Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between personal fitness trainers and fitness specialists 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 specialist. Additionally, a personal fitness trainer has an average salary of $38,198, which is higher than the $32,472 average annual salary of a fitness specialist.
The top three skills for a personal fitness trainer include CPR, program design and customer service. The most important skills for a fitness specialist are CPR, fitness assessments, and ACSM.
| Personal Fitness Trainer | Fitness Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $38,198 | $32,472 |
| Hourly rate | $18.36 | $15.61 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 33,387 | 28,175 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| 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 Specialist is focused on promoting a healthy lifestyle through exercise and working with clients in various settings. They teach individuals or groups how to properly perform exercises and use exercise equipment.
Personal fitness trainers and fitness specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Personal Fitness Trainer | Fitness Specialist | |
| Average salary | $38,198 | $32,472 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $57,000 | Between $24,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | University Settlement |
| Best paying industry | - | Education |
There are a few differences between a personal fitness trainer and a fitness specialist in terms of educational background:
| Personal Fitness Trainer | Fitness Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| 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 specialists' demographics:
| Personal Fitness Trainer | Fitness Specialist | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 57.8% Female, 42.2% | Male, 44.8% Female, 55.2% |
| 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% |