Fitness trainer vs physical therapist assistant

The differences between fitness trainers and physical therapist assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a physical therapist assistant has an average salary of $53,035, 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 physical therapist assistant are patients, rehabilitation, and home health.

Fitness trainer vs physical therapist assistant overview

	Fitness Trainer	Physical Therapist Assistant
Yearly salary	$28,702	$53,035
Hourly rate	$13.80	$25.50
Growth rate	19%	24%
Number of jobs	23,881	80,018
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Associate Degree, 67%
Average age	37	39
Years of experience	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 physical therapist assistant do?

A physical therapist assistant's role is to provide treatments that will help a patient improve physical movements while under a physical therapist's supervision. Their responsibilities revolve around regularly observing a patient's reaction and progress to the treatment, operating various machines such as treadmills and trainers, and giving instructions to families on how to take care of the patient while at home. Furthermore, they must coordinate with a physical therapist to meet all of the patient's needs and give the best treatment possible.

Fitness trainer vs physical therapist assistant salary

Fitness trainers and physical therapist assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fitness Trainer	Physical Therapist Assistant
Average salary	$28,702	$53,035
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $41,000	Between $40,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Hawaii	Alaska
Best paying company	Kohler Co.	Children's Hospital Colorado
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Professional

Differences between fitness trainer and physical therapist assistant education

There are a few differences between a fitness trainer and a physical therapist assistant in terms of educational background:

	Fitness Trainer	Physical Therapist Assistant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Associate Degree, 67%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Physical Therapy
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Northwestern University

Fitness trainer vs physical therapist assistant demographics

Here are the differences between fitness trainers' and physical therapist assistants' demographics:

	Fitness Trainer	Physical Therapist Assistant
Average age	37	39
Gender ratio	Male, 59.8% Female, 40.2%	Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3%
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, 7.0% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.0% Asian, 8.6% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	13%	7%

Differences between fitness trainer and physical therapist assistant 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.

Physical therapist assistant example responsibilities.

Manage a diverse caseload including, but not limit to CVA's, cardiac care, Alzheimer's and sub acute orthopedics
Provide patients at a SNF with ROM exercises, transfer and gait training as well as balance and bed mobility exercises.
Provide physical therapy treatment as directed by physical therapist as PRN PTA for inpatient orthopedic rehabilitation and community hospital settings.
Care of patients in acute and ICU settings.
Work with adult, geriatrics, burns, ulcers and ICU patients
Prepare iontophoresis patches, give cervical and/or lumbar hot packs to clients.

Fitness trainer vs physical therapist assistant skills

Common fitness trainer skills

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

Common physical therapist assistant skills

Patients, 26%
Rehabilitation, 15%
Home Health, 11%
PTA, 7%
Physical Therapy Treatment, 5%
Quality Care, 4%

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Fitness Trainer vs Physical Therapist Assistant

Updated January 8, 2025

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