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Job outlook for skills trainers in the United States
Skills trainer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected skills trainer job growth rate is 19% from 2018-2028.
About 57,800 new jobs for skills trainers are projected over the next decade.
Skills trainer salaries have increased 6% for skills trainers in the last 5 years.
There are over 12,400 skills trainers currently employed in the United States.
There are 21,389 active skills trainer job openings in the US.
The average skills trainer salary is $32,779.
Are skills trainer jobs in demand?
Skills trainer job and salary trends over time
Skills trainer jobs over time
Skills trainer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 12,400 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 13,881 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 18,214 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 17,261 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 15,673 | 0.00% |
Average skills trainer salary over time
Skills trainer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $32,779 | $15.76 | +0.3% |
| 2025 | $32,682 | $15.71 | +1.4% |
| 2024 | $32,221 | $15.49 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | $31,727 | $15.25 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $30,878 | $14.85 | +5.5% |
Skills trainer jobs by state
Most common states for skills trainers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 258 | 7% |
| 2 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 217 | 7% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 67 | 7% |
| 4 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 166 | 6% |
| 5 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 63 | 6% |
| 6 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 667 | 5% |
| 7 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 437 | 5% |
| 8 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 365 | 5% |
| 9 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 331 | 5% |
| 10 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 331 | 5% |
| 11 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 291 | 5% |
| 12 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 256 | 5% |
| 13 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 224 | 5% |
| 14 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 159 | 5% |
| 15 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 146 | 5% |
| 16 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 92 | 5% |
| 17 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 62 | 5% |
| 18 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 37 | 5% |
| 19 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 37 | 5% |
| 20 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 30 | 5% |
Most common cities for skills trainers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conway | 24 | 37% | $22,282 |
| 2 | Flagstaff | 2 | 3% | $29,805 |
| 3 | Kokomo | 2 | 3% | $26,337 |
| 4 | Chelmsford | 1 | 3% | $32,754 |
| 5 | Dana Point | 1 | 3% | $37,066 |
| 6 | Lowell | 2 | 2% | $32,736 |
| 7 | Beverly | 1 | 2% | $32,744 |
| 8 | Ellicott City | 1 | 2% | $33,947 |
| 9 | Boston | 4 | 1% | $32,847 |
| 10 | Cherry Hill | 1 | 1% | $30,069 |
| 11 | Chino | 1 | 1% | $37,040 |
| 12 | Eugene | 1 | 1% | $33,074 |
| 13 | Anaheim | 1 | 0% | $37,166 |
| 14 | Austin | 1 | 0% | $30,443 |
Skills Trainer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of skills trainer experts
University of Nevada - Las Vegas
Eastern Kentucky University
Husson University
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Hope College
Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis
University of Virginia
Brenau University
Szu-Ping Lee PT, PhD
Associate ProfessorUniversity of Nevada - Las Vegas
Rehabilitation And Therapeutic Professions
What general advice would you give to a Skills Trainer?
Szu-Ping Lee PT, PhD: Most people like the job because they enjoy working with people and helping them. There is a high level of satisfaction that comes from improving other people's lives. In fact, healthcare workers consistently report some of the highest levels of career satisfaction. However, caring for people is hard work. Doing a good job as a rehabilitation specialist takes a lot of mental and physical energy. Therefore, burnout is fairly common.
What general advice would you give to a Skills Trainer?
John John Petrizzo PT, DPT, CSCS: I think that having good people skills will become increasingly important in our field in the next few years. You can be knowledgeable, but if you can't communicate what you know well to others, it is going to hurt your chances of being successful.
What Skills Trainer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
John John Petrizzo PT, DPT, CSCS: I would encourage a graduate beginning their career in the field to be open to new opportunities as you never know where they might take you.
Matthew Sabin PhD, LAT, ATC, SMTC, CIDN
AT Program Director | ProfessorEastern Kentucky University
Sports, Kinesiology, And Physical Education/Fitness
What will help Skills Trainers increase their earning potential?
Matthew Sabin PhD, LAT, ATC, SMTC, CIDN: This often depends on how well I know the individual, their strengths and weaknesses, etc. In general I would start with... "See your career and occupation as a journey. First, get a good sense of the destination prior to leaving. For your career this means you need to understand why you are going on the trip as well as the destination. A destination without purpose often leads to disappointment or dissatisfaction during the journey. If you can connect each step to your purpose, or your "Why", then you can find joy and fulfillment when things don't work out in your favor all the time. That leads to the idea of the destination. Each graduate needs to understand that there are often many stops along the way in getting to where you want to go. I believe one fallacy we often believe is that graduation leads to the perfect job setting. Individuals working in medicine or health and fitness need to continue gaining skills and knowledge after graduation to become even better and more effective in their careers. This requires you to sometimes accept a job that isn't your final destination or maybe one without the perfect benefits package. Don't delay your career waiting for the perfect setting and opportunity because that final destination may be waiting on you to grow and develop along the way before getting there.
What general advice would you give to a Skills Trainer?
