Exercise Physiologists Salary
In Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA, exercise physiologists earn $74,380 at the median, or about $35.76 an hour. The range runs from $63K at the entry level to $81K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.42), so that salary is closer to $70,556 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,922/month, about 39.6% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $74K actually covers in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro’s Regional Price Parity (105.42). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About exercise physiologists
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What this looks like in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro sits well above the national pay line for exercise physiologists, local pay runs about 25% higher than the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,922/month, which is 42.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.42), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for exercise physiologists in metros near Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $84K | $76K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Entry-level exercise physiologists (10th percentile) start around $63K. Mid-career wages sit at $74K. Top earners bring in $81K or more, a $18K spread from bottom to top.
Exercise Physiologists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Exercise Physiologists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $81K | +37% | 160 |
| Oregon | $72K | +20% | 80 |
| Minnesota | $67K | +13% | 250 |
| Massachusetts | $66K | +11% | 180 |
| New Jersey | $65K | +9% | 130 |
| Colorado | $64K | +7% | 370 |
| New Hampshire | $64K | +7% | 50 |
| Wisconsin | $63K | +6% | 340 |
| Connecticut | $63K | +5% | 100 |
| California | $62K | +5% | 640 |
| Arizona | $62K | +5% | 220 |
| Maryland | $62K | +5% | 90 |
| Wyoming | $62K | +4% | N/A |
| Illinois | $60K | +1% | 300 |
| Florida | $60K | +1% | 330 |
| New York | $60K | +1% | 360 |
| Kansas | $59K | -1% | 60 |
| Georgia | $58K | -2% | 210 |
| Delaware | $58K | -3% | 90 |
| Texas | $57K | -5% | 520 |
| Idaho | $57K | -5% | 40 |
| Iowa | $57K | -5% | 50 |
| Nevada | $55K | -7% | N/A |
| Michigan | $55K | -7% | 570 |
| Tennessee | $54K | -10% | 140 |
| Missouri | $53K | -12% | 160 |
| North Carolina | $52K | -12% | 370 |
| Louisiana | $52K | -12% | 40 |
| Virginia | $52K | -12% | 240 |
| Ohio | $52K | -13% | 340 |
| South Dakota | $52K | -13% | 30 |
| Kentucky | $51K | -14% | 60 |
| Alabama | $51K | -15% | 70 |
| North Dakota | $50K | -15% | 50 |
| West Virginia | $50K | -15% | 60 |
| Indiana | $50K | -16% | 310 |
| Oklahoma | $49K | -17% | 80 |
| Arkansas | $49K | -18% | 40 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | -19% | 640 |
| South Carolina | $47K | -22% | 230 |
| Utah | $44K | -26% | 220 |
| Mississippi | $43K | -28% | 30 |
Showing 1–10 of 42 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track exercise physiologists salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a exercise physiologist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $74K, rent takes 42.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,922/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for exercise physiologists in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new exercise physiologists typically earn — is $63K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,965/month. At HUD’s $1,922/month FMR, rent would take 48% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is exercise physiologist a high-paying job in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Local pay is 25% above the national median — $74K here vs. $59K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 5% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro compare to the national average for exercise physiologists?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro pays $74K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +25%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $71K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do exercise physiologists make in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
The median is $74,380 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $62,870, and experienced exercise physiologists can clear $80,870. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $74K enough to live in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,561/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,922/month, which eats 42.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a exercise physiologists salary go in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro has a Regional Price Parity of 105.42 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median exercise physiologists salary is worth about $70,556 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do exercise physiologists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.