Have a question? This is how you become a personal trainer in Kansas:
- You must be 18 years old at the minimum
- Have attained a GED or the equivalent
- Hold a current adult CPR/AED Certification
- Become certified through a recognized personal training organization
Personal Trainer Certification Kansas
Here are the best personal training certification options in Kansas:
- 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 recommend you take the quiz to find out which certification makes the most sense for your specific Kansas personal trainer career goals.
Personal Trainer Certification Kansas Cost
Becoming a personal trainer in Kansas depends on your certification of choice, and can range from $448 to $998 on average.
Do you need a license to be a personal trainer in Kansas?
You do not need a professional license to work as a personal trainer in Kansas, however, most employers prefer individuals who hold a personal trainer certification from a nationally accredited institution.
Personal Trainer Schools Kansas
There are several kinesiology schools in Kansas and the best colleges for personal training you can attend. I picked some of the best for you:
- Benedictine College Health, Physical Education, and Recreation
- Bethany College Health, Physical Education & Athletic Training
- Bethel College Health and Physical Education
- Central Christian College of Kansas Sport Science and Health
- Emporia State University Health, Physical Education, and Recreation
- Fort Hays State University Health and Human Performance
- Friends University Health and Physical Education
- Kansas State University Department of Kinesiology
- Kansas Wesleyan University Sport and Exercise Science
- McPherson College Health, Physical Education
- MidAmerica Nazarene University Health and Exercise Science
- Ottawa University Physical Education
- Pittsburg State University Health, Human Performance, and Recreation
- Southwestern College Health and Physical Education
- Sterling College Exercise Science / Athletic Training
- Tabor College Health and Physical Education
- University of Kansas Department of Health, Sport and Exercise Sciences
- Washburn University Department of Kinesiology
- Wichita State University Human Performance Studies
If you haven’t yet, be sure to take the quiz to find out the best personal trainer certification for your career.
How Much Do Personal Trainers Make in Kansas?
Personal trainers in Kansas earn approximately $63,383, but their salary can range from $45,724 to $77,865 depending on the city, their educational background and professional certifications, and other skills that may add value to the business and experience.
Make sure to check out the general guide on how to become a personal trainer.
State Fitness Rating
Before we look at personal trainer jobs in Overland Park, it’s important to paint a picture.
A picture in the form of the state fitness rating.
This statistic shows a state’s health based on obesity stats and access to fitness facilities.
Understanding this will allow you to understand the market and strategize your approach as a fitness expert.
The first piece of data is the obesity prevalence rate.
In Kansas, 31% of the population is considered dangerously overweight or obese.
This burdens the healthcare system and indicates low engagement with general health, wellness, and fitness lifestyle protocols.
Because of this prevalence rate, Kansas is 30th out of 50 states regarding obesity ranking.
Next, we look at access to gyms and, in this case, the top gyms ranking.
But before we look at the numbers, I must point out what “top gyms” means.
Top gyms are categorized as popular, mainstream commercial gyms. These gym chains are strewn across the country, giving them a wider reach for people interested in maintaining their fitness level.
Fitness centers in this category include the likes of:
- Crunch Fitness
- Gold’s Gym
- LA Fitness
- Snap Fitness
- 24 Hour Fitness
- YMCA
- Planet Fitness
- Orange Theory Fitness
- Anytime Fitness
These gyms are considered a metric in the fitness ranking because they indicate the best public access to achieving fitness goals.
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These are the most affordable, widespread, and easy to use fitness facilities, so the more of them there are, the better.
Kansas has a total of 164 top gyms to a population of 2,907,289 people. That means for every 100 thousand people, there are 5.64 gyms.
This gives Kansas’s top gyms a ranking of 24 out of 51, placing them in the top half for this metric.
Overall, Kansas is number 30 out of 51 regarding state fitness rankings.
It isn’t the most healthy place in America, but that might be an opportunity for fitness professionals rather than a hindrance.
Fitness Market Makeup
Kansas has an obesity problem, as you can see from the data.
That indicates a market that isn’t incredibly invested in the personal fitness training industry.
That doesn’t mean there is no market. Statistics show that personal training sessions are growing in Kansas, as with most other parts of the country.
The sort of clients you will deal with will likely be those looking to trim down to a healthy size through an active personal training program.
Don’t expect too much of a specialist or niche crowd.
Personal Trainer Certifications in Kansas
Personal trainer certification in Wichita and other cities is needed to get a job as a personal trainer in Kansas.
I have written an article on my best personal trainer certifications. Use this as a guide to becoming a certified personal trainer in Kansas.
Overall here are my top 2 best personal training certifications in Kansas. Ensure you have all or any of them when you decide to become a personal trainer in Kansas City and other areas.
Attending the best schools for personal training ensures you have access to a top-rated personal trainer certification.
