Do you have a passion for sports and actively pursuing a kinesiology degree, or are you considering it? If so, there are various kinesiology jobs available that allow sports enthusiasts, such as yourself, to do what they love and – for an industry they’re passionate about. With the right level of education and experience, you can carve a path to career success and land a job with a respected sports clinic or even your favorite sports team.
What can you do with a kinesiology degree?
With a degree, you can pursue a number of sports kinesiology jobs, such as:
- Occupational therapist
- Sports coach
- Biomechanist
- Athletic trainer
- Exercise physiologist
- Physical therapist
- Recreational therapist
- Massage therapist
- Strength and conditioning coach
- Fitness instructor
- Athletic director
- Sports nutritionist
- Sports physician
- Sports psychologist
- Chiropractor
Below are a few of the most popular kinesiology jobs people take after getting a degree in the field.
Sports Physical Therapist
Average salary: $67 – $70k per year
A bachelor’s in kinesiology can set you up for a career as a physical therapist. However, you will need to go on to a physical therapy program approved by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. There, you earn a doctor of physical therapy degree, after which you can get licensed and start practicing.
Using physical treatments, including manipulation, injury prevention, and massage, the healthcare professionals with these kinesiology jobs may help patients suffering from conditions ranging from Parkinson’s disease to arthritis.
As a sports physical therapist, you would specifically focus on preventing and managing sports-related injuries. Sports physical therapists help boost athlete performance, encourage healthy physical activity, and offer scientifically grounded recommendations that allow athletes to excel without getting hurt.
Strength and Conditioning Coach
Average salary: $29k – $64k
If you want to help athletes optimize their performance, perhaps there is nothing more “down the middle” than becoming a strength and conditioning coach. These kinesiology jobs involve collaborating directly with the head coach. Your interaction with the players occurs through one-on-one sessions as well as through full-team training sessions. In both settings, you manage a strength and conditioning program you design.
You give athletes workout instructions and schedules customized to their specific needs. Following injury, you may design programs to help athletes recover their health and power. You are charged with maintaining the equipment and gym. Plus, you perform leadership duties.
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Sports Team Chiropractor
Average salary: $67k – $109k
You will need to extend your education with a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) degree if you want this job, but a kinesiology bachelor’s degree will prepare you well.
The central principle behind these kinesiology jobs is that imbalances in the nervous and musculoskeletal systems are responsible for many problems. These doctors alleviate health issues, primarily through spinal adjustments.
As with physical therapists, sports team chiropractors focus on prevention and recovery from sports injuries. Athletes often prefer chiropractic care to other forms of treatment because it relies on the body’s self-healing capacity and is noninvasive. Beyond performance benefits, the joints, back, and neck often develop pain conditions that chiropractors can address. Plus, athletes may seek care from you for other ailments, such as digestive conditions, allergies, and even mental disorders, such as anxiety.
Exercise/Sports Physiologist
Average salary: $47.5k – $61k
Disease alleviation and prevention through exercise is the specialty of exercise physiologists. You will assess a particular individual’s health and craft exercise plans customized for their health status and fitness. Exercise physiologists may help patients recover from emphysema, cancer, arthritis, diabetes, or heart disease.
A sports physiologist is a type of exercise physiologist. Sports physiologists specifically work with athletes. They help competitors improve their performance, fitness, and endurance by constantly tweaking exercise schedules to align with their current health metrics. It is typical for sports physiologists to collaborate with medical doctors and other healthcare professionals.
Personal Trainer
Average salary: $45k – $76.5k
Personal trainers are primarily focused on building muscle and reducing fat, but their responsibilities go well beyond that. A certified personal trainer (CPT) helps you achieve optimal results with your exercise routine. Like exercise physiologists, personal trainers craft and manage workout programs tailored to the individual’s fitness and health status. These fitness professionals are often hired by gyms.
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Athletic Trainer
Average salary: $45.5k – $55k
Athletic trainers help prevent and treat sports-related injuries and improve range of motion and mitigate pain. Professionals who hold these kinesiology jobs instruct people on exercise tactics to help them recover from and avoid getting hurt.
Athletic trainers may work for sports teams or sports clinics. Their role is to communicate their expertise in physiology, anatomy, nutrition, injury prevention, and pharmacology.
Landing your dream sports job
While there are many kinesiology jobs available, it’s not always easy to get one. Knowing the right people – which requires networking – is a great way to find and land the job you want. At JobsInSports.com, we offer the premier network of sports industry professionals. Join for free today and start connecting with industry professionals.
