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The differences between nutritionists and personal trainers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a nutritionist, becoming a personal trainer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a nutritionist has an average salary of $49,877, which is higher than the $37,214 average annual salary of a personal trainer.
The top three skills for a nutritionist include patients, public health and wic program. The most important skills for a personal trainer are CPR, customer service, and resuscitation.
| Nutritionist | Personal Trainer | |
| Yearly salary | $49,877 | $37,214 |
| Hourly rate | $23.98 | $17.89 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 698 | 34,023 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 12 |
A nutritionist is a health professional who helps patients choose the right things to eat and advise them on the health effects of certain foods. By being experts in food and nutrition, nutritionists assess a patient's dietary habits and create plan menus for them. They usually work closely with patients who have medical issues such as diabetes or those undergoing chemotherapy. Nutritionists are also required to speak to students or employees about the importance of good nutrition and preventing health problems through proper foods.
A personal trainer is responsible for monitoring the client's fitness goals by assisting the client with specific and customized routines and exercises to promote healthy well-being. Duties of a personal trainer also include evaluating the client's fitness progress, creating safe programs to improve the client's stamina, educating the client with workout benefits, suggesting on a client's best nutrition plans, and motivating clients with their capabilities. A personal trainer should have excellent knowledge of the fitness industry to support the client's needs.
Nutritionists and personal trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Nutritionist | Personal Trainer | |
| Average salary | $49,877 | $37,214 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $80,000 | Between $26,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Cargill | AEA Investors |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Retail |
There are a few differences between a nutritionist and a personal trainer in terms of educational background:
| Nutritionist | Personal Trainer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Dietetics | Kinesiology |
| Most common college | University of Maryland - College Park | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between nutritionists' and personal trainers' demographics:
| Nutritionist | Personal Trainer | |
| Average age | 42 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 15.8% Female, 84.2% | Male, 63.3% Female, 36.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 9.9% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | 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 | 8% | 13% |