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The differences between personal trainers and life skills 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 life skills trainer. Additionally, a personal trainer has an average salary of $37,214, which is higher than the $30,822 average annual salary of a life skills trainer.
The top three skills for a personal trainer include CPR, customer service and resuscitation. The most important skills for a life skills trainer are medication administration, therapeutic recreation, and medical appointments.
| Personal Trainer | Life Skills Trainer | |
| Yearly salary | $37,214 | $30,822 |
| Hourly rate | $17.89 | $14.82 |
| Growth rate | 19% | 19% |
| Number of jobs | 34,023 | 39,666 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| 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.
Life skills trainers are personal health professionals who provide training assistance and supervision to patients, such as personal care, financial management, and social integration. These trainers are required to assist their clients with disabilities with daily living activities while documenting their behaviors and personal hygiene. They can organize therapeutic activities for individuals or groups to maximize their quality of life. Life skills trainers must also assist in meal preparation as well as perform tasks that include glucose monitoring, insulin therapy, and diabetes management.
Personal trainers and life skills trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Personal Trainer | Life Skills Trainer | |
| Average salary | $37,214 | $30,822 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $53,000 | Between $22,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | AEA Investors | - |
| Best paying industry | Retail | - |
There are a few differences between a personal trainer and a life skills trainer in terms of educational background:
| Personal Trainer | Life Skills Trainer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Kinesiology | Psychology |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between personal trainers' and life skills trainers' demographics:
| Personal Trainer | Life Skills Trainer | |
| Average age | 37 | 37 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.3% Female, 36.7% | Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1% |
| 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% |