Personal trainers in Wichita, KS, and personal trainers in Overland Park, KS, should ensure they have one of the certs from the personal trainer certifications listed above.
Personal Trainer Jobs in Kansas
Kansas has several gyms, which means several employment opportunities.
After obtaining your personal trainer certification in Kansas City or Wichita, you can take on the job market.
The standard wage for trainers in commercial gyms isn’t much to write home about, but it is liveable.
With all the necessary credentials in place, it’s merely a matter of finding and applying to which gyms have openings.
The more you apply, the better your chances; it’s as simple as that.
Beyond this, however, you should aim to start your own business.
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In this way, you’ll be able to gain more flexibility with the hours you work and the rates you charge.
You could find yourself running your own gym by climbing the ladder.
Wichita personal trainers can also lead Pilates classes in fitness clubs or health clubs.
Whatever the case, personal trainer jobs in Kansas City and other major metropoles will see you dealing with a generally sedentary client base if the obesity stats are anything to go by.
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 Kansas
When it comes to finding an excellent place to work, bigger is always better.
And by bigger, I mean a more significant population. Become a personal trainer in Overland Park, Wichita, or Kansas City, and you’ll have access to more potential clients.
Personal training client conversion is a numbers game, so the more people you have access to, the more you will convert as clients.
With quite a small overall population, Kansas has limited options outside of its biggest metropoles. Let’s see how population figures stack up.
| City In Kansas | Population |
|---|---|
| Wichita | 385,577 |
| Overland Park | 178,919 |
| Kansas City | 147,268 |
| Olathe | 130,045 |
| Topeka | 127,939 |
| Lawrence | 89,512 |
| Shawnee | 63,622 |
Your best option would be to become a personal trainer in Wichita, with a population more than double that of the next biggest urban area, which is an Overland Park personal trainer.
Going down the list, we see a somewhat even distribution of population numbers from Overland Park all the way down to Topeka.
These top 5 cities are your ideal locations as they will probably have more gyms and a higher engagement with the fitness industry.
Personal Trainer Salary in Kansas
When entering any professional field, one of the most important things to consider is how much you will stand to earn.
This article’s premise and others in this series are taking location as a determining factor towards income potential and giving you some insight into it.
The median income for fitness instructors in Kansas is $58,744 per year, according to salary.com.
This is significantly lower than the national average of $61,802 per year.
This could mean Kansas might not be your best option; then again, the value of what you earn depends on what you will need to spend.
Sometimes a low income coincides with a low cost of living.
We’ll need to look at Kansas’ quality of life rating to understand that.
Make sure to check out the full guide on personal trainer salary.
Quality of Life Rating
Right off the bat, Kansas is known for having a great quality of life, and the leading factor in that is the low cost of living.
We just went over how the average income for a trainer is below the national average.
Fortunately, the low cost of living in the state more than makes up for it.
Kansas’s cost of living is 8.7% lower than the national average based on the cost of living index.
Aside from this, Kansas is one of the leaders in education in America.
Kansas City has one of the world’s highest quality of life rankings.
With all that said, I’ll give Kansas 8.5/10 for its QoL.
Methodology
After in-depth research, I was able to come up with this detailed review using the following points:
- The population of the state and its major cities.
- The obesity figures as compared with other states.
- Personal trainer certifications available in Kansas
- Availability of personal training schools & colleges.
- Career prospects for personal trainers.
- Earning potential for certified PTs.
- Quality of Life (QoL).
Final Words on How to be A Personal Trainer in Kansas
While dealing with high levels of obesity, Kansas has many redeeming qualities, such as a decent amount of work opportunities in the way of the numerous gyms.
There are also many great schools for personal trainers to upskill through.
It is worth it to be a “personal trainer in Wichita, KS” and “personal trainer in Overland park” and other major cities.
Lastly, Kansas has an impeccable quality of life with a cost of living that will stretch your dollar further than most other places in America.
FAQs on How to Become a Personal Trainer in Kansas
How to get personal trainer certification?
You can get a personal trainer certification by registering with the bodies in this list of nationally accredited personal training certifications.
– American Council on Exercise (ACE)
– American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
– International Sports Science Association (ISSA)
– National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)
– National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
How to get certified as a personal trainer?
Getting certified as a personal trainer requires having some basic qualifications, such as:
– A high school diploma or GED
– Being CPR/AED certified
– Register for a national certification course with an accredited body.
– You can also enroll in a degree program in an exercise or health-related field.
How long does it take to become a personal trainer?
The time spent acquiring a personal trainer’s certification is a function of the type of certification program you decide on.
The basic personal trainer cert takes at most 3 months and two years for some to complete, while a college program will take at least 2-4 years.
References
https://www.exercise.com/learn/ten-fittest-states-in-the-us/
https://www.americankinesiology.org/SubPages/Pages/Kinesiology%20Institution%20Database
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Tyler Read
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