Explore career options in exercise science
Here you can find information on the types of careers and employment roles an exercise science degree may land you.
You can also discover where to look for job vacancies, as well as professional associations, mentoring and international opportunities.
Opportunities
An exercise science degree provides graduates with a strong foundation in the physical, biomedical and psychological sciences and application of knowledge and skills to current and developing models required for careers in exercise, sport, rehabilitation and health industries.
A range of postgraduate qualifications are available following completion of this degree, including graduate certificates, graduate diplomas and masters’ degrees in fields such as health services management, genetic counselling, rehabilitation counselling, speech pathology, public health, medicine, clinical biochemistry, clinical physiology, infection control, and case management.
Career fields
- Cardiac testing & monitoring
- Medical testing clinics
- Health departments
- Respiratory testing and monitoring
- Hospitals and rehabilitation clinics
- Insurance companies
- Health Promotion
- Sports teams
- Recreation management
- Injury management
- Community or sports organisations
- Bioinstrumentation
- Sleep research and testing
- Fitness centres
- Sports sales
- Exercise prescription and testing
- Strength and conditioning
Employment roles
- Cardiac technician
- Medical representative
- Sonographer
- Drug control officer
- Trainee echo cardiographer
- Polysomnographic technologist
- Project officer
- Head swim coach
- Sleep technician
- Sports promoter
- Fitness instructor
- Health injury management consultant
- Personal trainer
- Quality assurance officer
- Respiratory scientist
Occupation snapshot
Employed
5,100
Future demand
Moderate
Weekly earnings
$1,067
Part-time share
38%
This data is based on the occupation profile for exercise physiologists retrieved from the Government's Jobs and Skills Australia website and YourCareer websites July 2024.
Your employability
In addition to knowledge and skills directly related to your program of study, you will also develop a range of other skills such as teamwork, analytical, communication through academic study, employment, voluntary work, sporting and recreational activities and life experience.
Recognising the value employers place on these skills is an important factor in your graduate job search. You can further develop your employability with these resources:
Vacancies
Information on relevant vacancies can be found in a wide range of sources:
- CareerHub
- Prosple (formerly Grad Australia)
- Adzuna exercise-based jobs
- Australian Public Service recruitment
- CareCareers
- Ethical Jobs
- NSW Government jobs
- Queensland Government Graduate Portal
- Queensland Government jobs
- Research Career Jobs (Australia & New Zealand)
- Seek exercise-based vacancies
- Sportspeople
- Careers in health information management
- Rehabilitation support service providers in Australia
Notable alumnus: Fiona Sessarago
Fiona Sessarago, a Griffith University alumna, has made significant contributions to women’s football. In 2018, she became the first Head of Women’s Football at the Gold Coast SUNS, and in 2019, she brought together all 30 female recruits for the 2020 AFLW season. Her dedication to the sport and community work has earned her recognition, including a nomination for the Gold Coast Women of the Year awards.
Job application resources
Craft a stand-out resume and cover letter, and learn how to prepare for job interviews.
Approach potential employers
Many work opportunities are not advertised, so we recommend approaching potential employers with the aim of researching their needs and how your skills, experience, interests and qualifications could match theirs.
This is called informational interviewing and will benefit you by:
- clarifying your specific career direction
- enhancing your professional network
- increasing your chances of being offered a job.
Industry outlook
The Your Career website includes helpful information such as job descriptions, employment prospects, average weekly earnings and skills requirements. Every job title in the database has a skills section to help you identify and describe essential skills for your future career.
The My Future website also has job descriptions and a useful career insight section.
The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching website has up-to-date information on graduate salaries, especially the Graduate Outlook Survey (GOS) National Report, which contains undergraduate salary figures.
More detailed information is available at the Labour Market Insights portal.
Professional associations
Joining a professional association is a great way to interact with people in your field who can assist you to explore your career options and potentially find employment opportunities. These associations hold regular professional development and networking events:
- Exercise and Sport Science Australia
- Australian Council For Health, Physical Education and Recreation
- Australian Health Promotion Association
- Health and Exercise Science Technologists Association
- Australian Institute of Digital Health
- Parks & Leisure Australia
- Physical Activity Australia
- Sports Management Association of Australia and New Zealand
Students are welcome to join and often receive a discount on their membership.
Mentoring
The award-winning Industry Mentoring Program provides an excellent opportunity to further develop your employability and build professional networks.
The program is available to students with more than 80CP as well as recent graduates.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ) and is committed to promoting decent work and economic growth, advancing the principles of responsible and sustainable consumption and production, and advocating for peace, justice, and resilient institutional frameworks.
Further careers information
Careers counselling
Individual career counselling sessions are available to all current students and recent graduates.
You can book an initial appointment via CareerHub.
Career planning
Our website has an array of career planning resources you can explore at any stage of your student journey.
Career Readiness
Check out our Career Readiness site in Learning@Griffith for additional information and resources for your career development learning:
Similar career outcomes
Please note: The content on this webpage is a guide only. Please refer to degree-specific information and accreditation requirements of your profession on the Degree and Course Finder website and with the relevant professional accreditation body for your degree.