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Field of degree: Recreation and fitness

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Recreation and fitness field of degree. Employment: 976,080. Median annual wage: $59,000.

Table 1. Recreation and fitness degree, 2023.

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Table 1. Recreation and fitness degree, 2023
Data	Recreation and fitness	All fields
Employment	976,080	63,725,710
Median wage	59,000	70,000
Percent employed part time	16	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	52	62
Percent with an advanced degree	36	38
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 1. Types of recreation and fitness major, 2023.

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Chart 1. Types of recreation and fitness, 2023
Recreation and fitness major	Major share
Physical Fitness Parks Recreation And Leisure	100%
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a recreation and fitness degree, by occupational group, 2023.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a recreation and fitness degree, by occupational group, 2023
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations	19%
Management occupations	14
Educational instruction and library occupations	12
Sales and related occupations	8
Business and financial operations occupations	8
Other	38
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a recreation and fitness degree.

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Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a recreation and fitness degree
Occupation	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2023	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2023	Percent growth, projected 2024–34	Typical entry-level education
Physical therapists	6%	71%	11%	Doctoral or professional degree
Elementary school teachers, except special education	4	49	-2	Bachelor's degree
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education	3	56	-2	Bachelor's degree
Managers, all other	3	21	4	Bachelor's degree
Registered nurses	3	14	5	Bachelor's degree
Coaches and scouts	2	20	6	Bachelor's degree
Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors	2	13	12	High school diploma or equivalent
Physicians, all other	2	100	3	Doctoral or professional degree
Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary	2	56	-2	Master's degree
Customer service representatives	2	4	-5	High school diploma or equivalent
Note: Occupational profiles may comprise multiple SOC occupations, which may have differing education categories. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (projected growth, entry-level education) and U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (degree holders, advanced degrees).

Suggested citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Field of degree: Recreation and fitness,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/recreation-and-fitness/recreation-and-fitness-field-of-degree.htm (visited August 28, 2025).

Last Modified Date: Thursday, August 28, 2025