Fitness director vs life skills trainer

The differences between fitness directors and life skills trainers 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 life skills trainer. Additionally, a fitness director has an average salary of $53,238, which is higher than the $30,822 average annual salary of a life skills trainer.

The top three skills for a fitness director include customer service, CPR and kids. The most important skills for a life skills trainer are medication administration, therapeutic recreation, and medical appointments.

Fitness director vs life skills trainer overview

	Fitness Director	Life Skills Trainer
Yearly salary	$53,238	$30,822
Hourly rate	$25.60	$14.82
Growth rate	19%	19%
Number of jobs	9,837	39,666
Job satisfaction	5	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	12	12

What does a fitness director do?

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.

What does a life skills trainer do?

Life skills trainers are personal health professionals who provide training assistance and supervision to patients, such as personal care, financial management, and social integration. These trainers are required to assist their clients with disabilities with daily living activities while documenting their behaviors and personal hygiene. They can organize therapeutic activities for individuals or groups to maximize their quality of life. Life skills trainers must also assist in meal preparation as well as perform tasks that include glucose monitoring, insulin therapy, and diabetes management.

Fitness director vs life skills trainer salary

Fitness directors and life skills trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fitness Director	Life Skills Trainer
Average salary	$53,238	$30,822
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $85,000	Between $22,000 And $41,000
Highest paying City	Springfield, MA	-
Highest paying state	Massachusetts	-
Best paying company	Google	-
Best paying industry	Government	-

Differences between fitness director and life skills trainer education

There are a few differences between a fitness director and a life skills trainer in terms of educational background:

	Fitness Director	Life Skills Trainer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Psychology
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Fitness director vs life skills trainer demographics

Here are the differences between fitness directors' and life skills trainers' demographics:

	Fitness Director	Life Skills Trainer
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 54.8% Female, 45.2%	Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1%
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%

Differences between fitness director and life skills trainer duties and responsibilities

Fitness director example responsibilities.

Manage business administration including cash management, budgets and payroll; interface with members and resolve conflicts.
Enforce fitness center policies and ensure cleanliness of fitness equipment and customer safety.
Create SaaS offering for global central booking and POS management.
Assist patrons in workouts design to improve structural integrity, cardio capacity, and overall fitness.
Provide staff with information to keep up CPR education and safety procedures according to policy within the facility.
Implement biannual employee safety training that consist of first aid, CPR training, and job-relate safety precautions.

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Life skills trainer example responsibilities.

Train and experience at managing challenging classroom situations using CPI methods and positive behavior reinforcement practices.
Deliver individual counseling and perform crisis intervention duties including reporting suicidal patients.
Cultivate a culture of community by providing community integration at a residential rehabilitation facility for persons with severe brain injuries.
Acquire CPR and life skills certifications.
Perform when and if need for first aid and or CPR.
Assist clients with proper ADL needs, such as showering, providing meals, and cleaning rooms.

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Fitness director vs life skills trainer skills

Common fitness director skills

Customer Service, 20%
CPR, 15%
Kids, 9%
Payroll, 7%
Yoga, 5%
Training Sessions, 4%

Common life skills trainer skills

Medication Administration, 17%
Therapeutic Recreation, 16%
Medical Appointments, 9%
Direct Support, 8%
Rehabilitation, 6%
CPR, 6%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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