Physical trainer vs fitness director

The differences between physical trainers 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 trainer and a fitness director. Additionally, a fitness director has an average salary of $53,238, 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 fitness director are customer service, CPR, and kids.

Physical trainer vs fitness director overview

	Physical Trainer	Fitness Director
Yearly salary	$25,278	$53,238
Hourly rate	$12.15	$25.60
Growth rate	19%	19%
Number of jobs	72,865	9,837
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	12	12

Physical trainer vs fitness director salary

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

	Physical Trainer	Fitness Director
Average salary	$25,278	$53,238
Salary range	Between $17,000 And $35,000	Between $33,000 And $85,000
Highest paying City	-	Springfield, MA
Highest paying state	-	Massachusetts
Best paying company	-	Google
Best paying industry	-	Government

Differences between physical trainer and fitness director education

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

	Physical Trainer	Fitness Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Kinesiology
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Physical trainer vs fitness director demographics

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

	Physical Trainer	Fitness Director
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 67.2% Female, 32.8%	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 trainer and fitness director 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.

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 trainer vs fitness director skills

Common physical trainer skills

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

Common fitness director skills

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