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The differences between fitness directors 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 fitness director and a fitness coach. Additionally, a fitness director has an average salary of $53,238, which is higher than the $38,462 average annual salary of a fitness coach.
The top three skills for a fitness director include customer service, CPR and kids. The most important skills for a fitness coach are CPR, kids, and fitness programs.
| Fitness Director | Fitness Coach | |
| Yearly salary | $53,238 | $38,462 |
| Hourly rate | $25.60 | $18.49 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 9,837 | 22,156 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A fitness director manages a fitness facility's operations. These operations include creating fitness programs, monitoring staff, scheduling shifts, and even managing the fitness center budget. They can also train fitness instructors and even hire and terminate them. They procure the equipment necessary and make sure it works well and is safe. Aside from these tasks, fitness directors must also be akin to the needs of the center, decide on solutions, and have the ability to motivate clients to follow the program that was created for their betterment.
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.
Fitness directors and fitness coaches have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Fitness Director | Fitness Coach | |
| Average salary | $53,238 | $38,462 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $85,000 | Between $24,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Springfield, MA | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | AEA Investors | |
| Best paying industry | Government | Education |
There are a few differences between a fitness director and a fitness coach in terms of educational background:
| Fitness Director | Fitness Coach | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | 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 fitness directors' and fitness coaches' demographics:
| Fitness Director | Fitness Coach | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 54.8% Female, 45.2% | 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% |