National Strength and Conditioning Association Announces 2025 Salary Survey Results

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) has released the results of its 2025 Salary Survey, providing comprehensive insights into compensation trends for strength and conditioning and sport science professionals. Conducted by the Employers Council in February 2025, the international survey includes data from 3,177 participants across multiple sectors.

This year’s findings reveal a robust 6.7% annual growth rate in salaries since 2018, with average salaries now ranging from $68,089 to $98,564. For the first time, Performance & Sport Science roles were included, with these professionals earning an average salary of $86,996. Salaries varied significantly based on work setting, years of experience, education level, and position title, highlighting clear pathways for professional growth.

Key Highlights

• Work Setting: Salaries rose notably across sectors, with the highest averages in Professional Sports ($98,564), Performance & Sport Science ($86,996), and Tactical settings ($77,669), indicating sustained salary growth and broad professional demand.
  
  
• Professional Experience: Professionals with less than five years of experience earned an average of $50,928 — up significantly from $32,085 in 2018. Highest entry-level salaries were found in Tactical ($63,383), underscoring improved early earning potential.
  
  
• Education Level: Professionals with doctoral degrees earned significantly more on average ($102,201) compared to those with a Master’s ($74,330) or Bachelor’s degree ($67,947), indicating substantial returns with further education.
  
  
• Position Title: Director-level salaries averaged $99,124 in strength and conditioning and $119,935 in sport science, compared to Assistant averages of $56,879 and $52,678, respectively, reflecting strong salary growth associated with leadership and responsibility.

The 2025 NSCA Salary Survey summary is available free to the public. NSCA Members receive exclusive access to the full report, including detailed analyses by demographic, location, primary sport, and more.

View the 2025 NSCA Salary Survey.

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About the National Strength & Conditioning Association

Founded in 1978, the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is an educational nonprofit dedicated to advancing strength and conditioning and sport science professions around the world. The NSCA empowers a community of professionals by disseminating evidence-based knowledge and its practical application through industry-leading certifications, peer-reviewed research journals, career development services, and continuing education. The NSCA community is composed of more than 60,000 certified professionals and members worldwide who further industry standards as researchers, educators, strength and conditioning coaches, performance and sport scientists, personal trainers, tactical professionals, and other related roles.