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Fitness trainer vs yoga teacher

The differences between fitness trainers and yoga teachers 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 yoga teacher. Additionally, a yoga teacher has an average salary of $52,895, 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 yoga teacher are anatomy, thai, and asana.

Fitness trainer vs yoga teacher overview

Fitness TrainerYoga Teacher
Yearly salary$28,702$52,895
Hourly rate$13.80$25.43
Growth rate19%19%
Number of jobs23,88152,681
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age3737
Years of experience1212

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 yoga teacher do?

A yoga teacher is responsible for teaching yoga as an exercise to enhance general body wellbeing and fitness. Yoga teachers primarily focus on teaching students how to practice meditation, perform different body stretching poses and improve mindfulness, which leads to general body wellbeing. As a yoga teacher, you're required to have a university degree or certification from private training organizations that offer specialist courses. Yoga teachers are also called "yogis" or "yoga instructors."

Fitness trainer vs yoga teacher salary

Fitness trainers and yoga teachers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Fitness TrainerYoga Teacher
Average salary$28,702$52,895
Salary rangeBetween $19,000 And $41,000Between $30,000 And $92,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CA-
Highest paying stateHawaii-
Best paying companyKohler Co.-
Best paying industryHospitality-

Differences between fitness trainer and yoga teacher education

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

Fitness TrainerYoga Teacher
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 59%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common majorKinesiologyPsychology
Most common collegeUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Fitness trainer vs yoga teacher demographics

Here are the differences between fitness trainers' and yoga teachers' demographics:

Fitness TrainerYoga Teacher
Average age3737
Gender ratioMale, 59.8% Female, 40.2%Male, 14.5% Female, 85.5%
Race ratioBlack 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 Percentage13%13%

Differences between fitness trainer and yoga teacher 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.
  • Show more

Yoga teacher example responsibilities.

  • Manage student supervision in various environments including classrooms, halls, cafeterias, schoolyards, gymnasiums, and field trip locations.
  • Teach adult yoga, barre, Pilates group exercise classes and workshops
  • Provide private yoga sessions addressing a variety of specialize client needs
  • Instruct CrossFit members how to incorporate flexibility and mobility through a supplemental yoga series additional to their weight training
  • Develop innovative PowerPoint presentations used to incorporate creative lessons for daily teaching consistent with teaching multiple grade levels at once.
  • Create curriculum, syllabus and lesson plans for each class.

Fitness trainer vs yoga teacher skills

Common fitness trainer skills
  • Customer Service, 31%
  • Front Desk, 28%
  • CPR, 24%
  • Cleanliness, 6%
  • Physical Fitness, 2%
  • Fitness Equipment, 1%
Common yoga teacher skills
  • Anatomy, 37%
  • Thai, 24%
  • Asana, 8%
  • Pilates, 8%
  • Yoga, 5%
  • Front Desk, 4%

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