25 Series · SOC 25-1193

Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary Salary

National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).

Compiled by WageDex Editorial, Occupational Wages Editorial Team

$77,270
Median / year: $134,890
Top 10% earn: +2.4%
Growth '23–'33: 12,630
US workers

Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median of $77,270 per year.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $77,270, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $44,900 (10th percentile) to $134,890 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 12,630 US workers. California pays the most ($127,780), since pay varies by state and metro area.

25 Series Updated: May 2025 · Source: BLS OEWS Compare with another job →

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The pay verdict

Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median of $77,270, putting them above the typical US occupation and higher than 69% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Educational Instruction and Library, it ranks #33 of 64 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 2.4% by 2033.

$77,270
Median annual wage: Top 31%
of 825 US occupations with published wages: #33 of 64
in Educational Instruction and Library: 3.0×
90th-to-10th pay spread

Highest-paying state: California at $127,780. Typical entry-level education: Doctoral or professional degree.

Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary (SOC 25-1193) pays a national median of $77,270 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $44,900 at the 10th percentile to $134,890 at the 90th, with a mean of $86,620 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 12,630 Americans work in this occupation across 42 reporting states and 63 metro areas.

BLS Employment Projections forecast a +2.4% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as slower than average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 1,100 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Doctoral or professional degree. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 0.3 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.8 per 100.

Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. California pays the highest state median at $127,780, which is +65% above the national figure. The top metro is Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA at $159,690 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.

BLS OEWS May 2025 12,630 jobs Median $77,270/yr

Median Salary

$77,270

per year

Median Hourly

N/A

per hour

Mean Salary

$86,620

average

Employment

12,630

jobs nationwide

How does this pay compare nationally?

Where Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary pay sits nationally

Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median

$77,270 Top 31% higher than 69% of 825 US occupations

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Does this job pay well and grow?

Each dot is a 25-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).

Among 25 25-series occupations with growth data, Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary sits on the slower-growing side at +2.4% growth and $77,270 median pay.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Projected Growth

+2.4%

Slower than average

Annual Openings

1,100

per year (projected)

Typical Education

Doctoral or professional degree

Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034

Workplace Safety

All safety ratings →

Very Safe

Safety Grade (BLS 2023)

Fatality Rate

0.3/100K

Injury Rate

0.8/100

Danger Index

3.4/100

Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023

Career Intelligence

Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.

Top Skills

Speaking 4.1

Instructing 4.1

Reading Comprehension 4.0

Active Listening 4.0

Writing 4.0

Learning Strategies 4.0

Critical Thinking 3.9

Monitoring 3.8

Judgment and Decision Making 3.8

Time Management 3.8

Knowledge Areas

Education and Training 4.7

English Language 4.1

Computers and Electronics 3.6

Psychology 3.6

Biology 3.5

Customer and Personal Service 3.4

Administration and Management 3.3

Mathematics 3.3

Therapy and Counseling 3.1

Communications and Media 3.0

Key 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.
▸ Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
▸ Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.

Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.

