Are there any nutritionists or exercise physiologists out there that can say they make a good living ?
I am seriously considering a career in either of the above mentioned jobs, and was under the impression that I could make a good living, but as I talked to my PA out here, he said they “don’t make shit”. Now I can only imagine he would know that in comparison to what a PA or a RN makes.
So, if there are any out there, please educate me.
the question is what do you intend to do with the degree. I could make a great deal of money doing certain things but i could make a whole lot of nothing doing a lot of other things with my degree.
Are there any nutritionists or exercise physiologists out there that can say they make a good living ?
I certainly hope so. I’ll have an exercise science degree after another semester of college and I’m so sick of school that the idea of grad school or med school, both of which I was previously considering, are completely unappealing.
So far I’ve had a lot of success as a camp counselor but I hear that’s only a summer job. My other passion is writing but that’s hard to make a living in as well…
I have this feeling I’ll end up living in a sandcastle for awhile 
My babes did exercise science as well. She’s now working as an occupational therapist after doing a masters degree in the field. It took 2 extra years but it was in the cards for a while.
most of her friends have found good careers based on the grad school they did afterwards.
The right reason to do it would be to help people have better lives. But to be truthful, I want to do it to be a better athlete, and encourage others around me.
As a nutritionist, I imagine that I would work in something post-op for cancer-related patients. As an exercise phys., I’m thinking physical therepy.
What do you plan to do with your degree when you do graduate ?
So far, I’m of the mind to just get the degree and go teach english overseas for a couple years, then come back and act on it. Not to say I have any desire to become a teacher…
Well you can do cardiac rehab and make a decent living, I didn’t see anything appealing when i finished my undergrad in Exercise Science. So i’m currently getting my MS in Exercise Physiology. Hoping to find something before I decide to get the PhD.
What do you plan to do with your degree when you do graduate ?
I don’t have any plans… I don’t know. All I’ve got figured out so far is that I am absolutely sick of being a student, so I will be quite happy to find a job. Tentatively I am working at a fitness center for the summer.
Swift, I have job-shadowed in a cardiac rehab facility for a couple weeks. Seems like a good job (not something I’d want to do though)
I am currently persuing a degree in Exercise Physiology and hoping to attend Graduate School/Med School. To address the money comment, the way the country is growing with regards to obesity rates, I think people with degrees and knowledge in Exercise/Nutrition are going to be invaluable in the upcoming years and definitely not without jobs…Thoughts…
Are there any nutritionists or exercise physiologists out there that can say they make a good living ?<<
M.S. in ExPhys and I make a decent living at a law firm.
I got tired of making nothing working in the athletic training/physical therapy area, so left the field.
clm
I am a cardiovascular tech- I run different types of stress tests on people and hook up heart monitors. It pays the mortgage and its actually pretty interesting sometimes. Will be moving on to nursing school in the next couple years. Graduated with ex. phys degree from UCD. Good way to make $20/hr straight out of college and get good benefits. Not fantastic, but you are most likely going to need more school to make the big bucks.
Well you can do cardiac rehab and make a decent living, I didn’t see anything appealing when i finished my undergrad in Exercise Science. So i’m currently getting my MS in Exercise Physiology. Hoping to find something before I decide to get the PhD.
“Are there any nutritionists or exercise physiologists out there that can say they make a good living ?”
What do you consider a good living? I started out as a run-of-the-mill gym personal trainer, then went into health club management, and have since started an independent personal training business as well as working at a university. I could probably make more in another field, but I’m making as much, if not more, than all of my friends (I think) and have much better hours.
Then again, I’ve managed to keep a fairly good client load and charge what I consider a very fair wage for myself and the clients I work with. I also get a lot of nice perks from clients like airline miles, legal advice, PR exposure, etc.
PM if you have more questions.
Cathy, does the law firm have use for your physiology expertise, or is your employment unrelated to your education?
I’m a molecular biologist by education, have never worked in the field, and have very little professional use for the knowledge (but not quite zero use).
Cathy, does the law firm have use for your physiology expertise, or is your employment unrelated to your education?
No. Only for training advice and entertainment value of my travel and adventures. I administer the risk management and malpractice insurance programs for our attorneys.
I worked as an athlete trainer (used to be certified, but let let it lapse) and in a physical therapy clinic, but it was more workers’ comp patients than athletes and that got old. I thought about cardiac rehab at one point, but went the athletic trainer route instead.
clm
Unfortunately, I can’t speak to your questions about exercise phys, because I know nothing on that topic! I am a nutrition student (MSc) though and can answer those questions…
First off, when you say Nutritionist, do you mean registered dietitian? Because these two are very different things. Technically, anyone with a tiny bit of nutritional knowledge can call themselves a nutritionist. A registered dietitian (RD) is a licensed profession, much like being an MD or Dentist (can’t remember the initials for those…). Dietitians in both Canada and the US are governed by regulatory bodies to protect both the practitioner and the patient. In both of these countries, it is highly unlikely you will gain a position in a hospital or clinical setting unless you are an actual RD.
You mentioned wanting to work in post-op or oncology. If this is the case, find yourself an accredited university nutrition program. This will be a stepping stone to a dietetic internship (1 yr) and then your RD designation.
Now, about the decent living part…there are nutrition jobs EVERYWHERE. Nutrition is becoming a big profession and there aren’t enough new grads to fill the positions required by an aging and more savvy population. That being said, fresh out you make about $28/hr and it goes up to, I believe a max of $34.
If you have more q’s, PM me.
Are there any nutritionists or exercise physiologists out there that can say they make a good living ?
I am seriously considering a career in either of the above mentioned jobs, and was under the impression that I could make a good living, but as I talked to my PA out here, he said they “don’t make shit”. Now I can only imagine he would know that in comparison to what a PA or a RN makes.
So, if there are any out there, please educate me.
There are no real exercise physiology jobs besides the few in cardiac rehabilitation. There are strength coaches, personal trainers, Tri coaches, sports coaches (i.e. track and field), P.E. coaches, athletic trainers, and health club managers. Most of these jobs would not require a degree in exercise physiology really. I don’t know what people do with a B.S. or B.A. in exercise physiology…same with a M.S. At the Ph.D. level, almost all are teaching at a university and a few (very few) get jobs working for companies like Gatorade or work at the olympic training center. If you want to make money, exercise physiology is not the place to be. You would make more money as an auto mechanic or plummer.
As a personal trainer, earning $$ is more about how you look and marketing rather than what you know or what degrees you have. I was in the same situation as you and opted to get the Ph.D. so I at least had a shot at making a few $$. If I had to do it all over again, I would have gotten an undergraduate degree in pre med, a masters in nutrition and a Ph.D. in exercise physiology. Either that or an undergraduate degree in exercise phys and a DPT (physical therapy).
I chose a different route in the end and am serving in the Navy as an Aerospace Physiologist (which is a GREAT deal by the way).
Mike
I think you hit on an important note-
I’m finishing up my MS in ExSci right now (BS ExSci, ASCM, NSCA, and NASM, and a few supplemental training certs like TRX inst.), and currently work for DoD/DA. For this field, if you can find the Gov’t positions and are qualified, it’s an excellent route to go. Of course being a vet and having a wide background from endurance coaching to clincally-based health and wellness centers helped, but I’m very happy. We’ve got a great staff, and the ExPhys that I work for are top notch- true professionals top to bottom.