Annual Salary
£23,000 to £50,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Leisure or Tourism or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Leisure or Tourism or go back to all job sectors
Sports scientists use knowledge of how the body works to help people improve their health or sporting ability.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends; attending events or appointments
There will be
2.4% more Performance sports scientist jobs in 2027.
As a performance sports scientist, your duties will depend on the type of organisation you work for. You could:
You could work in an NHS or private hospital, on a sports field, at a research facility, at a client's business or at a fitness centre.
Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time.
You can get into this job through a university course.
You could take a degree course in sport and exercise science. Courses that include the 3 main subjects of biomechanics, physiology and psychology, will help to keep your job and study options open later on.
Alternatively, you could study for a degree in a science related subject followed by a postgraduate qualification in sports science.
Related subjects include:
It's quite common for sports scientists to have or be working towards a postgraduate qualification.
Courses that include work placements or internship opportunities could give you an advantage when job hunting after completing your studies. This is something to ask universities about when you're looking at their courses.
You'll usually need:
Experience as fitness instructor, lifeguard, coach or volunteering, for example with a sports club, may improve your career prospects.
It will help you stand out in a competitive jobs market if you have extra qualifications like:first aid; gym instructing; safeguarding
You could join The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) for professional development opportunities.
You'll find more advice on careers in sports science from The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences and Careers in Sport.
You could work with universities, schools and colleges, large sporting organisations, local authorities and the NHS. It's also possible to become self-employed or work in a related career area, like sports development or performance testing and research.
You could also apply for accreditation through The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences in a number of areas, including:sports psychology; clinical physiology; exercise and rehabilitation; high performance sport
This offers professional recognition of your experience and expertise. A further option is to seek Chartered Scientist status.
You'll find more advice on careers in sports science from The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences.
You'll need: