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Sports nutritionist vs personal trainer

The differences between sports nutritionists and personal trainers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a sports nutritionist, becoming a personal trainer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a sports nutritionist has an average salary of $47,789, which is higher than the $37,214 average annual salary of a personal trainer.

The top three skills for a sports nutritionist include student athletes, sports nutrition and athletic performance. The most important skills for a personal trainer are CPR, customer service, and resuscitation.

Sports nutritionist vs personal trainer overview

Sports NutritionistPersonal Trainer
Yearly salary$47,789$37,214
Hourly rate$22.98$17.89
Growth rate7%19%
Number of jobs1,83134,023
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4237
Years of experience212

Sports nutritionist vs personal trainer salary

Sports nutritionists and personal trainers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Sports NutritionistPersonal Trainer
Average salary$47,789$37,214
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $75,000Between $26,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-AEA Investors
Best paying industry-Retail

Differences between sports nutritionist and personal trainer education

There are a few differences between a sports nutritionist and a personal trainer in terms of educational background:

Sports NutritionistPersonal Trainer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 64%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorDieteticsKinesiology
Most common collegePennsylvania State UniversityUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Sports nutritionist vs personal trainer demographics

Here are the differences between sports nutritionists' and personal trainers' demographics:

Sports NutritionistPersonal Trainer
Average age4237
Gender ratioMale, 36.7% Female, 63.3%Male, 63.3% Female, 36.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 10.0% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%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 Percentage8%13%

Differences between sports nutritionist and personal trainer duties and responsibilities

Sports nutritionist example responsibilities.

  • Inspire patients to proactively manage their diabetes, to include administering insulin and taking prescribe medications.
  • Formulate individualized nutrition care plans, monitor progress, and adjust goal-oriented interventions as appropriate for patients in an outpatient setting.
  • Assess members BMI and body fat.
  • Provide motivational coaching and emotional support to clientele.

Personal trainer example responsibilities.

  • Help clients achieve fitness goals through diet and heavy weight lifting with HIIT cardio.
  • Achieve high customer satisfaction and budget efficiency in the group fitness department and yoga department.
  • Provide market research and generate leads using social media (facebook) in order to target prospective clients.
  • Shape the social media aspect of the facility which include Facebook and Instagram.
  • Ensure trainers and team members are consistent in punctuality, dress code, compliance, and customer service.
  • Follow ACSM guidelines ensuring safe and healthy exercise technique for strength training and cardiovascular activity.
  • Show more

Sports nutritionist vs personal trainer skills

Common sports nutritionist skills
  • Student Athletes, 47%
  • Sports Nutrition, 17%
  • Athletic Performance, 14%
  • Weight Management, 11%
  • Individual Nutrition, 6%
  • Soccer, 6%
Common personal trainer skills
  • CPR, 23%
  • Customer Service, 21%
  • Resuscitation, 7%
  • Fitness Programs, 7%
  • NASM, 5%
  • Physical Fitness, 4%

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