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The differences between health fitness specialists and exercise specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a health fitness specialist, becoming an exercise specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an exercise specialist has an average salary of $41,669, which is higher than the $37,089 average annual salary of a health fitness specialist.
The top three skills for a health fitness specialist include customer service, health fitness and administrative tasks. The most important skills for an exercise specialist are patients, rehabilitation, and patient care.
| Health Fitness Specialist | Exercise Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $37,089 | $41,669 |
| Hourly rate | $17.83 | $20.03 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 9% |
| Number of jobs | 57,379 | 38,198 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 37 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 2 |
A health fitness specialist's role is to promote fitness through different strategies and health programs. Their responsibilities mostly revolve around researching and developing exercise routines for various people, conducting fitness training sessions for small or large groups, assisting clients in their fitness goals, and ensuring a safe and healthy environment for all clients. Moreover, a health fitness specialist may provide private training sessions at home, to clients who are recovering from ailments or injuries, and even to private institutions such as universities and hospitals.
An Exercise Specialist creates exercise plans designed to improve health for clients, such as those at high risk for heart, metabolic, or lung disease. They work at health clubs, hotels, gyms, and hospitals.
Health fitness specialists and exercise specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Health Fitness Specialist | Exercise Specialist | |
| Average salary | $37,089 | $41,669 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $49,000 | Between $28,000 And $61,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Clara, CA | Kaneohe, HI |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | STG International | Hancock Wellness |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a health fitness specialist and an exercise specialist in terms of educational background:
| Health Fitness Specialist | Exercise Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Kinesiology | Kinesiology |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between health fitness specialists' and exercise specialists' demographics:
| Health Fitness Specialist | Exercise Specialist | |
| Average age | 37 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.3% Female, 58.7% | Male, 43.8% Female, 56.2% |
| 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, 11.2% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 5.2% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 13% |