Personal Trainers - Not Just for the Rich and Famous

It seems like everywhere you look in the news lately, the words "obesity" and "epidemic" are appearing together. As American waistlines swell, Americans are turning to fad diets, complicated home exercise equipment, and non-FDA-approved diet supplements, all in the name of losing weight quickly and easily. Those who do manage to get in shape are often surrounded by hordes of the would-be slender, all demanding "what's your secret?" The truth is, the real secret to getting and staying in shape isn't a secret at all: it's that old standby, eating right and exercising. Intending to eat better and exercise more is easy - just look at the rise in gym memberships in January, as New Year's resolutions make their presence known - but sticking with it is another story. For many of those who do make a long-term change in their fitness habits, the help of a personal trainer is what spurred them to success. Not only do regular appointments keep clients accountable, a personal trainer's superior fitness knowledge can help people get the most out of their workouts, avoiding the inefficiency, plateaus and just plain cheating that plague so many hopeful solo fitness plans. A successful fitness trainer is not only familiar with a wide variety of workouts for different body types, he or she also possesses a strong personality, capable of building rapport with clients and motivating them to success. For those who fit the profile, these attributes can also lead to a healthy personal trainer salary. And researching PayScale's personal trainer salary data can give anyone a head start toward finding the best personal trainer salaries.

Personal Trainer Salary

For the average personal trainer, "salary" isn't quite the right term. Most personal trainer salaries are paid by the hour, so asking "what is the average hourly rate for a personal trainer" is a better question than "what is the average salary of a personal trainer." As the field is fairly new in the grand scheme of things, personal trainer salaries are among the few that are equal for men and women: measuring Personal Trainer Salary by Gender shows that the average salary of a personal trainer is neck-and-neck between the genders. Because training is such a one-on-one activity, many personal trainers choose to ditch the gym and work for themselves, a smart decision that will most likely increase a personal trainer's salary; measuring Personal Trainer Salary by Employer Type shows that the average salary of a personal trainer is highest when self-employed, a difference over $10 an hour. Does getting a college degree help personal trainer salary? The Personal Trainer Salary by Degree/Major Subject chart says yes: getting NASM certified can give a healthy boost to the average salary of a personal trainer. As for location - another important factor affecting the average salary of a personal trainer - both the Personal Trainer Salary by City and Personal Trainer Salary by State charts put New York in the number one spot for high personal trainer salaries. For those who are truly committed, it may be worth it to parlay fitness trainer skills into a career as a physical therapist. Expand your personal trainer salary research by comparing Salaries for Physical Therapy with personal trainer salaries.

Average Salary of a Personal Trainer

Does your personal trainer salary need a lift? Dr. Salary is here to pump you up! Before continuing your personal trainer salary research, learn why "what are median personal trainer salaries" is a better question than "what is the average salary of a personal trainer" in the Ask Dr. Salary post, "Why is median better than mean for a typical salary?" If all this personal trainer salary talk has you convinced to try it as a career, you won't want to miss "Personal Trainer Salary: How to Become a Personal Trainer" over in the Salary Stories blog.