Other degree levels for this field: Bachelor's degrees · Certificates and diplomas · Master's degrees

This page shows what graduates with an associate degree in Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness earn four years after graduating, what they typically owe, the schools that report these figures (listed alphabetically), and the occupations linked to this field by the federal CIP-to-SOC crosswalk. It covers 30 reporting units (schools, or groups of campuses that report together) with these figures.

Median earnings, 4 years after graduation
$40,162
All graduates nationally
Middle half of graduates nationally
$25,186–$56,550
25th to 75th percentile
Typical federal debt of graduates
$12,500
Median across reporting units

In context: across the 47 associate-degree fields with earnings reported by at least 30 schools or school groups, the typical field's median is $48,733; this field's median of $40,162 is 18% below that. The middle half of its graduates differ by $31,364 (25th to 75th percentile), close to the typical field's $33,656, so where a graduate lands within the field varies a lot. Typical federal debt of $12,500 is about 31% of one year of that median (debt and earnings cover different graduating years). These are group figures, not predictions for any graduate.

Schools reporting earnings for Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness graduates

Listed alphabetically to start; MajorPays does not rank schools. Click a column heading to sort; shift-click more headings to sort by several columns as a group. Median earnings four years after graduation, associate degree, for programs with at least 30 graduates measured (11 reporting units; campuses that share one federal school ID report together and appear once). Schools with fewer graduates in the major, or whose figure the Department of Education withholds, are not listed.

SchoolStateMedian earnings, 4 years afterGraduates measured
Austin Community College DistrictTX$48,35743
Bryan UniversityAZ$41,220185
Columbus State Community CollegeOH$41,94738
El Paso Community CollegeTX$32,54249
Intellitec College-Colorado SpringsCO$33,21934
Keiser University-Ft LauderdaleFL$35,403100
Lionel UniversityCA$52,98447
Monroe UniversityNY$31,84579
Mt San Antonio CollegeCA$40,99393
Riverside City CollegeCA$50,92363
South Texas CollegeTX$36,47764

See every school that awarded associate degrees in Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness in 2023-24, including schools that do not report earnings, with the number of degrees awarded (IPEDS Completions).

Occupations O*NET associates with this field

Occupations that U.S. Department of Labor O*NET data links to Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness programs, with each occupation's national median pay, projected job growth and yearly openings. They are listed in the order O*NET links them to this field; click a column heading to sort. This is a classification crosswalk, not evidence that graduates enter these jobs, and many of these occupations require more education, a license or experience beyond this credential. The figures describe the occupation, not the graduates of this major.

CareerMedian pay, 2025Projected growth, 2025–2035Openings per year
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary$77,270+2.2%1,000
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors$47,160+7.3%68,000
Coaches and Scouts$47,320+6.1%36,400
Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling$79,520+6.0%5,100
Athletes and Sports Competitors$66,710+5.5%2,200
Exercise Physiologists$59,460+12.8%1,400
Athletic Trainers$62,520+12.7%2,400

Frequently asked questions

Does an associate degree in Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness pay off?

Graduates with an associate degree in Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness earn a median of $40,162 four years after graduating, and typically owe about $12,500 in federal loans. Earnings four years out are early-career pay, and they vary widely by school, job and place. Compare the pay with the cost of your own school on its graduate earnings page.

How much do college graduates earn overall?

See earnings by education level and by state.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data (June 2026 release), licensed under Creative Commons Attribution; careers from O*NET 31.0 by the U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Career pay, growth and openings: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025) and Employment Projections (2025-2035). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; neither agency has approved or endorsed them. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. MajorPays has modified all or some of the O*NET information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Earnings are for graduates who received federal financial aid and were working and not enrolled four years after finishing (graduates of academic years 2014-15 and 2015-16, in 2021 dollars; the debt figures are for graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20); the data says nothing about how much a school added to its graduates' earnings.