Salary Range

Annual Salary Distribution

10th pct25thMedian75th90th pct

Hourly Rate Distribution

10th Percentile

$44,900

25th Percentile

$59,990

Median

$77,270

75th Percentile

$101,450

90th Percentile

$134,890

Salary by State

Highest Paying States

1. California $127,780 2. Maryland $97,640 3. Massachusetts $87,960 4. Michigan $83,690 5. Wyoming $83,260

Lowest Paying States

38. Alaska $58,330 39. Idaho $58,720 40. Kansas $59,730 41. Mississippi $60,560 42. South Dakota $62,280

View all 42 states →

#	State	Median Salary	Mean Salary	Employment	vs National
1	California	$127,780	$125,840	1,950	+65% above national
2	Maryland	$97,640	$105,220	90	+26% above national
3	Massachusetts	$87,960	$94,740	290	+14% above national
4	Michigan	$83,690	$109,870	320	+8% above national
5	Wyoming	$83,260	$77,150	30	+8% above national
6	Pennsylvania	$83,150	$89,050	640	+8% above national
7	Wisconsin	$80,500	$79,750	40	+4% above national
8	Puerto Rico	$80,500	$75,520	40	+4% above national
9	Minnesota	$80,410	$84,480	260	+4% above national
10	New York	$80,190	$90,190	670	+4% above national
11	Connecticut	$79,200	$81,480	190	+2% above national
12	New Mexico	$79,090	$77,580	40	+2% above national
13	South Carolina	$78,800	$88,820	280	+2% above national
14	Texas	$76,480	$77,610	1,460	1% below national
15	Utah	$76,350	$73,350	110	1% below national
16	Florida	$76,100	$79,080	140	2% below national
17	Iowa	$75,130	$81,630	100	3% below national
18	Washington	$74,850	$76,210	240	3% below national
19	North Carolina	$73,860	$74,490	730	4% below national
20	Tennessee	$73,280	$75,620	220	5% below national
21	Missouri	$73,180	$78,510	200	5% below national
22	Alabama	$72,680	$69,950	110	6% below national
23	Arizona	$71,230	$78,020	90	8% below national
24	Ohio	$70,260	$71,960	420	9% below national
25	Maine	$67,670	$76,530	40	12% below national
26	Illinois	$67,180	$82,710	630	13% below national
27	Indiana	$67,060	$71,940	410	13% below national
28	West Virginia	$66,440	$70,760	100	14% below national
29	Georgia	$66,410	$71,080	160	14% below national
30	Louisiana	$65,940	$71,890	100	15% below national
31	New Jersey	$65,900	$74,830	520	15% below national
32	Colorado	$65,730	$66,480	180	15% below national
33	Virginia	$65,320	$74,380	310	15% below national
34	Kentucky	$64,890	$69,420	230	16% below national
35	Oklahoma	$63,590	$78,490	110	18% below national
36	Oregon	$63,090	$74,870	480	18% below national
37	Arkansas	$63,020	$64,820	110	18% below national
38	South Dakota	$62,280	$61,600	60	19% below national
39	Mississippi	$60,560	$65,590	190	22% below national
40	Kansas	$59,730	$71,040	60	23% below national
41	Idaho	$58,720	$76,310	70	24% below national
42	Alaska	$58,330	$68,790	60	25% below national

Salary by Metro Area

Highest Paying Metros

1. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $159,690 2. Fresno, CA $137,850 3. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $134,190 4. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $131,850 5. San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $130,420

Lowest Paying Metros

59. Central East New York nonmetropolitan area $48,210 60. Jackson, MS $51,670 61. Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $52,070 62. El Paso, TX $58,700 63. Oklahoma City, OK $60,660

