Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between certified personal trainers and fitness specialists 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 specialist. Additionally, a fitness specialist has an average salary of $32,472, 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 specialist are CPR, fitness assessments, and ACSM.
| Certified Personal Trainer | Fitness Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $32,039 | $32,472 |
| Hourly rate | $15.40 | $15.61 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 65,615 | 28,175 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| 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 Specialist is focused on promoting a healthy lifestyle through exercise and working with clients in various settings. They teach individuals or groups how to properly perform exercises and use exercise equipment.
Certified personal trainers and fitness specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Certified Personal Trainer | Fitness Specialist | |
| Average salary | $32,039 | $32,472 |
| Salary range | Between $21,000 And $47,000 | Between $24,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | City and County of Denver Government | University Settlement |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Education |
There are a few differences between a certified personal trainer and a fitness specialist in terms of educational background:
| Certified Personal Trainer | Fitness Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| 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 specialists' demographics:
| Certified Personal Trainer | Fitness Specialist | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 53.5% Female, 46.5% | Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2% |
| 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% |