CPR or AED certification, background check, or supervised clinical hours.
4. Ask whether your current credentials transfer if you move from another state.
5. Budget for exam fees, application fees, continuing education, and renewal costs before accepting an offer.

A common mistake is assuming an exercise science degree automatically qualifies someone for athletic training or physical therapy roles. In most states, those fields require separate accredited education and licensure. Exercise science can be a strong foundation, but the next credential depends on the occupation you choose.

Remote and hybrid work have changed some exercise science opportunities, but they have not eliminated the importance of location. Hands-on roles in rehabilitation, performance testing, sports conditioning, personal training, and clinical exercise still depend on in-person facilities.

However, hybrid options are growing in wellness coaching, corporate health programs, telehealth-adjacent exercise support, fitness programming, health education, and digital coaching.

For state comparisons, remote work matters in three ways. First, graduates in lower-cost states may access national wellness employers without moving. Second, high-cost states may still offer better networking and specialized in-person experience. Third, remote roles often require stronger communication, documentation, technology, and behavior-change skills than traditional gym-floor jobs.

AI and automation are also affecting the field. Apps can generate generic workouts, but employers still need professionals who can assess risk, adapt programs, build trust, monitor progress, and work with special populations. Graduates should treat technology as a skill multiplier rather than a replacement for human coaching and safety judgment.

Students should compare states using a weighted decision rather than a simple ranking. A state that is best for sports performance may not be best for cardiac rehabilitation, and a state with high salaries may be poor value if rent, commuting, and competition are extreme.

Use the following process to make a practical decision. It turns broad labor-market information into a state shortlist based on your actual career goal.

1. Choose your target role first, such as exercise physiologist, strength coach, wellness coordinator, fitness manager, rehab aide, or athletic trainer pathway.
2. Search current job postings in three to five states and record the required degree, certifications, experience, schedule, pay range, and benefits.
3. Separate entry-level openings from jobs requiring two or more years of experience so you do not overestimate your immediate options.
4. Compare salary with local rent, transportation, taxes, certification costs, and whether the role is full time with benefits.
5. Look for employer clusters, including hospitals, universities, sports programs, physical therapy clinics, senior living groups, gyms, and corporate wellness providers.
6. Check whether the state requires a license or whether employers strongly prefer certifications for your target title.
7. Choose a state only after identifying at least several realistic employers, not just a broad reputation for health, fitness, or sports.

If you are open to nearby healthcare careers, compare education length and licensing before deciding. For example, a 9 month LPN program may lead to a more regulated nursing pathway, while exercise science may offer broader wellness, fitness, and performance options with more variation by employer.

The best state for your exercise science career depends on the type of work you want. If you want the largest number of employer types, California, Texas, Florida, and New York are strong starting points. If you want growth with more balanced affordability, Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, and Arizona deserve serious consideration. If you want fitness culture and performance environments, Colorado, Utah, California, and parts of Florida can be attractive, though competition may be higher.

Think in terms of fit rather than prestige. A new graduate may benefit more from a moderate-cost state with strong internships, full-time entry-level roles, and advancement opportunities than from a high-cost city with famous employers but mostly part-time openings. An experienced professional with certifications, a graduate degree, or clinical expertise may be better positioned to compete in high-wage coastal markets.

Exercise science also connects to data-heavy and interdisciplinary careers. If you are interested in wearable technology, human performance analytics, genetics, or health research, exploring what to do with a bioinformatics degree can help you compare movement science with computational health pathways.

The smartest next step is to build a three-state shortlist: one high-demand large market, one fast-growing affordable market, and one state that fits your preferred specialization. Then compare real job postings, credential requirements, living costs, and internship or networking access before making a move.

Exercise science graduates are hired by more than gyms. The strongest state markets usually have several industries hiring at once: hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, universities, school districts, professional sports, corporate wellness vendors, fitness chains, senior living communities, public health organizations, and recreation departments.

The table below shows which industries tend to drive hiring in different states. This matters because a graduate targeting cardiac rehabilitation should evaluate a state differently from someone aiming for strength and conditioning or private fitness entrepreneurship.

Students should also think about adjacent health pathways. For example, someone interested in medication therapy, chronic disease management, and patient care may compare exercise science with clinical tracks such as PharmD programs, while someone who wants movement-based coaching may be better served by exercise science, kinesiology, or sports science.

• Where Degrees Meet Demand: Occupational Projections and Higher Education https://www.richmondfed.org/region_communities/regional_data_analysis/regional_matters/2026/where_degrees_meet_demand_occupation_projections_higher_education
• Research That Shows How Career Education Programs Align With Regional Job Markets https://economic-mobility.wested.org/project/research-that-shows-how-career-education-programs-align-with-regional-job-markets/
• Workforce Studies - ORISE https://orise.orau.gov/stem/workforce-studies/index.html
• Career Information https://ahn.mnsu.edu/academic-programs/applied-health-science/health-and-physical-education-bs/career-information/
• Kinesiology and Exercise Science Salaries https://teach.com/online-ed/healthcare-degrees/online-bachelors-kinesiology-exercise-science/how-much-do-kinesiologists-make/
• K-12 Work-Based Learning Opportunities: A 50-State Scan of 2023 Legislative Action - Center for American Progress https://www.americanprogress.org/article/k-12-work-based-learning-opportunities-a-50-state-scan-of-2023-legislative-action/