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The differences between managers/personal trainer and 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 manager/personal trainer and a fitness instructor. Additionally, a manager/personal trainer has an average salary of $63,117, which is higher than the $35,495 average annual salary of a fitness instructor.
The top three skills for a manager/personal trainer include CPR, program design and cleanliness. The most important skills for a fitness instructor are CPR, customer service, and work ethic.
| Manager/Personal Trainer | Fitness Instructor | |
| Yearly salary | $63,117 | $35,495 |
| Hourly rate | $30.34 | $17.06 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 32,592 | 31,212 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A manager/personal trainer performs fitness training, human resource management, and sales in a single job role. First-aid certification is one of the main requirements for the role. The responsibilities of this role are teaching and evaluating a trainer's performance, offering feedback based on the results of the evaluation, creating a workout plan that works for the client, advising the client on nutrition and exercise, and ensuring that health and safety regulations are adhered to when working with equipment.
A fitness instructor advocates good physical health by crafting different fitness programs and providing fitness training sessions to a group of clients or individuals. They focus on different kinds of work-out and exercise routines. A fitness instructor mostly works at a gym; however, there are instances when one can work independently or by providing house calls. Furthermore, a fitness instructor needs to build rapport with clients, making them feel at ease during sessions, which will also be beneficial in gaining a strong client base.
Managers/personal trainer and fitness instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manager/Personal Trainer | Fitness Instructor | |
| Average salary | $63,117 | $35,495 |
| Salary range | Between $39,000 And $100,000 | Between $23,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Massachusetts General Hospital |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between a manager/personal trainer and a fitness instructor in terms of educational background:
| Manager/Personal Trainer | Fitness Instructor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| 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 managers/personal trainer' and fitness instructors' demographics:
| Manager/Personal Trainer | Fitness Instructor | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.9% Female, 33.1% | Male, 32.2% Female, 67.8% |
| 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% |