Physical education instructor vs fitness director

The differences between physical education instructors 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 physical education instructor and a fitness director. Additionally, a fitness director has an average salary of $53,238, which is higher than the $41,717 average annual salary of a physical education instructor.

The top three skills for a physical education instructor include classroom management, CPR and health education. The most important skills for a fitness director are customer service, CPR, and kids.

Physical education instructor vs fitness director overview

	Physical Education Instructor	Fitness Director
Yearly salary	$41,717	$53,238
Hourly rate	$20.06	$25.60
Growth rate	19%	19%
Number of jobs	86,755	9,837
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	12	12

Physical education instructor vs fitness director salary

Physical education instructors and fitness directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Physical Education Instructor	Fitness Director
Average salary	$41,717	$53,238
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $57,000	Between $33,000 And $85,000
Highest paying City	Burlingame, CA	Springfield, MA
Highest paying state	Alaska	Massachusetts
Best paying company	Cornell University	Google
Best paying industry	Education	Government

Differences between physical education instructor and fitness director education

There are a few differences between a physical education instructor and a fitness director in terms of educational background:

	Physical Education Instructor	Fitness Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 72%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Health Education	Kinesiology
Most common college	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Physical education instructor vs fitness director demographics

Here are the differences between physical education instructors' and fitness directors' demographics:

	Physical Education Instructor	Fitness Director
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 65.5% Female, 34.5%	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%

Differences between physical education instructor and fitness director duties and responsibilities

Physical education instructor example responsibilities.

Develop organize syllabus to direct students in achieving subject knowledge require for course completion.
Help t implement and test other students for IEP goals.
Head coach of several junior varsity and varsity sports, including football, softball and basketball.
Help with compliance to make sure softball and cross country student-athletes will be eligible once enroll.
Coach the after school sports program in cross-country, track and field, basketball, soccer and baseball.
Create lesson plans using activities to help students with specific disabilities and used that to create and IEP.

Fitness director example responsibilities.

Manage business administration including cash management, budgets and payroll; interface with members and resolve conflicts.
Enforce fitness center policies and ensure cleanliness of fitness equipment and customer safety.
Create SaaS offering for global central booking and POS management.
Assist patrons in workouts design to improve structural integrity, cardio capacity, and overall fitness.
Provide staff with information to keep up CPR education and safety procedures according to policy within the facility.
Implement biannual employee safety training that consist of first aid, CPR training, and job-relate safety precautions.

Physical education instructor vs fitness director skills

Common physical education instructor skills

Classroom Management, 15%
CPR, 9%
Health Education, 9%
Adaptive, 8%
Volleyball, 6%
Syllabus, 5%

Common fitness director skills

Customer Service, 20%
CPR, 15%
Kids, 9%
Payroll, 7%
Yoga, 5%
Training Sessions, 4%

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Physical Education Instructor vs Fitness Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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