Have a question? In order to become a personal trainer in Arizona, you have to:
- Be 18 years old at the minimum
- Have a GED or the equivalent education level
- Have a current adult CPR/AED Certification
- Become certified through a well known personal training organization
Personal Trainer Certification Arizona
Here are the best personal training certification options in Arizona:Â
- International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA-CPT)
- National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer (NASM-CPT)
- National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF-CPT)
- American Council on Exercise (ACE-CPT)
I highly recommend that you take the quiz to find out which certification will be the most reasonable for your specific Arizona personal trainer career goals.
Personal Trainer Certification Arizona Cost
The amount of money you pay to become a personal trainer in Arizona will depend on the certification chosen but can vary from $445 to $995.
Do you need a license to be a personal trainer in Arizona?
There is no specific Arizona personal trainer certification, but Personal trainers in Arizona will need a minimum of a high school diploma or GED. Generally, a majority of employers will only hire people who have some post high school qualification as well as certification in first aid and CPR.
Personal Trainer Schools Arizona
A few kinesiology schools in Florida offer professional certifications. To get your personal trainer license, you should consider the following schools in Florida.
- Arizona State University Kinesiology
- Grand Canyon University Physical Education
- Grand Canyon University Health Sciences
- Northern Arizona University Health and Human Services
- Northern Arizona University Health Sciences
- University of Arizona
While not the largest selection of institutions, it’s an adequate selection of options as you discover how to become a certified personal trainer in Arizona.
If you haven’t yet, be sure to take the quiz to find out the best personal trainer certification for your career.
Certification is one thing, but it is well understood that to boost your career prospects, a higher learning qualification such as a degree or high school diploma would help.
Fortunately, you can pick from plenty of exercise science schools in Arizona.
Getting a degree equates to getting a personal trainer license in Arizona.
That’s because, unlike a certification course, a degree or diploma can allow you to enter official, high authority positions such as sports medicine or sports management.
How Much Do Personal Trainers Make in Arizona
On average, a fitness trainer in Arizona makes $86,063 yearly, but this range can fall anywhere between $72,260 and $101,760 depending on factors such as experience, the level of education, professional certifications, and any other skills that may add value to the business according to salary.com.
Having a degree and working as a private trainer will also increase your odds since you can leverage your credentials and set your own prices.
Make sure to check out the full guide on personal trainer salary.
State Fitness Rating
One of the first things you should consider when deciding if a fitness career is viable in a particular state is its fitness rating.
This will help give you a look and feel of the market trends and gaps you could exploit.
If the state fitness levels are low, this may mean there’s a good market for weight loss & weight management professionals.
It also shows how potentially receptive the general population could be to your fitness services and what their fitness goals might be.
Based on data from exercise.com, Arizona ranks low compared to other states in terms of fitness ranking.
It sits at 37 out of 50, placing it in the bottom half of state rankings.
Two main factors determine these rankings.
Exclusive PTP CPT Offers |
||
|---|---|---|
Gold Standard Cert | Most Popular Cert | Best Study Materials |
A Good Option | A Good Option | Best CPT for you?  |
One of these is the state obesity prevalence rank, which in Arizona’s case, is relatively low.
With an obesity prevalence of 29%, Arizona sits below the national average and thus has a rank of 21 out of the 50 states.
Where Arizona falls short is when it comes to top gyms.
With a population size of almost 7 million, Arizona only provides access to 330 top gym facilities.
These are the mainstream commercial gyms whose value lies in accessibility for all fitness profiles and affordability.
Because of this gym to population ratio, Arizona only has 4.48 top gyms per 100k inhabitants.
These gyms include the likes of:
- Planet Fitness
- Crunch Fitness
- 24 Hour Fitness
- Snap Fitness
- YMCA
- Anytime Fitness
- Gold’s Gym
- LA Fitness
- Orange Theory Fitness
Besides these options, some high rated gyms might provide attractive job opportunities, such as:
- Tangible Fitness
- Independence Gym
- Physiques Gym
Statistics like this favor personal trainer jobs in Mesa, Phoenix, and Tucson.
That’s because a generally fit populace, as indicated by the obesity stats, and a lack of services, as shown by the gym ranking, means there is potential unsatisfied demand.
Fitness Market Makeup
Arizona is a mountainous state, which could indicate a high predilection towards outdoor activity.
As a trainer, you could develop a niche incorporating this outdoor culture by offering group training sessions and services that attract this type of market.
With a relatively low obesity rating, you will probably have access to clients who are generally healthy, meaning you can offer more specialized, high-intensity services.
Personal trainer jobs in Tucson and the other major cities would probably revolve around the more youthful members of society since these are major cosmopolitan centers with a progressive culture.
Most fitness professionals almost always start as part-time or full-time group fitness instructors at wellness/fitness centers like gyms or health clubs.
Creative implementation of HIIT and group class services or fitness boot camps could be the mainstay of your business in Arizona.
Personal Trainer Jobs in Arizona
A fitness career in Arizona would see you applying for one of the top gyms in the state.
As we’ve learned, there aren’t many of these, so the pickings are slim.
Nonetheless, a commercial gym environment is the easiest way to launch your career as a fitness trainer.
