If you’re thinking of embarking on a personal trainer career path, you’re not alone. The number of personal trainers in America is expected to continue increasing for the next few years, according to Fitness Mentors, with median salaries for personal trainers approaching $60,000 per year. Here’s a quick look at the steps you’ll need to take to start your own personal trainer career.
Step 1. Finish Your Degree
A high school diploma is required at a minimum for all personal trainer certification programs in the United States. A college degree is even better, but your high school diploma or GED is needed at a minimum.
Step 2. Safety Certification
Personal trainers deal with many medical emergencies. Clients can pull a hamstring, pass out due to low blood sugar or drop a kettlebell on their toes. You’ll need to get your CPR certification since there is a risk of a client having a heat-related injury during workouts. It’s also highly recommended that you obtain your automated external defibrillator (AED) certification as part of your readiness for a career as a personal trainer.
Step 3. Select Your Certification Course
There are a wide variety of personal training course certification programs available. You will want to select one that is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) or the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). If a personal training course is not certified by one of those entities, many franchise gyms and fitness clubs will not accept your certification. Two of the most popular personal trainer programs are the National Association of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT), but there are many additional programs to choose from. Research these and choose the one that’s right for your personal trainer career path.
4. Study & Pass Your Exams
So you’ve selected your certification course, paid your fees, finished the coursework, and passed the exams. Congratulations! You’re now certified as a personal trainer. What’s the next step?
5. Obtain Personal Trainer Insurance
Remember that warning about clients dropping kettlebells on their toes? Your next question should be, “What kind of insurance do I need as a personal trainer?” Personal trainers face very real liability risks, even if they have their clients sign a waiver form before working with them. A liability insurance policy for personal trainers is extremely important. If you’re working for another company, ask detailed questions about the insurance they provide. If you are self-employed, Marine Agency would be happy to help you with personal trainer insurance. If you’re opening your own gym and plan to have other trainers and employees on staff, we can also help you with workers’ compensation and other policies you will need to protect your business.
6. Launch Your Career!
Once you have your accredited certification and your personal trainer insurance, it is time to launch your career! Apply for jobs as a personal trainer in your area. The nice thing about many of the personal trainer certification programs is that they will also provide job listings in your area for gyms and fitness companies that are hiring personal trainers. Once you land that first job, start building your portfolio and working towards bigger and better things in your personal trainer career!
Marine Agency Can Help with Personal Trainer Insurance
- Wide variety of good certification programs available
- The job outlook for personal trainers look very positive for the coming years
- Personal trainers face liability risks due to the nature of their work
Marine Agency is here to help you with Step 5 on your journey to becoming a full-time personal trainer. Contact us today for a free quote on personal trainer insurance.
