How To Become A Personal Trainer in Florida in 2021

Hey everybody, and welcome to another PT Pioneer article.

This time we’re going to be focusing on one of the key factors towards success as a PT in the fitness industry.

I’m talking about location, location, location.

From our extensive research, we discovered that where you are geographically situated will have as much of an impact on your income potential and career satisfaction as your experience and qualifications. 

We aim to go state by state, revealing what makes or breaks your chances for a successful career in each location.

We’ll be looking at several aspects that influence a specific state’s health and fitness market, providing insight along the way.

For this article, I shall employ our combined experience with over a dozen PT certifications to critically evaluate a personal trainer’s career prospects in the state of Florida. 

At the end of my analysis, we’ll be able to determine the overall fitness rating of Florida. 

And with that said, let’s get right into it.

Make sure to check out the general guide on how to become a personal trainer.

State Fitness Rating

Firstly, I considered the general fitness culture of each state to evaluate which state has the best career prospects for you as a PT. 

In my findings, I observed that state by state, there’s a different attitude towards health and fitness brought on by several factors. 

Firstly, cultural heritage, which has a more long-standing impact, can definitely influence the fitness culture.

For example, a State with a deep-rooted culture of sports and athletics will generally have a fitter population.

What that means is there is a higher probability of business success or employment opportunities in the fitness market of a state where fitness is highly regarded.

Another factor that influences the fitness rating of a state and its major cities is its metropolitan status.

Florida happens to be a State with a varied mix of rural sensibilities and progressive metropolitan culture.

Because of this, Florida’s fitness ranking across all 50 United States is 28, according to exercise.com.

We are using data including the number of gyms, rating of the gyms themselves, population stats, and obesity figures. 

Some of the top gyms include:

• Snap Fitness
• Crunch Fitness
• Anytime Fitness
• Planet Fitness
• Orange Theory Fitness
• LA Fitness
• Gold’s Gym
• 24 Hour Fitness
• YMCA

A high rating indicates a market that’s primed and ready, while a low rating indicates a gap that you can take advantage of.

Fitness Market Makeup

To fully understand the prospects of personal trainer jobs in Miami, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa, let’s dig deep into the stats that influence the market. 

Firstly, let’s look at the total population.

With Florida, you’re dealing with a population size of roughly 21 million.

For the major metropoles, the population breaks down as follows:

• Jacksonville 926,371
• Miami 486,388
• Tampa 413,704
• Orlando 291,739

That means 10% of the state population is concentrated in just these four cities.

In my perspective, if you were to become a personal trainer in Jacksonville, you’d have access to the highest populated city in the state.  

Also, if you were to become a personal trainer in Tampa, you’d have similar prospects to Miami. 

Of these 21 million Floridians, approximately 27% are obese.

According to “worldpopulationreview.com”, Florida is the 7^th least obese state in the U.S, with Colorado (23.80%) as the least obese, and Mississippi at 40.80% as the most obese state. 

Now obesity statistics can go two ways.

They can either serve as an indication of opportunity, or they can serve as an indication of an adoptive market if low.

How you capitalize all depends on your approach towards sales and marketing.

In my professional capacity, I suggest you investigate some of the highly-rated gyms in the state such as: 

• Iron Religion Gym
• Optimum Gym
• RYPT Gym

With Florida’s obesity stats significantly below the national average of 40%, your aim as a personal trainer in Miami or any other city in this region is to tap into the aspirations of the already fit. 

That’s because a below-average obesity stat indicates a higher adoption of health and fitness habits within the general population.

Another important consideration is your access to employment through gyms.

Florida has a total of 1009 fitness centers/health clubs from the top commercial gym franchises in America.

But what does this mean for personal trainer jobs in Florida? 

According to statistics, this gives each member of Florida’s population access to at least four gym options per person.

Sadly, from a job seeker’s point of view, the obesity stats in Florida and the population distribution suggest that there will be stiffer competition for personal fitness trainer jobs in cities like Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. 

With all this considered, I believe your best prospects lie in personal trainer jobs in Jacksonville. 

Personal Trainer Certifications in Florida

In my experience, this is how to become a fitness trainer in FL: obtain a personal trainer certification and you’re well on your way to get a job as a personal trainer in Florida. 

I have written an article on my best personal trainer certifications.

Most certification programs are inclusive of an online course, some study materials, practice exams, and finally, the certification exam.

Overall here are my top 2 best personal trainer certificates in Florida.

Make sure to check all three out.

• NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine)
• ISSA (International Sports Sciences Association)

Based on so many positive reviews, I can ascertain that having any of the above professional trainer certifications will most likely secure a job for you as a PT in Florida. 

Person trainer schools and diplomas in Florida

I strongly suggest those seeking to become certified personal trainers in Florida should obtain an undergrad or postgrad degree in exercise science as this can boost their chances and options.  

There are a few kinesiology schools in Florida to choose from.

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