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The differences between health fitness specialists and group fitness instructors 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 group fitness instructor. Additionally, a health fitness specialist has an average salary of $37,089, which is higher than the $35,867 average annual salary of a group fitness instructor.
The top three skills for a health fitness specialist include customer service, health fitness and administrative tasks. The most important skills for a group fitness instructor are CPR, yoga, and customer service.
| Health Fitness Specialist | Group Fitness Instructor | |
| Yearly salary | $37,089 | $35,867 |
| Hourly rate | $17.83 | $17.24 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 57,379 | 38,457 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 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.
Health fitness specialists and group fitness instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Health Fitness Specialist | Group Fitness Instructor | |
| Average salary | $37,089 | $35,867 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $49,000 | Between $23,000 And $54,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Clara, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | STG International | Bridgewater State University |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Education |
There are a few differences between a health fitness specialist and a group fitness instructor in terms of educational background:
| Health Fitness Specialist | Group Fitness Instructor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 group fitness instructors' demographics:
| Health Fitness Specialist | Group Fitness Instructor | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.3% Female, 58.7% | Male, 29.5% Female, 70.5% |
| 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% |