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The differences between health fitness specialists and life 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 health fitness specialist and a life skills trainer. Additionally, a health fitness specialist has an average salary of $37,089, which is higher than the $30,822 average annual salary of a life skills trainer.
The top three skills for a health fitness specialist include customer service, health fitness and administrative tasks. The most important skills for a life skills trainer are medication administration, therapeutic recreation, and medical appointments.
| Health Fitness Specialist | Life Skills Trainer | |
| Yearly salary | $37,089 | $30,822 |
| Hourly rate | $17.83 | $14.82 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 57,379 | 39,666 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| 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.
Life skills trainers are personal health professionals who provide training assistance and supervision to patients, such as personal care, financial management, and social integration. These trainers are required to assist their clients with disabilities with daily living activities while documenting their behaviors and personal hygiene. They can organize therapeutic activities for individuals or groups to maximize their quality of life. Life skills trainers must also assist in meal preparation as well as perform tasks that include glucose monitoring, insulin therapy, and diabetes management.
Health fitness specialists and life skills trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Health Fitness Specialist | Life Skills Trainer | |
| Average salary | $37,089 | $30,822 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $49,000 | Between $22,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Clara, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | STG International | - |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | - |
There are a few differences between a health fitness specialist and a life skills trainer in terms of educational background:
| Health Fitness Specialist | Life Skills Trainer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| 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 health fitness specialists' and life skills trainers' demographics:
| Health Fitness Specialist | Life Skills Trainer | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 41.3% Female, 58.7% | Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1% |
| 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% |