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The differences between certified personal trainers and fitness coaches can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a certified personal trainer and a fitness coach. Additionally, a fitness coach has an average salary of $38,462, which is higher than the $32,039 average annual salary of a certified personal trainer.
The top three skills for a certified personal trainer include CPR, customer service and injury prevention. The most important skills for a fitness coach are CPR, kids, and fitness programs.
| Certified Personal Trainer | Fitness Coach | |
| Yearly salary | $32,039 | $38,462 |
| Hourly rate | $15.40 | $18.49 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 65,615 | 22,156 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A Certified Personal Trainer is a person who will guide, help, and motivate you to move forward and become successful. Anyone with a mastery of a specific subject can become a personal trainer; however, certification is given only by accredited organizations that can offer licensure or certification programs. Many hope to find their own certified personal trainer in this hectic and convoluted society to accompany them through thick and thin in life.
A fitness coach specializes in mentoring clients in their journey for a healthier lifestyle, assisting them in reaching their individual goals for physical fitness. Their responsibilities include developing training programs based on the clients' needs, facilitating physical fitness training sessions in an individual or group setting, learning the clients' medical histories for risk prevention, and monitoring the progress of clients, adjusting programs as needed. Furthermore, as a fitness coach, it is essential to build rapport with clients, motivating them to reach their goals.
Certified personal trainers and fitness coaches have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Certified Personal Trainer | Fitness Coach | |
| Average salary | $32,039 | $38,462 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $47,000 | Between $24,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | City and County of Denver Government | AEA Investors |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Education |
There are a few differences between a certified personal trainer and a fitness coach in terms of educational background:
| Certified Personal Trainer | Fitness Coach | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Kinesiology | Kinesiology |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between certified personal trainers' and fitness coaches' demographics:
| Certified Personal Trainer | Fitness Coach | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.5% Female, 46.5% | Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 5.1% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 5.1% White, 71.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 13% |