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The differences between clinical exercise physiologists and certified personal trainers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a clinical exercise physiologist, becoming a certified personal trainer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a clinical exercise physiologist has an average salary of $53,276, which is higher than the $32,039 average annual salary of a certified personal trainer.
The top three skills for a clinical exercise physiologist include patients, rehabilitation and cardiac rehabilitation. The most important skills for a certified personal trainer are CPR, customer service, and injury prevention.
| Clinical Exercise Physiologist | Certified Personal Trainer | |
| Yearly salary | $53,276 | $32,039 |
| Hourly rate | $25.61 | $15.40 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 108,099 | 65,615 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 38 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
Clinical exercise physiologists, or CEP, are health professionals who utilize scientific rationale for designing, enforcing, and supervising exercise programming. The physiologists set exercise programs for people with conditions, diseases, and/or physical issues. They analyze the fitness of their patients to improve or main their health. Their job includes the assessment of patients' needs and making sure that they are following the safe exercise practices set for them. In addition, CEP may work with patients who have been recovering from any medical emergency or those who need to regain their physical strength.
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.
Clinical exercise physiologists and certified personal trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Exercise Physiologist | Certified Personal Trainer | |
| Average salary | $53,276 | $32,039 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $95,000 | Between $21,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bakersfield, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Boston Medical Center | City and County of Denver Government |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Retail |
There are a few differences between a clinical exercise physiologist and a certified personal trainer in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Exercise Physiologist | Certified Personal Trainer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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 clinical exercise physiologists' and certified personal trainers' demographics:
| Clinical Exercise Physiologist | Certified Personal Trainer | |
| Average age | 38 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7% | Male, 53.5% Female, 46.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 5.6% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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% |