Have a question? You need the following to become a personal trainer in Louisiana:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have a GED or the equivalent
- Hold an up to date adult CPR/AED Certification
- Be certified through a recognized personal training organization
Personal Trainer Certification Louisiana
Here are the best personal training certification options in Louisiana:
- 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 Louisiana personal trainer career goals.
Personal Trainer Certification Louisiana Cost
Becoming a personal trainer in Louisiana largely depends on which certification you choose but it will vary from $449 to $999.
Do you need a license to be a personal trainer in Louisiana?
You do not need a license to work as a personal trainer in Louisiana, but having a nationally accredited accreditation in exercise science or a similar field will make you more attractive to employers.
Personal Trainer Schools in Louisiana
Getting a nationally accredited certification is one step in the right direction and may be the only step you need to take regarding credentials. There are several exercise science schools in Louisiana you can attend. Let’s look at some of them:
- Centenary College of Louisiana Health and Exercise Science
- Grambling State University Kinesiology, Sport, and Leisure Studies
- Louisiana College Health and Physical Education
- Louisiana State University Department of Kinesiology
- Louisiana State University-Shreveport Department of Kinesiology & Health Science
- Louisiana Tech University Kinesiology
- McNeese State University Health and Human Performance
- Northwestern State University Health and Human Performance
- Southeastern Louisiana University Kinesiology and Health Studies
- Southern University and A&M College Health and Physical Education
- Tulane University Health & Wellness
- University of Louisiana at Lafayette Kinesiology
- University of Louisiana at Monroe Kinesiology
- University of New Orleans Human Performance and Health Promotion
- Xavier University Division of Education and Counseling
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 Louisiana?
On average, a personal trainer in Louisiana makes approximately $63,290, but the income can range from $45,656 to $77,750 per year depending on their overall education and professional certifications, additional skills, and industry experience.
Make sure to check out the general guide on how to become a personal trainer.
State Fitness Rating
Before discussing personal trainer certification in Baton Rouge, I want to look at the state fitness rating, measuring how healthy a state is based on its overall ranking.
This is the first important metric to consider as it paints a picture of what the personal fitness market looks like and how viable it is to tap into.
For this, I’ve gathered some data sourced from exercise.com and have done a great job at crunching the numbers.
Two key statistics I’ll be addressing are obesity prevalence and the number of top gyms, both of which have state rankings.
Obesity prevalence shows us how engaged with health and fitness the general population is. Obesity is one of the most reliable indicators of health and fitness.
In the case of Louisiana, the state has an obesity prevalence of 35.5%.
This is a very high rate of people considered dangerously overweight by medical standards.
This puts Louisiana in 47th place out of 51, making it one of the worst states for obesity.
That means you’ll have your work cut out for you as a PT in that state to create training programs to help achieve their fitness goals.
That’s because it indicates a population with a low engagement with health and wellness. That translates into less opportunity and viability for personal trainers like yourself.
On the other hand, it could also indicate a ripe market for the taking, with many people in need of the expert services of a fitness trainer.
All you need to do as a fitness instructor is create fitness programs that meet the populace’s needs.
The next category is the top gym statistic.
Top gyms can be described as those popular commercial gyms, the ones which are household names as far as fitness facilities are concerned.
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Top gyms include the likes of:
- Crunch Fitness
- Planet Fitness
- Gold’s Gym
- Anytime Fitness
- 24 Hour Fitness
- LA Fitness
- Snap Fitness
- Orange Theory Fitness
- YMCA
To become a personal trainer at LA fitness and other major gyms, you should learn about LA fitness personal trainer requirements.
These gyms are used as a valuable statistic because they indicate the number of primary employment opportunities in fitness training on a full time or part time basis.
That’s because they are generally more affordable and more comfortable to use than a specialist facility like a CrossFit box or a martial arts gym.
Louisiana has a total of 340 gyms with a population of 4,681,666.
This gives the state a gym availability of 7.4 gyms per 100 thousand residents.
That’s the fourth-highest gyms per capita ratio in the country!
With all things considered, Louisiana comes out with a state fitness ranking of 17 out of 51. This is remarkably high, considering the obesity statistics or fitness levels.
Fitness Market Makeup
On analyzing the factors as you become a personal trainer in New Orleans, you’ll find the market you will deal with in Louisiana will have a high proportion of overweight and obese people.
Added to this, your average fitness consumer will be a gym-goer since there are so many fitness center options.
To target this market successfully, you will need to be seen and heard on the gym floor.
A personal trainer in LA services would also need to include nutrition coaching and group fitness, as they are a major component of healthy weight loss protocols.
Louisiana is known for its “soul food” and cajun cuisine culinary culture, an indulgence that is probably a major cause behind the obesity stats.
You’ll have your work cut out for you when it comes to eliminating such ingrained factors for your client’s health.
