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The differences between health fitness specialists and fitness coaches 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 fitness specialist and a fitness coach. Additionally, a fitness coach has an average salary of $38,462, 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 a fitness coach are CPR, kids, and fitness programs.
| Health Fitness Specialist | Fitness Coach | |
| Yearly salary | $37,089 | $38,462 |
| Hourly rate | $17.83 | $18.49 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 57,379 | 22,156 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
A fitness coach specializes in mentoring clients in their journey for a healthier lifestyle, assisting them in reaching their individual goals for physical fitness. Their responsibilities include developing training programs based on the clients' needs, facilitating physical fitness training sessions in an individual or group setting, learning the clients' medical histories for risk prevention, and monitoring the progress of clients, adjusting programs as needed. Furthermore, as a fitness coach, it is essential to build rapport with clients, motivating them to reach their goals.
Health fitness specialists and fitness coaches have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Health Fitness Specialist | Fitness Coach | |
| Average salary | $37,089 | $38,462 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $49,000 | Between $24,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Clara, CA | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | STG International | AEA Investors |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Education |
There are a few differences between a health fitness specialist and a fitness coach in terms of educational background:
| Health Fitness Specialist | Fitness Coach | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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 fitness coaches' demographics:
| Health Fitness Specialist | Fitness Coach | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.3% Female, 58.7% | Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7% |
| 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% |