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The differences between group fitness instructors and 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 group fitness instructor and a skills trainer. Additionally, a group fitness instructor has an average salary of $35,867, which is higher than the $32,779 average annual salary of a skills trainer.
The top three skills for a group fitness instructor include CPR, yoga and customer service. The most important skills for a skills trainer are money management, adaptive, and independent living.
| Group Fitness Instructor | Skills Trainer | |
| Yearly salary | $35,867 | $32,779 |
| Hourly rate | $17.24 | $15.76 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 38,457 | 21,389 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A group fitness instructor is responsible for creating fitness programs for a group with the same fitness goals, tailoring special instructions to engage the group and helping each individual achieve their healthy lifestyle objectives. Group fitness instructors monitor each trainee's progress, adjusting exercise routines and diet plans as needed, and ensuring that the group follows the training disciplines during fitness sessions. They must have excellent knowledge of the fitness industry, including the latest routines to provide options and a wide range of fitness programs.
Skills Trainers are responsible for creating and teaching courses that are specialized for employees of an organization. Their duties include conducting initial analysis through questionnaires, surveys, and focus groups, create program budgeting, design training courses, organize the class schedule, produce study materials, and implement trial run. They track key performance metrics, create progress reports, and continuously improve training methodologies to deliver better results. Skills Trainers also work with outside vendors in using instructional technology to facilitate teaching.
Group fitness instructors and skills trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Group Fitness Instructor | Skills Trainer | |
| Average salary | $35,867 | $32,779 |
| Salary range | Between $23,000 And $54,000 | Between $25,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Grand Forks, ND |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Bridgewater State University | Four County |
| Best paying industry | Education | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a group fitness instructor and a skills trainer in terms of educational background:
| Group Fitness Instructor | Skills Trainer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Kinesiology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between group fitness instructors' and skills trainers' demographics:
| Group Fitness Instructor | Skills Trainer | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 29.5% Female, 70.5% | Male, 34.9% Female, 65.1% |
| 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% |