Kinesiologist

What kinesiologists make

Be honest with yourself: a bachelor's in kinesiology alone has a low pay ceiling. Job Bank's median is $32 an hour, about $67,000 a year full time, with a spread of roughly $22 to $50, but that category lumps kinesiologists in with other therapy and assessment jobs, so the top end is generous for the degree alone. Many kinesiologists earn $22 to $30 an hour for years. The big jumps come from a further credential or a business.

Starting pay

Rehab clinics and return-to-work programs hire the most new grads. Gyms and personal training often pay less, and by the session.

The ceiling without more school

Insurance and WSIB (Ontario's Workplace Safety and Insurance Board) return-to-work roles and corporate ergonomics are where the bachelor's alone pays best. Above that usually means physio, OT (occupational therapy), chiro or medicine.

What it costs to get there

Kinesiology degree (4 years)

$7,000 to $10,000 a year

CKO (College of Kinesiologists of Ontario) exam and registration

$450 for the exam and $150 to apply, then $700 a year

Extra certifications (exercise physiology, strength coaching)

$300 to $1,000 each

First aid and CPR

About $150, renewed every few years

Roughly, all in

$28,800 to $42,500

Tuition, fees, exams and kit. Not rent, food or travel

This is four years of tuition at roughly $7,000 to $10,000 a year, plus the exam and registration with the CKO (College of Kinesiologists of Ontario) and a first aid and CPR ticket. The low end is a four year degree at a cheaper university with nothing extra added. The high end is a pricier university plus one or two optional certifications in areas like strength coaching or exercise physiology, and the first year of registration dues. Only Ontario requires registration, so elsewhere the exam and dues come off the total.

Total tuition around $30,000 to $40,000. Cheap for a health degree, which is part of why it is so popular.

Benefits

• Depends entirely on the employer

  Hospitals and insurers offer pensions and benefits. Clinics and gyms mostly do not.

• Free gym access

  Common in fitness settings.

• Daytime hours

  Most rehab and workplace roles are weekdays.

• Employer-paid courses

  Many clinics pay for further certifications if you stay.

The path

A 4-year degree, then registration in Ontario or voluntary certification elsewhere.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Biology, chemistry, math, physical education. Admission averages are moderate, 75% to 85%.

2. 2

   Bachelor of kinesiology

   4 years

   Four years: anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, exercise science, sport psychology, plus labs and placements. Offered at most Canadian universities.

3. 3

   Register in Ontario

   A few months

   If you practise in Ontario, write the CKO (College of Kinesiologists of Ontario) exam and register to use the title R.Kin (registered kinesiologist).

4. 4

   Certify elsewhere

   A few months

   Outside Ontario, employers look for CSEP (Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology) certification or CKA (Canadian Kinesiology Alliance) membership.

5. 5

   Decide on the next step

   Years 1 to 5

   Within a few years most kinesiologists either specialize (ergonomics, cardiac rehab, strength coaching) or apply to physio, OT (occupational therapy), chiro or medicine.

High school courses that help

• Biology

  Required almost everywhere.

• Physical education

  Grade 12 exercise science maps directly onto first year.

• Chemistry

• Math and physics

  Biomechanics is physics.

Time and money, at a glance

Years after high school

4

Typical admission average

75% to 85%; not highly competitive

Total tuition

$30,000 to $40,000

Paid while training?

No, though many students work as trainers or lifeguards

Regulated in Ontario only

Ontario is the only province that regulates kinesiology. Since 2013 the CKO (College of Kinesiologists of Ontario) protects the title kinesiologist there, and you must pass its exam and register. In every other province the degree is not licensed and anyone can use the title, so voluntary credentials from CSEP (Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology) and the CKA (Canadian Kinesiology Alliance) carry the weight with employers and insurers.

Where people study

Nearly every Canadian university offers kinesiology. A few examples:

• Western, Waterloo, McMaster, Queen's, York, University of Toronto

  Ontario

• UBC (University of British Columbia), Simon Fraser, University of Victoria

  British Columbia

• University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University of Saskatchewan, University of Manitoba

  Prairies

• McGill, Laval, Dalhousie, Memorial

  Quebec and Atlantic Canada

Credentials that raise pay or open doors

• CSEP-CEP (Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology certified exercise physiologist)

  The most recognized credential for clinical and cardiac rehab work.

• Ergonomics certification

  Corporate and insurance ergonomics is the best-paid bachelor's-only path.

• Strength and conditioning (CSCS, certified strength and conditioning specialist)

  Varsity and pro team roles; competitive and often low paid at first.

• Cardiac and pulmonary rehab

  Hospital programs hire kinesiologists on union pay grids.

Nice-to-haves

• Coaching or personal training certification

  Earn while you study.

• Athletic experience

• Clinic volunteer hours

  Needed for physio and OT (occupational therapy) applications later anyway.

• Comfort with statistics

  Research methods are a big part of the degree.

The launchpad degree

Kinesiology is one of the most common undergrads for physiotherapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic and medical school applicants because the prerequisites line up. If that is your plan, protect your GPA from year one. Those programs look at marks first.

A typical day

Rehab clinic: supervise exercise programs for 10 to 15 patients recovering from car accidents, surgeries or work injuries, adjusting each plan and documenting progress for the insurer. Workplace: an ergonomics assessment of an office or a factory line, then a report. Fitness: early morning and evening clients, quiet afternoons.

The honest trade-offs

Work life

Typical hours

35 to 40; early mornings and evenings in fitness

Remote work

Rare; some ergonomics report work

Physical demand

Moderate to high

Unionized

Hospitals yes, clinics and gyms no

Similar paths

Like the field but not this exact job?

• PhysiotherapistGet people moving again after injury, surgery and illness. A tough master's to get into, then steady work everywhere.
• Occupational TherapistHelp people do the everyday things illness or injury took away: dressing, driving, working, living at home.
• ChiropractorTreat backs, necks and joints with your hands. A doctor's title and a private-practice income that starts slow and builds.

Waterloo started it

The University of Waterloo opened the world's first kinesiology department in 1967. The degree began in Canada.

Ontario only, since 2013

Kinesiology became a regulated health profession in Ontario on April 1, 2013. No other province has followed yet.

A huge pre-med pipeline

Kinesiology and health science are among the most popular undergraduate degrees in Canada, and a large share of graduates apply to physiotherapy, occupational therapy, chiropractic or medical school.

Kin is not just gym

Kinesiologists work in hospital cardiac rehab, insurance return-to-work programs, ergonomics consulting and research labs. Personal training is one small corner of the field.