CONSTANT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION
The fitness industry is growing so quickly that some information
thought to be correct as recently as five years ago is now being
researched and found to be unsupported. There are many great
minds working diligently within the fitness industry and their
findings are available to fitness professionals. Conferences, clinics,
seminars, webinars, online educational courses, books, journals,
and self-studies are some of the many ways CPTs can increase
their education. Continuing education is not only needed to
maintain a certification, but it is also helpful in providing the CPTs’
clients with the most up-to-date, scientific information available.
The consistent practice of all of these key components is vital to
the success of fitness professionals entering the field today. Not
only will these high standards improve the quality of professionals
working within the fitness industry, but possibly their annual
income as well. At one time, this was a part-time job that included
a free gym membership, but it has now developed into a highly
productive, successful, and financially vibrant career path. It is
now up to the new generation of CPTs to uphold these standards,
improve the quality of the service they provide, and become
successful personal trainers.
CPTs can also continue their education by studying for and earning
secondary certifications. Not only do secondary certifications
bring increased knowledge of specific subjects, but potentially a
higher income as well. According to a 2010 study conducted by
the American Council on Education, a secondary certification will
earn, on average, an extra $2,000-2,500 per year for part-time
and/or full-time CPTs (1). These earnings are believed to be on
an upward trend as the era of increased demand for high quality
fitness professionals has begun.
1. American Council on Exercise. ACE’s 2010 fitness salary
survey results. 2010. Retrieved January 2014 from https://www.
acefitness.org/certifiednews/images/article/pdfs/SalarySurvey.
pdf/.
REFERENCES
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Robert Linkul is the National Strength and Conditioning
Associations (NSCA) 2012 Personal Trainer of the Year and is a
volunteer with the NSCA as their Southwest Regional Coordinator
and committee chairman for the Personal Trainers Special Interest
Group (SIG). Linkul has written for a number of fitness publications
including Personal Fitness Professional, Healthy Living Magazine,
OnFitness Magazine, and the NSCA’s Performance Training Journal.
Linkul is an international continued education presenter within
the fitness industry and a career development instructor for the
National Institute of Personal Training (NPTI).
These key components may seem rather basic, because they
are. The problem in the past was that fitness professionals did
not do them, or failed to do them consistently. However, things
have changed dramatically over the last decade or so. The desire
of trainers to be seen as reputable and of a high standard of
quality has increased with this new generation of CPTs. They are
committed to improving, keeping their certifications current,
and taking the proper steps to not only protect themselves
professionally, but to assess their clients’ abilities and help them
reach their goals.
TABLE 1. AVERAGE ANNUAL INCOME FOR PERSONAL TRAINERS (1)
PART-TIME
ANNUAL INCOME
FULL-TIME
ANNUAL INCOME
$18,650
$53,322
NCCA Accredited
($25.14 per hour)
($25.71 per hour)
Secondary Certifications
$20,588
$55,771
($26.23 per hour)
($26.74 per hour)
$25,470
$47,163
$60,000+
$100,000+
Certified Personal Trainer
Tactical Strength and Conditioning
Olympic Lifting
Suspension
Health & Fitness Specialist
Corrective Exercise
Special Populations
Weight Management
Elite Certified Personal Trainers
Attained Secondary Certification
Attained Specialist Certification
PTQ 1.1 | NSCA.COM
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