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The differences between exercise specialists and certified athletic trainers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an exercise specialist, becoming a certified athletic trainer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a certified athletic trainer has an average salary of $47,184, which is higher than the $41,669 average annual salary of an exercise specialist.
The top three skills for an exercise specialist include patients, rehabilitation and patient care. The most important skills for a certified athletic trainer are rehabilitation, CPR, and patient care.
| Exercise Specialist | Certified Athletic Trainer | |
| Yearly salary | $41,669 | $47,184 |
| Hourly rate | $20.03 | $22.68 |
| Growth rate | 9% | 17% |
| Number of jobs | 38,198 | 90,171 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
An Exercise Specialist creates exercise plans designed to improve health for clients, such as those at high risk for heart, metabolic, or lung disease. They work at health clubs, hotels, gyms, and hospitals.
A certified athletic trainer is a health and medical expert who specializes in providing health care assistance to athletes. They typically devise strategies to prevent injuries during training sessions and other activities, develop health care plans, and provide immediate care or first aid when injuries occur. There are also instances where they work together with physicians and other health care professionals, such as when diagnosing and treating injuries, developing rehabilitation structures, and administrating other health care services.
Exercise specialists and certified athletic trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Exercise Specialist | Certified Athletic Trainer | |
| Average salary | $41,669 | $47,184 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $61,000 | Between $36,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | Kaneohe, HI | Hartford, CT |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Hancock Wellness | The American Musical and Dramatic Academy |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between an exercise specialist and a certified athletic trainer in terms of educational background:
| Exercise Specialist | Certified Athletic Trainer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 79% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Kinesiology | Athletic Training |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between exercise specialists' and certified athletic trainers' demographics:
| Exercise Specialist | Certified Athletic Trainer | |
| Average age | 38 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2% | Male, 41.5% Female, 58.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 5.2% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 8.3% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 10% |