Physical trainer vs personal fitness trainer

The differences between physical trainers and personal fitness 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 personal fitness trainer. Additionally, a personal fitness trainer has an average salary of $38,198, 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 personal fitness trainer are CPR, program design, and customer service.

Physical trainer vs personal fitness trainer overview

	Physical Trainer	Personal Fitness Trainer
Yearly salary	$25,278	$38,198
Hourly rate	$12.15	$18.36
Growth rate	19%	19%
Number of jobs	72,865	33,387
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	37	37
Years of experience	12	12

Physical trainer vs personal fitness trainer salary

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

	Physical Trainer	Personal Fitness Trainer
Average salary	$25,278	$38,198
Salary range	Between $17,000 And $35,000	Between $25,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between physical trainer and personal fitness trainer education

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

	Physical Trainer	Personal Fitness Trainer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Kinesiology	Kinesiology
Most common college	University of Michigan - Ann Arbor	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Physical trainer vs personal fitness trainer demographics

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

	Physical Trainer	Personal Fitness Trainer
Average age	37	37
Gender ratio	Male, 67.2% Female, 32.8%	Male, 57.8% Female, 42.2%
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 personal fitness 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.

Personal fitness trainer example responsibilities.

Provide market research and generate leads using social media (facebook) in order to target prospective clients.
Certify in basic CPR and emergency first aid.
Adhere to NASM and or NSCA conditioning standards.
Lead various group fitness exercises base on AFAA and NETA guidelines.
Monitor equipment maintenance and provide a range of aerobics, aqua, cycling, and stretch classes.
Organize Zumba fund raisers for members of the community with cancer, leukemia, autism and mental health disease.

Physical trainer vs personal fitness trainer skills

Common physical trainer skills

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

Common personal fitness trainer skills

CPR, 26%
Program Design, 13%
Customer Service, 11%
Group Training, 7%
Cleanliness, 6%
Injury Prevention, 5%

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Physical Trainer vs Personal Fitness Trainer

Updated January 8, 2025

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