Personal Trainer Schools in Georgia

Fitness trainers in Georgia enjoy the luxury of choosing between several work environments. You may find these professionals in recreation centers, health clubs, personal places of residence, and yoga studios.

They also enjoy a relatively straightforward approach to starting a successful career in the discipline. This article carefully outlines the steps that candidates in Georgia can take to become successful personal trainers.

Readers will understand the preparatory steps before certification, the best approach to fitness education, licensing and regulatory requirements, projected salary, and career outlook, among others.

How to Become a Personal Trainer in Georgia

Aspiring personal trainers in Georgia can start their careers following the approach below.

Preparation

In preparing for a personal training career as a Georgia resident, candidates may work on refining soft skills like communication, interpersonal skills, and problem-solving. Professionals in the field also need customer service skills and, of course, stamina.

Additionally, some training programs may require a high school diploma or GED as an admission requirement.

Earning a Degree

One of the major steps to becoming a personal trainer is developing a strong educational background. Although this is not technically compulsory, it is usually a point of distinction.

Several clients prioritize working with personal trainers who have an associate degree, either in sports medicine, exercise science, or physical education.

Completing longer, four-year degree programs can also give you an edge. For instance, candidates may pursue a bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology, sports psychology, sports medicine, or physical education.

Specialization

Specialization can help candidates stand out and choose a focus area in which they will really establish themselves. Common specialty options for personal trainers include recovery training and corrective exercise.

Certification is a very effective way to develop credibility in one specialty area. We will discuss the need for certification in an upcoming section.

Career Growth

Personal trainers in Georgia may choose to work independently or join an existing fitness center. Either way, networking and continuing education are very effective ways to grow and increase yearly returns as a personal trainer.

Explore trades with similar paths:

• Learn how to become an auto mechanic in Georgia

Licensure & Certification Requirements

Georgia is one of the numerous locations across the country where personal trainers find it hard to secure employment or find clients without becoming certified. Thankfully, several certified bodies and agencies offer straightforward ways for personal trainers to become certified in the state.

Some of the top options include the National Academy of Sports Medicine, with its general fitness and nutrition credentials; the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association, with their Certified Personal Trainer credentials; and the International Sports Science Association, with a variety of education and online learning options.

Candidates should note that certification is not a one-time affair. Even after becoming certified, personal trainers are expected to continue to improve through continuing education to maintain their certification.

Top Personal Trainer Schools in Georgia

Below are some notable destinations for personal training certification in Georgia.

Explore personal trainer schools in Georgia by city:

• Personal trainer schools in Atlanta

Salary & Career Outlook

As a personal trainer in Georgia, you can end the year with an average salary of $95,204. However, only those who have managed to be among the top 10 percent can expect this return.

In reality, candidates typically manage an annual average salary of $47,479 when they are in the median category and an annual average salary of $23,678 if they have to start in the bottom category. Of course, by improving their marketing approach, professional credentials, and networking activities, personal trainers can quickly move from a low-paying category to a higher one.

Another optimizable factor is location. Those who work in Valdosta are the highest-paid personal trainers in Georgia, with an annual average salary of $54,532.

Marietta and Alpharetta also have annual average salaries of $53,932 and $52,893, respectively.