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The differences between personal fitness trainers and fitness directors 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 director. Additionally, a fitness director has an average salary of $53,238, 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 director are customer service, CPR, and kids.
| Personal Fitness Trainer | Fitness Director | |
| Yearly salary | $38,198 | $53,238 |
| Hourly rate | $18.36 | $25.60 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 33,387 | 9,837 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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 director manages a fitness facility's operations. These operations include creating fitness programs, monitoring staff, scheduling shifts, and even managing the fitness center budget. They can also train fitness instructors and even hire and terminate them. They procure the equipment necessary and make sure it works well and is safe. Aside from these tasks, fitness directors must also be akin to the needs of the center, decide on solutions, and have the ability to motivate clients to follow the program that was created for their betterment.
Personal fitness trainers and fitness directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Personal Fitness Trainer | Fitness Director | |
| Average salary | $38,198 | $53,238 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $57,000 | Between $33,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Springfield, MA |
| Highest paying state | - | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | - | |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a personal fitness trainer and a fitness director in terms of educational background:
| Personal Fitness Trainer | Fitness Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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 directors' demographics:
| Personal Fitness Trainer | Fitness Director | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.8% Female, 42.2% | Male, 54.8% Female, 45.2% |
| 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% |