Physical trainer vs certified personal trainer

The differences between physical 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 physical trainer and a certified personal trainer. Additionally, a certified personal trainer has an average salary of $32,039, which is higher than the $25,278 average annual salary of a physical trainer.

The top three skills for a physical trainer include physical therapy, strength training and soccer. The most important skills for a certified personal trainer are CPR, customer service, and injury prevention.

Physical trainer vs certified personal trainer overview

	Physical Trainer	Certified Personal Trainer
Yearly salary	$25,278	$32,039
Hourly rate	$12.15	$15.40
Growth rate	19%	19%
Number of jobs	72,865	65,615
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	12	12

Physical trainer vs certified personal trainer salary

Physical trainers and certified personal trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Physical Trainer	Certified Personal Trainer
Average salary	$25,278	$32,039
Salary range	Between $17,000 And $35,000	Between $21,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	City and County of Denver Government
Best paying industry	-	Retail

Differences between physical trainer and certified personal trainer education

There are a few differences between a physical trainer and a certified personal trainer in terms of educational background:

	Physical Trainer	Certified Personal Trainer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Kinesiology
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Physical trainer vs certified personal trainer demographics

Here are the differences between physical trainers' and certified personal trainers' demographics:

	Physical Trainer	Certified Personal Trainer
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 67.2% Female, 32.8%	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%

Differences between physical trainer and certified personal trainer duties and responsibilities

Physical trainer example responsibilities.

Manage various football, basketball, and speed camps while conveying the importance of self-motivation.
Receive NASM certification for personal training service.
Create feedback and progress reports regarding development for on boarding new associates and provide official information on a SharePoint database.
Create original TRX classes and encourage inactive members to participate consistently.

Certified personal trainer example responsibilities.

Provide market research and generate leads using social media (facebook) in order to target prospective clients.
Train in CPR in case of emergencies.
Develop circuit training and small group Pilates classes.
Instruct Pilates classes and create a custom Pilates class for senior clients.
Coach and tutor colleagues on exercise science concepts as outlined in NASM certification material.
Assist in the cardiac rehabilitation clinic which include implementing progressive rehabilitation methods with education for long term health and wellness.

Physical trainer vs certified personal trainer skills

Common physical trainer skills

Physical Therapy, 45%
Strength Training, 12%
Soccer, 12%
Weight Loss, 8%
Training Sessions, 8%
Front Desk, 8%

Common certified personal trainer skills

CPR, 21%
Customer Service, 15%
Injury Prevention, 9%
Group Training, 6%
NASM, 6%
Weight Loss, 5%

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Physical Trainer vs Certified Personal Trainer

Updated January 8, 2025

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