It can be hard to know which personal trainer certification is the best out of the numerous options available to support a constantly growing fitness industry. The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) has put out a new report saying it offers the most profitable credentials for coaches.
NASM surveyed 1,133 active personal trainers, 842 with NASM certifications and 291 non-NASM trainers, finding that on average, NASM-certified professionals earn 22% more than their counterparts, a trend that holds steady across in-person, virtual and small-group formats.
Breaking down those categories further, NASM found serious pay discrepancies among self-employed trainers:
In-person one-on-one training: NASM trainers reported an average of $62.34/hour, while non-NASM/industry trainers earned an average of $55.08/hour
Virtual/online training: NASM coaches earn $57.84/hr on average, industry trainers earn $44.41/hr — a 30% difference
Small group training: NASM coaches reported earning $50.89/hr, versus industry coaches reporting $41.22/hr — a 23% difference
That averages to NASM trainers earning 21.6% more than their industry counterparts, or $57.02 per hour on average versus $46.90 per hour.
Even among coaches working at gyms and studios, NASM-certified trainers are still earning roughly 21% more.
The survey also revealed that NASM trainers have a significant economic advantage when first entering the industry, reaching a higher professional hourly rate of $48.29 within their first year of practice. On average, NASM trainers earn $52.97/hour in their first 1-3 years of coaching, compared to other industry trainers who earn an average of $32/hour — 66% less than their NASM counterparts.
NASM refers to that discrepancy as the “Decade Gap,” in which industry peers often take nearly ten years to reach the pay levels that NASM trainers do as early as their second year of coaching.
“This data confirms that the market recognizes the high standard of NASM’s evidence-based content and our proprietary Optimum Performance Training (OPT™) model,” said NASM CEO Mehul Patel.
Its premium pay could be supported by the increased trend of credential stacking, in which trainers go through more education to add to their layers of expertise — increasing their value with a multi-faceted approach.
NASM offers specialized credentials including Certified Wellness Coach (CWC), Behavior Change Specialization (BCS), Corrective Exercise Specialization (CES) and Certified Nutrition Coach (CNC).
Building on its commitment to educating fitness professionals, the NASM launched its own Journal of Fitness, Wellness and Human Performance (JFWHP), a peer-reviewed publication this year. The publication is built on “actionable science” to equip fitness and wellness coaches with easily digestible latest research to apply to their practice.
