# Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary

US SOC code 25-1193. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/25-1193

Also called: Recreation studies professor, Kinesiology professor, Sport management professor, Fitness studies postsec instructor, Physical education professor.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **12,630** US postsecondary recreation and fitness studies teachers, with median pay of **$77,270** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the highest was **19,410**, in May 2012. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.montclair.edu/kinesiology/about-the-department/history/) of **3,200** from 1920, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era in this work: Wearable athlete monitoring and video biomechanics platforms, 2010 to 2020.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 2.2% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=25-1193&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **61.6%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1861
- Latest US employment: 12,630 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [4]
- Latest US median pay: $77,270 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [7]
- Outlook: +2.2% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [23]

### All 28 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1920 | 3,200 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Montclair State University [1] |
| 1960 | 12,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., NIRSA [2] |
| 1964 | n/a | $7,200 (estimate) | Est., University of Missouri Libraries [5] |
| 1975 | 21,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., NIRSA Timeline [3] |
| 2000 | n/a | $44,000 (estimate) | Est., BLS OOH [6] |
| 2003 | 14,780 | $44,470 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [4] |
| 2004 | 15,470 | $44,320 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [4] |
| 2005 | 16,530 | $45,890 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [4] |
| 2006 | 17,110 | $49,270 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [4] |
| 2007 | 17,500 | $52,170 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [4] |
| 2008 | 17,410 | $55,140 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [4] |
| 2009 | 16,850 | $55,370 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [4] |
| 2010 | 17,720 | $57,650 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [4] |
| 2011 | 18,660 | $57,840 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [4] |
| 2012 | 19,410 | $57,920 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [4] |
| 2013 | 18,820 | $57,690 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [4] |
| 2014 | 18,650 | $58,280 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [4] |
| 2015 | 17,980 | $59,280 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [4] |
| 2016 | 17,390 | $59,180 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [4] |
| 2017 | 16,630 | $60,150 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [4] |
| 2018 | 16,490 | $62,620 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [4] |
| 2019 | 15,880 | $64,380 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [4] |
| 2020 | 14,730 | $66,290 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [4] |
| 2021 | 13,860 | $72,440 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [4] |
| 2022 | 13,400 | $72,650 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [4] |
| 2023 | 13,270 | $75,770 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [4] |
| 2024 | 12,680 | $75,890 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [4] |
| 2025 | 12,630 | $77,270 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [4] |

## Sources (86)

### Employment series

1. [Montclair State University, Department of Kinesiology History (Panzer College founding 1917, national context for physical education faculty growth)](https://www.montclair.edu/kinesiology/about-the-department/history/), Montclair State University
2. [NIRSA (National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association) History page: organization founded 1950, campus recreation program expansion through 1960s](https://nirsa.net/about/), NIRSA
3. [NIRSA Timeline: women regained membership April 1971; Title IX 1972 expanded opportunities for women in campus recreation profession](https://nirsa.net/about/who-we-are/timeline/), NIRSA
4. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

5. [University of Missouri Libraries -- "Prices and Wages by Decade: 1960-1969" (AAUP faculty salary data; physical education faculty context)](https://libraryguides.missouri.edu/pricesandwages/1960-1969), University of Missouri Libraries / AAUP historical data
6. [BLS OOH -- Postsecondary Teachers (historical overview; median salaries for postsecondary teachers circa 2000)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
7. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
8. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Tool eras

9. [Wikipedia -- Dudley Allen Sargent: Normal School of Physical Training, Cambridge (1881); custom apparatus design for individualized physical education](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudley_Allen_Sargent), Wikipedia
10. [Amherst College -- "150 Years Ago: Amherst Established Nation's First College Health Program" (Edward Hitchcock, 1861, anthropometric measurement system)](https://www.amherst.edu/news/news_releases/2011/08/node/337711), Amherst College
11. [Nicholas Westfall, The History of Physical Education (Substack): Harvard Fatigue Laboratory founded 1926; exercise physiology research enters higher education](https://nicholaswestfall.substack.com/p/the-history-of-physical-education), Nicholas Westfall / Substack
12. [Montclair State University, Department of Kinesiology History: WWI physical deficiency findings, Panzer College of Physical Education founded 1917 in national context](https://www.montclair.edu/kinesiology/about-the-department/history/), Montclair State University
13. [Wikipedia -- American College of Sports Medicine: founded April 22, 1954 at Hotel Statler, NYC; seven physical educators and three physicians among 11 founders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_College_of_Sports_Medicine), Wikipedia
14. [UW-Madison Department of Kinesiology History: Clark Hetherington 1911, Blanche Trilling 1912, department merger into Kinesiology 1992; laboratory infrastructure development context](https://kinesiology.education.wisc.edu/about/history/), University of Wisconsin-Madison
15. [NIRSA History: student-fee-funded recreational sports facilities trend beginning 1960s; NIRSA name change to National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association 1975](https://nirsa.net/about/), NIRSA
16. [UNC Greensboro Department of Kinesiology History: renamed Exercise and Sport Science 1989 reflecting shift to laboratory-based discipline; context for era](https://kin.uncg.edu/about-department-and-programs/department-history/), UNC Greensboro
17. [University of Michigan School of Kinesiology records: Regents approved name change to Division of Kinesiology 1990; reflecting curriculum broadening to include movement science and sport management](https://findingaids.lib.umich.edu/catalog/umich-bhl-9987), University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library
18. [O\*NET 25-1193.00: BLS SOC 25-1193 introduced with the 2000 SOC revision as a distinct occupational code for recreation and fitness studies postsecondary teachers](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-1193.00), O\*NET / BLS
19. [Catapult Sports product documentation: GPS and inertial wearable athlete monitoring deployed at 2,000+ professional, collegiate, and university programs globally (2025)](https://www.catapult.com/), Catapult Sports
20. [Dartfish -- video analysis and coaching platform documentation: Dartfish Edu licensing for university kinesiology programs; biomechanics lab deployment (2025)](https://www.dartfish.com/), Dartfish
21. [NIRSA -- Campus Recreation AI in Higher Education white paper: in-person programming and group fitness retain highest participant value; AI most applicable to administrative and scheduling functions (2025)](https://nirsa.net/), NIRSA
22. [Gradescope (Turnitin) -- AI-assisted grading: 60-80% reduction in grading time for large STEM/kinesiology lecture sections (2025)](https://www.gradescope.com/), Gradescope / Turnitin

