We surveyed 4,850 personal trainers to better understand the work environment and required skills of a typical personal trainer. Here are the results.
How much intelligence is required as a personal trainer?
Low
High
Working as a personal trainer typically doesn’t require the use of high levels of intelligence in daily tasks.
Can I learn to become a personal trainer?
Intrinsic Talent
Acquired Talent
A career as a personal trainer typically depends predominantly on qualities you can gain through experience, with a small aspect of skills you are born with.
Is it easy to get a job as a personal trainer?
Easy
Hard
It’s typically not very difficult to find a job as a personal trainer. If you’re curious about the numbers, check out the job market for personal trainers.
Do personal trainers work full-time or part-time?
44% of personal trainers work in full-time roles while 56% work part-time.
Is being a personal trainer stressful?
Low
High
Personal trainers tend not to find their jobs stressful, which likely contributes positively to career satisfaction.
Is being organized important as a personal trainer?
Low
High
Some level of organization is generally required to be a personal trainer.
How competitive is the workplace for personal trainers?
Low
High
Personal trainers tend to see lots of competition in the workplace, with desire to get ahead of co-workers being common.
Does being a personal trainer require frequent time pressure to complete tasks?
Low
High
Time pressure tends not to be a major contributor of stress for personal trainers.
Are personal trainers allowed to express themselves creatively?
Low
High
Creativity is intrinsic to being a personal trainer, and a highly valuable part of the career.
Do personal trainers have control over the direction of their work?
Low
High
Personal trainers have high flexibility in the direction of their work, allowing them a lot of freedom in how they accomplish their goals.
Is being a personal trainer physically demanding?
Low
High
Being a personal trainer may occasionally require demanding physical activity, which may make it not a suitable career choice for everyone.
Are personal trainers exposed to a wide variety of work?
Low
High
While sometimes repetitive, personal trainers tend to have opportunities for variety in their work.
Does being a personal trainer require attention to detail?
Low
High
As in many careers, attention to detail is quite helpful for personal trainers.
Does being a good personal trainer require compassion and empathy?
Low
High
Strong compassion and empathy are critical to success as a personal trainer.