Exercise Physiologists Salary
In Raleigh-Cary, NC, exercise physiologists earn $66,060 at the median, or about $31.76 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.16), that's roughly $67,298 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,750/month, about 39.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $66K get you in Raleigh-Cary?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Raleigh-Cary’s Regional Price Parity (98.16). 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 Raleigh-Cary
Raleigh-Cary sits well above the national pay line for exercise physiologists, local pay runs about 11% 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 $1,750/month, which is 40.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.16) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for exercise physiologists in metros near Raleigh-Cary, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $53K | $55K |
| Wilmington | $55K | $57K |
| Winston-Salem | $50K | $55K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $60K | $60K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Raleigh-Cary, NC
Entry-level exercise physiologists (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $28K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Raleigh-Cary numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a exercise physiologist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Raleigh-Cary?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 40.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,750/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for exercise physiologists in Raleigh-Cary?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new exercise physiologists typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,839/month. At HUD’s $1,750/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Raleigh-Cary?
Local pay is 11% above the national median — $66K here vs. $59K nationally.
How does Raleigh-Cary compare to the national average for exercise physiologists?
Raleigh-Cary pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $67K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do exercise physiologists make in Raleigh-Cary, NC?
The median is $66,060 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,310, and experienced exercise physiologists can clear $74,820. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Raleigh-Cary?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,324/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,750/month, which eats 40.5% 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 Raleigh-Cary?
Raleigh-Cary has a Regional Price Parity of 98.16 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median exercise physiologists salary is worth about $67,298 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.