That’s because you will have access to the facilities, infrastructure, and knowledge necessary to build your experience towards an independent business or even running a gym of your own.
This is the ultimate endgame for the most ambitious personal fitness trainers.
Exclusive PTP CPT Offers |
||
|---|---|---|
| Gold Standard Cert | Most Popular Cert | Best Study Materials |
| A Good Option | A Good Option | Best CPT for you? |
Gyms would typically only require certification from an NCCA or DEAC accredited agency.
Some of these accredited agencies are; the American college of sports medicine (ACSM), the American Council on Exercise (ACE), National Association of Sports Medicine (NSCA), among others.
However, as I already indicated, a degree would place you ahead of the pack regarding being hireable and the position level.
Also, as indicated, you are better off settling for a job in one of the major metropolitan cities,
Aim to become a personal trainer in Mesa, Phoenix, or Tucson since these areas are the most populated.
If you haven’t yet, be sure to take the quiz to find out the best personal trainer certification for your career.
Best Cities to Be a Personal Trainer in Arizona
Arizona has a population of 6,931,071, which is quite sizable but nowhere near the levels of California or Texas.
Still, you have a handful of busy, high-income metropolitan cities to choose from, which is how they look regarding numbers.
| City In Arizona | Population |
|---|---|
| Phoenix | 1,680,992 |
| Tucson | 548,073 |
| Mesa | 518,012 |
| Chandler | 261,165 |
| Scottsdale | 258,069 |
| Gilbert | 254,114 |
| Tempe | 195,805 |
In this article, I only deal with the top 3: Phoenix, Tucson, and Mesa.
I believe your best odds are in dealing with a population above 500,000 residents.
That’s not to say anything less is useless, but sales and marketing in fitness is a numbers game.
The more prospects, the more success.
You should be good to go if you obtain your personal trainer certification in Mesa or any other major city.
Quality of Life Rating
As a state, Arizona finds itself in the middle of the pecking order regarding the quality of life.
Overall, it has stats that fall close to the national average in most cases.
One sticking point is the crime statistics, which indicate a less than preferable level of criminal activity.
On the flip side, you have some of the best healthcare stats for any city in America.
Education and environmental quality sit somewhere in the middle, while business freedom is pretty high.
Business freedom is the one that will most directly impact your activity as a PT, so it’s good to know that this statistic isn’t lacking.
Phoenix has been shown to have a higher Quality of life than the state average but with a cost of living that many won’t find ideal.
I’ll give Arizona a 7/10 QoL rating.
Methodology
I studied the fitness industry of the state of Arizona and analyzed my findings via a carefully outlined process that was guided by the following criteria:
- The population of the state and its major cities.
- The obesity figures as compared with other states.
- Personal trainer certifications are attainable in the state.
- Availability of personal training schools & colleges.
- Career prospects for personal trainers.
- Earning potential for certified PTs.
- Quality of Life (QoL).
FAQs on How to Become A Personal Trainer in Arizona
How to get a personal trainer license
You can train to become a personal trainer by obtaining a prestigious nationally accredited personal trainer certification.
Another way to do this is by earning a degree as a personal trainer from one of the schools that offer personal training courses.
Do personal trainers need to be certified?
Enrollment in one of the personal trainer certification schools is a direct ticket to becoming a certified PT.
While this is so, no law requires PTs to be certified.
You need to write one of the certification exams and become a CPT to become recognized.
How much do personal trainers make in Arizona?
According to salary.com, as a personal trainer in Arizona, you’re looking at an average income of $61,051 per year.
What certifications do personal trainers need?
Personal trainers need certifications that are NCCA or DEAC approved.
There are no easy personal training certifications; most (if not all) personal trainer programs require coursework and exams to become certified.
Final Words on How to Become A Personal Trainer in Arizona
Arizona has a sizable population and a good attitude towards business, meaning you can forge a career in fitness for sure.
This becomes more apparent when considering the fitness rating.
Although it sits below the national average, it paints a picture of opportunity if you’re ready to do the work when looking at the variables.
That’s because it indicates a market demand that’s being underserviced, leaving a gap in the market you could potentially exploit.
As far as education is concerned, there are many personal trainer certifications in Arizona.
For general, accredited certifications, all the way to masters and doctoral degrees in a sports science program.
Getting a personal trainer certification in Tucson or any other major city shouldn’t be a problem.
Lastly, the quality of life you can expect to enjoy is satisfactory, Arizona is not a utopia by any stretch, but it’s a nice enough place to live, work, and play.
References
https://www.exercise.com/learn/ten-fittest-states-in-the-us/
https://www.americankinesiology.org/SubPages/Pages/Kinesiology%20Institution%20Database
![What Is a CPT Certification? + Other CPT Questions [year] 1](https://www.ptpioneer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/what-is-a-cpt-certification.jpg "What Is a CPT Certification? + Other CPT Questions [year] 5")
Tyler Read
PTPioneer Editorial Integrity
All content published on PTPioneer is checked and reviewed extensively by our staff of experienced personal trainers, nutrition coaches, and other Fitness Experts. This is to make sure that the content you are reading is fact-checked for accuracy, contains up-to-date information, and is relevant. We only add trustworthy citations that you can find at the bottom of each article. You can read more about our editorial integrity here.