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The differences between performance coaches and personal trainers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a performance coach, becoming a personal trainer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a performance coach has an average salary of $48,571, which is higher than the $37,214 average annual salary of a personal trainer.
The top three skills for a performance coach include customer service, rehabilitation and kids. The most important skills for a personal trainer are CPR, customer service, and resuscitation.
| Performance Coach | Personal Trainer | |
| Yearly salary | $48,571 | $37,214 |
| Hourly rate | $23.35 | $17.89 |
| Growth rate | 20% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 18,116 | 34,023 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 36 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 12 |
The duties of a performance coach depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In a company setting, their responsibilities revolve around conducting inspections and observations to identify the workforce's needs, understanding the vision and mission of the company, and developing programs to train employees and improve their skills. Furthermore, as a performance coach, it is essential to motivate and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while monitoring their progress and implementing the company's policies and regulations.
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.
Performance coaches and personal trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Performance Coach | Personal Trainer | |
| Average salary | $48,571 | $37,214 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $79,000 | Between $26,000 And $53,000 |
| Highest paying City | Amherst, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | UMass Lowell | AEA Investors |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Retail |
There are a few differences between a performance coach and a personal trainer in terms of educational background:
| Performance Coach | Personal Trainer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Kinesiology | Kinesiology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between performance coaches' and personal trainers' demographics:
| Performance Coach | Personal Trainer | |
| Average age | 36 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.3% Female, 32.7% | Male, 63.3% Female, 36.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 5.4% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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% |