What is a personal trainer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Expert
Meredith Poppler
introduction image

Personal trainers are fitness professionals who work with individuals to help them achieve their health and fitness goals. They develop personalized exercise plans based on clients' needs and abilities, provide guidance on nutrition and lifestyle changes, and motivate clients to stay committed to their fitness routines. They may work in gyms, fitness studios, or as independent contractors, and typically hold certifications from accredited organizations.

What general advice would you give to a Personal Trainer?

M

Meredith PopplerMeredith Poppler LinkedIn Profile

Vice President, Communications, IHRSA, The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association

The health and fitness industry was poised to have a record year before the crisis hit. That means that once the crisis is behind us, health and fitness clubs of all types will once again be hiring club managers, trainers, fitness floor supervisors, and more. The workforce has changed in that new hires may be required to do more fitness training online, in addition to in the club. Our job site, healthclubs.com/jobs still has plenty of open positions for club managers, sales and marketing people, coaches and personal trainers. If COVID-19 taught the world anything, it's that a healthy body is of the utmost importance, so people will be looking to their neighborhood fitness centers to get and stay healthy.
ScorePersonal TrainerUS Average
Salary
2.9

Avg. Salary $37,214

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
4.4

Growth Rate 19%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.8
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.49%

Asian 5.11%

Black or African American 7.05%

Hispanic or Latino 10.64%

Unknown 5.40%

White 71.31%

Gender

female 36.68%

male 63.32%

Age - 36
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 36
Stress Level
4.4

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
5.5

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
10.0

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Personal Trainer?

Pros

  • Fulfilling work helping people achieve their fitness goals

  • Ability to set your own schedule and work independently

  • Constantly learning and staying up-to-date on the latest fitness trends and techniques

  • Ability to improve your own fitness level while helping others

  • Opportunity to positively impact people's lives by promoting healthy habits

Cons

  • Requires significant time and effort to build a client base

  • Inconsistent income, especially when starting out

  • Requires extensive knowledge of human anatomy, physiology, and exercise science

  • May require long hours, including early mornings or late evenings

  • May encounter difficult or challenging clients who don't follow through with their fitness goals

Newest jobs for Personal Trainer in Columbus, OH

Receive alerts for the newest job postings.

Personal Trainer career paths

Key steps to become a personal trainer

  1. Explore personal trainer education requirements

    Most common personal trainer degrees

    Bachelor's

    66.7 %

    Associate

    14.2 %

    Master's

    6.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific personal trainer skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    CPR23.40%
    Customer Service20.52%
    Resuscitation6.71%
    Fitness Programs6.64%
    NASM5.29%
  3. Complete relevant personal trainer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New personal trainers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a personal trainer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real personal trainer resumes.
  4. Gain additional personal trainer certifications

    Personal trainer certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific personal trainer certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for personal trainers include Certified Personal Trainer and Advanced Personal Training Certification (APT).

    More About Certifications
  5. Research personal trainer duties and 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.
  6. Prepare your personal trainer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your personal trainer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a personal trainer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Personal Trainer Resume templates

    Build a professional Personal Trainer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Personal Trainer resume.
    Personal Trainer Resume
    Personal Trainer Resume
    Personal Trainer Resume
    Personal Trainer Resume
    Personal Trainer Resume
    Personal Trainer Resume
    Personal Trainer Resume
    Personal Trainer Resume
    Personal Trainer Resume
    Personal Trainer Resume
    Personal Trainer Resume
    Personal Trainer Resume
    Personal Trainer Resume
    Personal Trainer Resume
    Personal Trainer Resume
    Personal Trainer Resume
  7. Apply for personal trainer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a personal trainer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Personal Trainer Job

Zippi

Are you a Personal Trainer?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average personal trainer salary

The average Personal Trainer salary in the United States is $37,214 per year or $18 per hour. Personal trainer salaries range between $26,000 and $53,000 per year.

Average Personal Trainer Salary
$37,214 Yearly
$17.89 hourly

What Am I Worth?

Loading...
Loading...
salary-calculator

How do personal trainers rate their job?

5/5

Based On 1 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Personal Trainer reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2023
Pros

Training and operating fitness department

Cons

Running out of time to help obtain a clean and safe environment in the gym


profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2021
Pros

No punching a time clock. Ability to set own hours - although you’ll make more if you are flexible with client availabilities. Rewarding helping others get healthier and seeing the positive outcomes in their fitness/health.

Cons

Early mornings and late evenings - midday naps are often needed. Typically need to work Saturdays. People think that a personal trainer’s time is worthless because they rarely call to cancel… no-shows are always happening and it really sucks for the trainer, especially since it happens so often.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019
Cons

Career path is niche. Trainers are not getting high pay and great attention


Working as a Personal Trainer? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall Rating*
Career Growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Personal Trainer FAQs

Search for personal trainer jobs

Loading...
Loading...

Personal Trainer jobs by state

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse personal care and attendants jobs