Salary and Outlook

According to the US Department of Labor, there are 17,100 people employed as recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary in the United States. The median annual salary is $72,440. Entry level employees earn approximately $37,630 per year and senior employees earn approximately $128,230 per year.

Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime pay, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.

Job Duties

• 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.
• Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department heads.
• Prepare students to act as sports coaches.
• Act as advisers to student organizations.
• Provide professional consulting services to government or industry.
• Coach athletic teams.
• 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.
• Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
• Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
• Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.
• Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks.
• Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.
• Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.
• Participate in campus and community events.
• Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
• Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.

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