Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between fitness assistants and fitness instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a fitness assistant and a fitness instructor. Additionally, a fitness instructor has an average salary of $35,495, which is higher than the $33,790 average annual salary of a fitness assistant.
The top three skills for a fitness assistant include CPR, AED and facility equipment. The most important skills for a fitness instructor are CPR, customer service, and work ethic.
| Fitness Assistant | Fitness Instructor | |
| Yearly salary | $33,790 | $35,495 |
| Hourly rate | $16.25 | $17.06 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 6,609 | 31,212 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
It is the responsibility of a fitness assistant to ensure the safety of fitness center patrons in facilities. Fitness assistants help in facility equipment and protocol while implementing the facility's rules and verifying the right determination of entering patrons. They organize and maintain paperwork with regards to a facility like excel spreadsheets. Part of their job is to manage the accounts and billings of every member along with great customer service. Also, they handle personal training, group exercise, and health promotion.
A fitness instructor advocates good physical health by crafting different fitness programs and providing fitness training sessions to a group of clients or individuals. They focus on different kinds of work-out and exercise routines. A fitness instructor mostly works at a gym; however, there are instances when one can work independently or by providing house calls. Furthermore, a fitness instructor needs to build rapport with clients, making them feel at ease during sessions, which will also be beneficial in gaining a strong client base.
Fitness assistants and fitness instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Fitness Assistant | Fitness Instructor | |
| Average salary | $33,790 | $35,495 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $48,000 | Between $23,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Massachusetts General Hospital |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between a fitness assistant and a fitness instructor in terms of educational background:
| Fitness Assistant | Fitness Instructor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| 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 fitness assistants' and fitness instructors' demographics:
| Fitness Assistant | Fitness Instructor | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.3% Female, 54.7% | Male, 32.2% Female, 67.8% |
| 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% |