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Health and wellness instructor vs fitness specialist

The differences between health and wellness instructors and fitness specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a health and wellness instructor and a fitness specialist. Additionally, a health and wellness instructor has an average salary of $39,996, which is higher than the $32,472 average annual salary of a fitness specialist.

The top three skills for a health and wellness instructor include home health, CPR and yoga. The most important skills for a fitness specialist are CPR, fitness assessments, and ACSM.

Health and wellness instructor vs fitness specialist overview

Health And Wellness InstructorFitness Specialist
Yearly salary$39,996$32,472
Hourly rate$19.23$15.61
Growth rate19%19%
Number of jobs76,45128,175
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age3737
Years of experience1212

What does a health and wellness instructor do?

A health and wellness instructor or coach is someone who guides people and helps them set goals for their lives. These goals may be to manage stress better, improve energy, lose weight or even attain a certain body goal. You may be required to give nutrition and exercise counseling to clients as well as give advice on lifestyle and behavioral changes to help improve the lives of people.

What does a fitness specialist do?

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.

Health and wellness instructor vs fitness specialist salary

Health and wellness instructors and fitness specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Health And Wellness InstructorFitness Specialist
Average salary$39,996$32,472
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $58,000Between $24,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-University Settlement
Best paying industry-Education

Differences between health and wellness instructor and fitness specialist education

There are a few differences between a health and wellness instructor and a fitness specialist in terms of educational background:

Health And Wellness InstructorFitness Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 67%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorKinesiologyKinesiology
Most common collegeUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Health and wellness instructor vs fitness specialist demographics

Here are the differences between health and wellness instructors' and fitness specialists' demographics:

Health And Wellness InstructorFitness Specialist
Average age3737
Gender ratioMale, 33.7% Female, 66.3%Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2%
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 health and wellness instructor and fitness specialist duties and responsibilities

Health and wellness instructor example responsibilities.

  • Lead group exercise classes and teach CPR classes.
  • Conduct testing for BMI, flexibility, height, weight, and blood pressure.
  • Teach yoga, mindfulness meditation and body awareness tailor to clients' mental and emotional needs.
  • Design programs for clients, including nutrition, yoga, Pilates, cardiovascular and weight training.
  • Educate patients about healthy lifestyle behaviors -Developed anaerobic and aerobic exercise routines derive from a doctor's physical examination of patients
  • Instruct group exercise classes including tabata, tone, and spinning.

Fitness specialist example responsibilities.

  • Provide market research and generate leads using social media (facebook) in order to target prospective clients.
  • Lead group strength training exercises, conduct vitals, and monitor EKG telemetry before during and after exercise.
  • Conduct CPR and a workshops for facility.
  • Water safety, CPR, and a certified.
  • Maintain cleanliness of exercise equipment.
  • Maintain cleanliness and safety protocol of fitness equipment.
  • Show more

Health and wellness instructor vs fitness specialist skills

Common health and wellness instructor skills
  • Home Health, 29%
  • CPR, 13%
  • Yoga, 12%
  • Wellness Programs, 5%
  • Membership Sales, 4%
  • Physical Education, 4%
Common fitness specialist skills
  • CPR, 16%
  • Fitness Assessments, 8%
  • ACSM, 7%
  • Sales Floor, 6%
  • Blood Pressure, 5%
  • Customer Service, 5%

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