Education and libraries
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.
Median pay
$77,270
Growth to 2035
+2%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
1,000
Time to qualify*
5 years
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Exposure to disease
Recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary: 54% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as anatomy, therapeutic recreation, and conditioning theory.
- Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
Also called: Adjunct Professor · Assistant Professor · Associate Professor · Health and Human Performance Professor · Health and Physical Education Professor (HPE Professor) · Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Professor (HPER Professor) · Instructor · Kinesiology Professor
Outlook and AI
Recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary held 15,200 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 15,600 by 2035 (+2%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
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