Do You Need a Degree to Be a Personal Trainer?

It can be rewarding to be a fitness trainer. There’s something satisfying about helping people reach their fitness goals. Plus, you get to do something you love and have more control over your income. These are even more reasons to become a personal trainer.

Are you considering this career path? If so, you might be wondering about the education or training requirements. You want to know: Do I need a college degree to work as a fitness instructor? Unfortunately, this isn’t a yes or no answer to this question.

Do You Need a Degree to Be a Fitness Trainer? 

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that personal trainers generally need only a high school diploma. (1) But this isn’t always the case. There are times when a higher level of education or training might be necessary. 

One is if the employer requires it. Some training facilities mandate a degree to work as a fitness instructor. If you want to work for them, obtaining your associates or bachelors degree is a must. 

Another consideration is your goal as a fitness professional. Is your career goal to offer athletic training to elite athletes, for instance? If so, you generally need at least a bachelors according to the BLS. (2) Prefer to help busy moms boost their physical fitness? You may not need a degree for this type of instructor role.

This doesn’t mean that you need no training at all to become a fitness trainer. Most personal trainers do have some form of training or advanced knowledge. This is in the form of certification.

Degree vs Personal Trainer Certification

An associate degree is a two-year program with a bachelors degree taking four. Again, some personal trainers do pursue this type of higher education. Yet, most pursue training via certification. 

Instead of taking years, you can get your trainer certification in months. This enables personal trainers to enter the field faster—and with less expense. The average cost for college is $35,331 per year. (3) Most certification programs are under $1,000.

International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) is one of the certifying agencies. It offers personal trainer certification online. This makes earning your certification convenient while still handling your other obligations.

Benefits of Becoming a Certified Personal Trainer

Why get your personal trainer certificate even if you don’t have to? Certification ensures that you understand fitness program design. It tells potential employers that you know how to develop an exercise routine. 

A personal fitness trainer certificate is also beneficial to your clients. It tells them that know how to improve their fitness. It adds credibility to your abilities as a fitness professional.

Another benefit of becoming certified is that there are many certification options. Want to specialize in group fitness? Earn your group fitness instructor certification. Prefer to be a yoga instructor instead? You might decide to earn that certification after weighing the pros and cons.

What You DO Need to Work as a Personal Trainer

It’s true that training requirements can vary. That said, there are common qualifications needed to work in a personal trainer role. As discussed, one is to have a high school diploma. Two others are:

• Being at least 18 years of age

• Certification in CPR/AED

CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This is a life-saving measure used if a person’s heart quits beating. AED stands for automated external defibrillator. This device re-establishes a healthy heart rhythm for someone in cardiac arrest.

Physical exercise places strain on the body. As a trainer, it’s your responsibility to match exercise to the client’s fitness level. This helps prevent any life-threatening issues. 

But sometimes clients have an unknown heart issue aggravated by exercise. In cases such as these, using CPR or the AED can mean the difference between life and death. This is why all personal trainers need to have CPR or CPR/AED certification.

When You Might Want to Pursue a Degree as a Personal Fitness Trainer

Since degree requirements can vary, it’s helpful to know when this route might be the right choice for you. As mentioned, pursuing your degree is necessary if the employer requires it. Read the job description to know for sure. You can also speak to a hiring manager at the fitness center. Ask if you need a degree to work as an instructor.

Also, do a bit of research on your desired career pathway. Consider what you want your fitness career to look like. Then, review the qualifications needed each step of the way.

For example, if you want to be an athletic trainer, you’ll likely need a bachelors. But maybe you dream of becoming a doctor for athletes. If this is your goal, you might need a degree in sports medicine, along with competing medical school.

You might also pursue your degree if you want to increase your personal trainer salary. The median salary for someone with a high school diploma is $781 per week according to the BLS. Compare this to $938 per week for an associates degree and $1,305 for a bachelors degree. (4) As education increases, so does income potential.

Degrees Beneficial to a Personal Trainer

Should you decide that you want to earn your degree, your next question might be which one to pursue. This will depend, in part, on what type of fitness service you want to provide. Though your options include these general areas:

• Exercise science – using exercise to promote health and improve performance

• Sports medicine – treatment of athletes and other active patients

• Sports management – managing a sports program or organization

• Health science – nutrition and exercise science

• Physical education – promoting health through fitness

• Exercise physiology – how the body responds and adapts to exercise

• Applied science – using science to achieve optimal health and fitness 

How to Earn Your Personal Training Certification

If you want to work as a fitness trainer but don’t want to get a degree, earning your certification is the next step. Here’s what this process looks like.

Enroll in a Reputable Personal Trainer Certification Program

A trainer certification program teaches you how to boost fitness for individual clients. It also covers nutrition, supplements, and other factors associated with fitness and health.

How can you tell if the program is reputable? Being accredited is a good sign. Check out online reviews as well. See what others thought of the personal trainer program. Does it come highly rated? 

Select a program that offers a lot of personal trainer certification options. The reason for this is that it enables you to specialize down the road. You can earn your certification in corrective exercise, for example. Or you might specialize in strength and conditioning. By sticking with the same certifying agency, all your training records are in one place.

Take the Certification Exam

After completing the trainer certification course, the next step is to pass the exam. This exam verifies that you have the education needed to work as a personal trainer. It also shows that you can apply this information for the benefit of your client.

Once you pass the exam, you are a certified personal fitness trainer. This adds credibility to you as a training professional. It says that you went the extra mile for your clients. That you want to secure their safety while providing an effective exercise regimen.

Keep Learning with Continuing Education

Fitness and exercise are not stagnant fields. The more we learn, the more our training strategies change. Staying current in this field helps you provide the best personal training experience. 

Taking continuing education courses furthers your fitness education. You can learn more about exercise administration or how to grow a fitness business. You choose what you learn, resulting in a more tailored training program.

These classes are also needed to keep your certification. Choosing a training program that offers continuing education classes simplifies the renewal process.

Ready to Become a Certified Personal Trainer?

Are you ready to get started? If you want to take the certification route, ISSA offers Personal Trainer Certification. This online course teaches you how to help clients reach their fitness goals. It also comes with access to fitness mentors. These are professionals who can help you increase your personal training success. 

References

1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Fitness Trainers and Instructors, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/fitness-trainers-and-instructors.htm (visited October 06, 2022).

2. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Athletic Trainers, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/athletic-trainers.htm (visited September 08, 2022).

3. Hanson, Melanie. “Average Cost of College & Tuition” EducationData.org, October 24, 2022, https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college

4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2022, September 8). Education pays. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved November 17, 2022, from https://www.bls.gov/emp/chart-unemployment-earnings-education.htm