View all 63 metro areas →

#	Metro Area	Median Salary	Employment	vs National
1	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA	$159,690	170	+107% above national
2	Fresno, CA	$137,850	60	+78% above national
3	San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$134,190	200	+74% above national
4	Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA	$131,850	60	+71% above national
5	San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA	$130,420	160	+69% above national
6	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$106,660	770	+38% above national
7	Pittsburgh, PA	$101,550	80	+31% above national
8	Columbia, SC	$99,340	90	+29% above national
9	Knoxville, TN	$98,230	60	+27% above national
10	Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	$92,910	30	+20% above national
11	Northwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area	$86,050	50	+11% above national
12	Ithaca, NY	$84,820	40	+10% above national
13	New Haven, CT	$84,190	30	+9% above national
14	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$83,600	240	+8% above national
15	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$83,410	160	+8% above national
16	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$82,780	140	+7% above national
17	Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area	$82,230	80	+6% above national
18	Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	$82,100	240	+6% above national
19	West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area	$81,920	40	+6% above national
20	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI	$80,080	110	+4% above national
21	Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT	$79,610	N/A	+3% above national
22	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$79,310	310	+3% above national
23	Durham-Chapel Hill, NC	$79,030	80	+2% above national
24	St. Louis, MO-IL	$79,030	90	+2% above national
25	College Station-Bryan, TX	$78,930	150	+2% above national
26	New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$78,730	750	+2% above national
27	Amherst Town-Northampton, MA	$78,550	60	+2% above national
28	Charleston-North Charleston, SC	$78,240	100	+1% above national
29	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$78,140	70	+1% above national
30	Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI	$78,030	90	+1% above national
31	Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX	$77,740	110	+1% above national
32	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$77,310	40	same as national
33	Columbus, OH	$77,270	80	same as national
34	Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	$77,160	130	same as national
35	Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT	$76,910	N/A	same as national
36	Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	$76,650	50	1% below national
37	Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area	$75,750	N/A	2% below national
38	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA	$73,840	280	4% below national
39	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC	$73,450	80	5% below national
40	Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	$71,230	50	8% below national
41	Toledo, OH	$66,810	50	14% below national
42	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	$66,410	70	14% below national
43	High Desert Utah nonmetropolitan area	$66,240	50	14% below national
44	Springfield, MO	$65,700	30	15% below national
45	Raleigh-Cary, NC	$65,400	150	15% below national
46	North Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area	$65,330	30	15% below national
47	Lexington-Fayette, KY	$64,890	90	16% below national
48	Rochester, NY	$64,710	70	16% below national
49	Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA	$64,530	N/A	16% below national
50	Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA	$63,910	60	17% below national
51	Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN	$63,330	110	18% below national
52	Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area	$63,310	70	18% below national
53	South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI	$62,840	60	19% below national
54	Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO	$62,520	50	19% below national
55	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX	$62,360	120	19% below national
56	Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$61,880	330	20% below national
57	Cleveland, OH	$61,380	70	21% below national
58	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	$61,190	40	21% below national
59	Oklahoma City, OK	$60,660	30	21% below national
60	El Paso, TX	$58,700	50	24% below national
61	Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC	$52,070	100	33% below national
62	Jackson, MS	$51,670	40	33% below national
63	Central East New York nonmetropolitan area	$48,210	90	38% below national

Similar Occupations in the Same Category

Other roles in SOC major group 25 (education) with comparable pay and career paths.

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SOC 25-1041

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SOC 25-1061

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SOC 25-1031

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Compare Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary side-by-side with another occupation →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary make? ▼

The median annual salary for Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary is $77,270 ($N/A/hour). The salary range spans from $44,900 at the 10th percentile to $134,890 at the 90th percentile.

What state pays Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary the most? ▼

California pays the highest median salary for Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary at $127,780/year, which is +65% above the national median.

What education do you need to become a Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary? ▼

The typical entry-level education for Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary is Doctoral or professional degree.

How dangerous is being a Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary? ▼

Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary has a safety grade of A (Very Safe) based on BLS data. The fatality rate is 0.3 per 100,000 workers and the injury rate is 0.8 per 100 workers.

Is Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary a good career? ▼

Employment for Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary is projected to grow 2.4% from 2024 to 2034, which is slower than average. About 1,100 openings are projected each year.

How does Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary pay vary by state? ▼

Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary salaries vary significantly by state. The highest-paying state is California at $127,780/year, while South Dakota pays the least at $62,280/year. BLS data covers 42 states and territories.

Which metro areas pay the most for Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary? ▼

The highest-paying metro area for Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary is Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA at $159,690/year. BLS reports wage data for 63 metro areas for this occupation, with pay varying based on local demand and cost of living.

What to do with this data

How to use Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary pay figures in a real decision

For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $101,450/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
Location moves pay significantly: California leads at $127,780/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs

These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.

Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.

Compiled by WageDex Editorial, Occupational Wages Editorial Team