### Forecasts and exposure studies

23. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 25-1193 Recreation and fitness studies teachers, postsecondary (2025: 15.2 thousand; 2035: 15.6 thousand; +2.2%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=25-1193&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
24. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 25-1193.00, human-rated β 0.616)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

25. [Wikipedia -- Edward Hitchcock Jr.: Professor of Hygiene and Physical Education at Amherst 1861-1911; first such department in the US](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Hitchcock_Jr.), Wikipedia
26. [Wikipedia -- Dudley Allen Sargent: Normal School of Physical Training, Cambridge, 1881; director through 1916; became Sargent School of Physical Education (now BU Sargent College)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudley_Allen_Sargent), Wikipedia
27. [Nicholas Westfall, The History of Physical Education (Substack): AAPE founded 1885-1886; first national professional body for physical education](https://nicholaswestfall.substack.com/p/the-history-of-physical-education), Nicholas Westfall / Substack
28. [NIRSA History: founded 1950 at Dillard University by Dr. William Wasson; 22 African American men and women from 11 HBCUs; renamed NIRSA 1975](https://nirsa.net/about/), NIRSA
29. [Wikipedia -- American College of Sports Medicine: founded April 22, 1954 at Hotel Statler; 11 founders including seven physical educators and three physicians](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_College_of_Sports_Medicine), Wikipedia
30. [NIRSA Timeline: women regained membership April 1971, one year before Title IX (June 1972) significantly expanded opportunities for women in campus recreation profession](https://nirsa.net/about/who-we-are/timeline/), NIRSA
31. [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library -- School of Kinesiology records: Regents approved name change to Division of Kinesiology 1990](https://findingaids.lib.umich.edu/catalog/umich-bhl-9987), University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library

### Predecessors & successors

32. [Amherst College -- Department of Hygiene and Physical Education Records (1861 founding; Edward Hitchcock Jr. as first Professor of Hygiene and Physical Education)](https://archivesspace.amherst.edu/repositories/2/resources/314), Amherst College ArchivesSpace
33. [O\*NET 25-1193.00 -- related occupations: Athletic Trainers listed among common career transitions](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-1193.00), O\*NET / BLS

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary (25-1193.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-1193.00), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-24
- [NIRSA — Campus Recreation AI in Higher Education: Uses, Concerns, and Opportunities (2025 white paper)](https://nirsa.net/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [SHAPE America — National Standards for Initial Physical Education Teacher Education (2017; 2024 accreditation guidance update)](https://shapeamerica.org/accreditation/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [BLS OES 2024 — Postsecondary Teachers (25-1000): median annual wage $84,380; +8% projected growth 2024-2034](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Goldman Sachs — Generative AI: Too Much Spend, Too Little Benefit? (2024): education sector automation exposure analysis](https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/top-of-mind/gen-ai-too-much-spend-too-little-benefit), accessed 2026-06-22
- [OpenAI ChatGPT Edu — deployed system-wide at CSU (2025): syllabus drafting, rubric generation, course objective writing as primary faculty use cases](https://openai.com/chatgpt/education/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Gradescope (Turnitin) — AI-assisted grading platform: 60-80% reduction in grading time for large STEM course sections; rubric application and outlier flagging (2025)](https://www.gradescope.com/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Canvas (Instructure) — AI quiz generation, learning outcome tagging, and automated rubric application features (2025)](https://www.instructure.com/canvas), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Dartfish — Video analysis and coaching platform: frame-by-frame angle measurement, phase tagging, multi-angle comparison, used in university kinesiology programs (2025)](https://www.dartfish.com/), accessed 2026-05-24

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.