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The differences between personal trainers and certified personal trainers 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 trainer and a certified personal trainer. Additionally, a personal trainer has an average salary of $37,214, which is higher than the $32,039 average annual salary of a certified personal trainer.
The top three skills for a personal trainer include CPR, customer service and resuscitation. The most important skills for a certified personal trainer are CPR, customer service, and injury prevention.
| Personal Trainer | Certified Personal Trainer | |
| Yearly salary | $37,214 | $32,039 |
| Hourly rate | $17.89 | $15.40 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 34,023 | 65,615 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
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.
A Certified Personal Trainer is a person who will guide, help, and motivate you to move forward and become successful. Anyone with a mastery of a specific subject can become a personal trainer; however, certification is given only by accredited organizations that can offer licensure or certification programs. Many hope to find their own certified personal trainer in this hectic and convoluted society to accompany them through thick and thin in life.
Personal trainers and certified personal trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Personal Trainer | Certified Personal Trainer | |
| Average salary | $37,214 | $32,039 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $53,000 | Between $21,000 And $47,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | AEA Investors | City and County of Denver Government |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Retail |
There are a few differences between a personal trainer and a certified personal trainer in terms of educational background:
| Personal Trainer | Certified Personal Trainer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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 trainers' and certified personal trainers' demographics:
| Personal Trainer | Certified Personal Trainer | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.3% Female, 36.7% | Male, 53.5% Female, 46.5% |
| 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% |