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The differences between personal coaches and personal fitness 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 personal coach, becoming a personal fitness trainer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a personal coach has an average salary of $43,849, which is higher than the $38,198 average annual salary of a personal fitness trainer.
The top three skills for a personal coach include NCAA, CPR and role model. The most important skills for a personal fitness trainer are CPR, program design, and customer service.
| Personal Coach | Personal Fitness Trainer | |
| Yearly salary | $43,849 | $38,198 |
| Hourly rate | $21.08 | $18.36 |
| Growth rate | 20% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 26,570 | 33,387 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 36 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 12 |
Personal coaches must have effective skills in communication, awareness, listening, and problem-solving. They counsel clients on different professional and personal issues to help with personal projects, goals, and transitions. They typically earn $160-325 per hour.
Personal Fitness Trainers are responsible for developing fitness plans entailing exercise routines for groups and individuals. Their duties include determining clients' health and fitness levels, facilitating exercise regimen completions, monitoring physical progress, and implementing individualized exercise plans. They are responsible for undertaking group and individual training sessions, supervising proper fitness equipment, and educating on comprehensive training techniques. Personal Fitness Trainers also assist in providing consultation regarding nutrition, health, and weight control inquiries. They ensure safety regulations are adhered to and can perform first aid.
Personal coaches and personal fitness trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Personal Coach | Personal Fitness Trainer | |
| Average salary | $43,849 | $38,198 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $67,000 | Between $25,000 And $57,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | - |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | - |
| Best paying company | Oracle | - |
| Best paying industry | Education | - |
There are a few differences between a personal coach and a personal fitness trainer in terms of educational background:
| Personal Coach | Personal Fitness Trainer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Kinesiology | Kinesiology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between personal coaches' and personal fitness trainers' demographics:
| Personal Coach | Personal Fitness Trainer | |
| Average age | 36 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 47.3% Female, 52.7% | Male, 57.8% Female, 42.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 5.4% White, 66.6% 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% |