Matthew Sabin PhD, LAT, ATC, SMTC, CIDN: There are so many different fields within the area of kinesiology that this is often a difficult question to answer. Coming right out of school, I believe content knowledge is important. I think you can maximize your marketability (employers and clients) through strategically pursuing additional certifications/credentials that compliment your education, strengths and desired job setting. If you can balance that with soft-skills, like communication, team building, problem solving and critical thinking, I believe you enhance your marketability.
I think it is also fair to acknowledge that if you plan to pursue an industry that requires you to build a client base, thinking you will graduate and "maximize" your salary may be a misnomer. The goal will be to continue to develop those skills ("hard" and "soft") to maximize your earning overtime. Clients/patients want someone working with them who knows their field and is effective. Employers see that over time or word of mouth and marketing spread the news. That is what leads to your value increasing.
What skills stand out on Skills Trainer resumes?
Chad Howland: I believe having strong interpersonal skills is important when first entering the field. The rehabilitation specialist must work to be an active listener and encourage their patient/client to be an active participant in meeting their own healthcare goals. Exposure to different clinical settings and experiential learning across diverse patient/client populations is a plus. In addition, rehabilitation specialists should be a part of their respective national organizations. Certainly, being involved in the national or state chapter of a professional organization speaks to the job candidate's professional growth, along with taking on a leadership role within their profession. In regard to specific skills, well-rounded education in the foundational sciences (anatomy, biomechanics, neurology) has become essential for rehabilitation specialists.
What soft skills should all Skills Trainers possess?
Chad Howland: As outlined previously, a rehabilitation specialist needs to be an active listener and form a partnership with their patient/client. Expanding upon this point, they need to be effective communicators with other healthcare professionals. Establishing trust between various stakeholders is essential.
Dr. Raymond Ortega Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorUniversity of Arkansas at Little Rock
Rehabilitation Counseling Program
What skills stand out on Skills Trainer resumes?
Dr. Raymond Ortega Ph.D.: The job market for rehabilitation counselors has changed substantially over the years. Initially, it was limited to public sector agencies but now includes several private and non-profit opportunities. As a result, the requisite skillset has also increased. The essential skills that "stand out" include knowledge of career and occupational standards and requirements, legal and regulatory standards, physical and psychological disability, and counseling skills.
What skills will help Skills Trainers earn the most?
Dr. Raymond Ortega Ph.D.: Specialization in Life Care Planning, Psychiatric Rehabilitation, or Worker's Compensation.
What soft skills should all Skills Trainers possess?
Dawn DeWitt-Brinks: The most important soft skill that a Communication Skills Instructor can possess is the skill of coaching. A Communication Skills Instructor is basically a skills coach. You need to walk alongside your students/clients to help them grow their communication skill set. You need to be able to assess where their skills are currently, set a plan in place, and put that plan into action - while encouraging your student/client every step of the way.
What skills will help Skills Trainers earn the most?
Dawn DeWitt-Brinks: You will earn the most if you have experience, expertise, or a background in a specific field, for example, health care or computer programming, and combine that expertise with teaching communication skills. Communication skills instructors who work as corporate trainers specializing in teaching communication skills within a particular field have the greatest earning potential. Many organizations, especially in highly specialized or technical fields, find that their employees need specific training in developing strong communication skills in group and interpersonal settings. Businesses are willing to hire internal or external communication skills instructors to teach those skills through corporate training seminars and private coaching sessions.
Erin Foster Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy, Neurology and PsychiatryWashington University School of Medicine in St Louis
Program in Occupational Therapy
What hard/technical skills are most important for Skills Trainers?
Erin Foster Ph.D.: Scientific writing, scientific communication, research design and methodology, analysis, the ability to synthesize knowledge/evidence from various sources to generate new questions, hypotheses & and studies, problem-solving.
M. Rachel Tighe Ph.D.
Department ChairUniversity of Virginia
Department of Communication Studies
What skills stand out on Skills Trainer resumes?
M. Rachel Tighe Ph.D.: -Teaching experience
-Generalist knowledge - public speaking, interpersonal, business and professional, argumentation
What hard/technical skills are most important for Skills Trainers?
M. Rachel Tighe Ph.D.: -Ability to use an online platform (Moodle, Google Classroom, etc.
-Ability to use video for virtual instruction
What skills will help Skills Trainers earn the most?
M. Rachel Tighe Ph.D.: -Online teaching skills
Dr. Robert Cantu
Associate ProfessorBrenau University
Physical therapy Department
What soft skills should all Skills Trainers possess?
Dr. Robert Cantu: People skills: For the workgroup: ability and willingness to work in groups and manage conflict. Flexibility: Willingness to occasionally work late or come in early to accommodate the patient load. Team player attitude. Willingness to play their assigned part on the team. Strong commitment and discipline for timely completion of tasks such as daily paperwork. This shows "discipline in the drudgery," which is critical for the smooth operation of the clinic and results in better customer service.
People skills: For patient management: Empathy, the warmth of personality, a caring demeanor, and express kindness. And absolutely, a willingness to always put the patient first. Good eye contact, firm but kind, reassuring handshake (or a kind elbow bump). The understanding is that even though they work for a company, ultimately, the clinician works for the patient.