Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between fitness specialists and exercise specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a fitness specialist, becoming an exercise specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an exercise specialist has an average salary of $41,669, which is higher than the $32,472 average annual salary of a fitness specialist.
The top three skills for a fitness specialist include CPR, fitness assessments and ACSM. The most important skills for an exercise specialist are patients, rehabilitation, and patient care.
| Fitness Specialist | Exercise Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $32,472 | $41,669 |
| Hourly rate | $15.61 | $20.03 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 28,175 | 38,198 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 37 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
A Fitness Specialist is focused on promoting a healthy lifestyle through exercise and working with clients in various settings. They teach individuals or groups how to properly perform exercises and use exercise equipment.
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.
Fitness specialists and exercise specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Fitness Specialist | Exercise Specialist | |
| Average salary | $32,472 | $41,669 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $42,000 | Between $28,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Kaneohe, HI |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | University Settlement | Hancock Wellness |
| Best paying industry | Education | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a fitness specialist and an exercise specialist in terms of educational background:
| Fitness Specialist | Exercise Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| 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 specialists' and exercise specialists' demographics:
| Fitness Specialist | Exercise Specialist | |
| Average age | 37 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2% | Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2% |
| 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, 11.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 5.2% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 13% |