Fitness trainer vs fitness director

The differences between fitness trainers and fitness directors 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 trainer and a fitness director. Additionally, a fitness director has an average salary of $53,238, which is higher than the $28,702 average annual salary of a fitness trainer.

The top three skills for a fitness trainer include customer service, front desk and CPR. The most important skills for a fitness director are customer service, CPR, and kids.

Fitness trainer vs fitness director overview

	Fitness Trainer	Fitness Director
Yearly salary	$28,702	$53,238
Hourly rate	$13.80	$25.60
Growth rate	19%	19%
Number of jobs	23,881	9,837
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	12	12

What does a fitness trainer do?

The job of a fitness trainer is to instruct and motivate individuals and groups in physical activities, including stretching, cardiovascular exercise, and strength training. The typical duties of a fitness trainer include demonstrating how to perform various exercises, guiding them during the exercise to improve fitness and minimize injuries, and monitoring their progress. As a fitness trainer, you are also responsible for explaining and enforcing safety rules on exercise equipment usage, recreational activities, and sports, and giving clients resources and information about weight control, lifestyle issues, and nutrition.

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.

Fitness trainer vs fitness director salary

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

	Fitness Trainer	Fitness Director
Average salary	$28,702	$53,238
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $41,000	Between $33,000 And $85,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Springfield, MA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Kohler Co.	Google
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Government

Differences between fitness trainer and fitness director education

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

	Fitness Trainer	Fitness Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Kinesiology
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Fitness trainer vs fitness director demographics

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

	Fitness Trainer	Fitness Director
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 59.8% Female, 40.2%	Male, 54.8% Female, 45.2%
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, 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 trainer and fitness director duties and responsibilities

Fitness trainer example responsibilities.

Provide market research and generate leads using social media (facebook) in order to target prospective clients.
Monitor the swimming area and CPR certify.
Certify for CPR and a and always have first aid available.
Improve the cleanliness of the community recreations centers by implementing an hourly maintenance and cleaning schedule.
Maintain fitness center cleanliness while assisting members.
Assist in the cardiac rehabilitation clinic which include implementing progressive rehabilitation methods with education for long term health and wellness.

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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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Fitness trainer vs fitness director skills

Common fitness trainer skills

Customer Service, 31%
Front Desk, 28%
CPR, 24%
Cleanliness, 6%
Physical Fitness, 2%
Fitness Equipment, 1%

Common fitness director skills

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

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Updated January 8, 2025

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