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The differences between personal fitness trainers and fitness coaches can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a personal fitness trainer and a fitness coach. Additionally, a fitness coach has an average salary of $38,462, which is higher than the $38,198 average annual salary of a personal fitness trainer.
The top three skills for a personal fitness trainer include CPR, program design and customer service. The most important skills for a fitness coach are CPR, kids, and fitness programs.
| Personal Fitness Trainer | Fitness Coach | |
| Yearly salary | $38,198 | $38,462 |
| Hourly rate | $18.36 | $18.49 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 33,387 | 22,156 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
A fitness coach specializes in mentoring clients in their journey for a healthier lifestyle, assisting them in reaching their individual goals for physical fitness. Their responsibilities include developing training programs based on the clients' needs, facilitating physical fitness training sessions in an individual or group setting, learning the clients' medical histories for risk prevention, and monitoring the progress of clients, adjusting programs as needed. Furthermore, as a fitness coach, it is essential to build rapport with clients, motivating them to reach their goals.
Personal fitness trainers and fitness coaches have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Personal Fitness Trainer | Fitness Coach | |
| Average salary | $38,198 | $38,462 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $57,000 | Between $24,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Jose, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | AEA Investors |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between a personal fitness trainer and a fitness coach in terms of educational background:
| Personal Fitness Trainer | Fitness Coach | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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 personal fitness trainers' and fitness coaches' demographics:
| Personal Fitness Trainer | Fitness Coach | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.8% Female, 42.2% | Male, 46.3% Female, 53.7% |
| 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% |