Personal Trainer Certifications in Louisiana
Personal training certification in New Orleans and other cities is needed to get a job as a personal trainer in Louisiana.
I have written an article on my best personal trainer certifications. Use this as a guide to becoming a certified personal trainer in Louisiana.
Overall here are my top 2 best personal trainer certifications in Louisiana. Ensure you have all or any of them when you decide to become a personal trainer in Baton Rouge and other areas.
Do ensure you attend a certified personal trainer school, get the right study materials, and pass your certification exams to become a personal trainer in New Orleans.
Personal Trainer Jobs in Louisiana
Personal trainer jobs in Baton Rouge or elsewhere will primarily be based in the top gyms.
That’s because there is such high availability of them about the size of the population.
You’re also better off starting as a gym employee. Here you can hone your skills, build your reputation, and connect with clients while earning a secure and guaranteed income with benefits.
Of course, you will want to expand at some point and allow yourself the freedom to run your own business and become an independent personal trainer.
This means taking the reins to manage administrative tasks such as accounting, insurance, and legal.
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Building good routines and a sense of discipline is necessary when entering this phase of your career.
As I mentioned. Including nutrition coaching as part of your services would greatly assist in providing results-driven coaching.
Lastly, having an online component is essential today. Online coaching is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the fitness industry. It pays to jump on board.
You can do a Google search for “fitness trainer jobs near me” or “personal trainer jobs New Orleans.”
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 Louisiana
Louisiana is a small state with just over 4 million residents. So to truly capitalize on the available opportunities for fitness professionals, your best approach would be to focus on the busiest population centers.
Let’s take a look at the top 7 cities in Louisiana where the cost to become a certified personal trainer is worth it:
| City In Louisiana | Population |
|---|---|
| New Orleans | 390,144 |
| Baton Rouge | 220,236 |
| Shreveport | 187,112 |
| Metairie | 143,481 |
| Lafayette | 126,185 |
| Lake Charles | 78,396 |
| Bossier City | 68,159 |
Becoming a personal trainer in New Orleans is by far your best choice for cities in Louisiana.
It has the largest population and likely the largest number of employment opportunities in the way of gyms.
You won’t regret being a New Orleans personal trainer.
Personal trainers in Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Metairie, and Lafayette will enjoy similar levels of opportunity in terms of population size, so these would be great places to look into as well.
If you decide to become a personal trainer in Shreveport, for example, you’ll have to grind a little harder than you would for Personal trainer jobs in New Orleans.
However, personal trainers in Lake Charles La have to go the extra mile to achieve success for themselves.
Personal Trainer Salary in Louisiana
Before you become a personal trainer in Baton Rouge or any other city in Louisiana, you’ll need to consider the earning potential of your career.
A PT in Louisiana can expect to earn an annual average of $59,853. That’s a bit lower than the national average of $61,802, according to salary.com statistics.
How much you could earn also depends on how much you need to spend.
That’s where the cost of living comes in when determining whether a salary is viable or not.
Make sure to check out the full guide on personal trainer salary.
Quality of Life Rating
Louisiana doesn’t have the best quality of life outside of top cities like Baton Rouge or New Orleans.
For example, personal trainer jobs in Shreveport and other areas may not be as sustainable as in New Orleans.
It does, however, have a low cost of living, which is great considering the average income potential.
It also has excellent business freedom and health care but is dragged down by crime and safety stats and hefty taxation policies.
Overall, Louisiana gets a 6.5/10 QoL rating from me.
Methodology
After in-depth research, I was able to come up with this detailed review based on 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 Louisiana
- 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 Become A Personal Trainer in Louisiana
Louisiana is one of the most vibrant and culturally preserved states with a low cost of living.
It also has tremendous opportunities to work as a personal trainer due to the many top gyms.
It will be difficult to crack the code on getting the general population to adopt healthier lifestyles, a necessary endeavor to build the market for your services.
FAQs on How to Become a Personal Trainer in Louisiana
What certification do I need to be a personal trainer?
The following certifications are needed to become a personal trainer:
– National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)
– National Exercise Trainers Association (NETA)
– National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
– International Fitness Association (IFA)
– International Sports Science Association (ISSA)
– American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
– American Council of Exercise (ACE)
How to become a personal trainer online?
If you want to become a personal trainer online, you have to do the following:
Select the right technology, fitness application, and devices to be used during the training sessions.
Prepare your virtual workspace.
Ensure you have the fitness equipment needed to train your clients effectively.
How to get certification as a personal trainer?
Anyone interested in having a personal training certification should
have a high school diploma or equivalent.
You should complete the CPR and AED certification programs.
Selecting a specialization that matches your skill sets, professional goals, and personal interests is best.
Make adequate preparation to pass the examination.
How to become a certified personal trainer in Louisiana?
Personal trainers who intend to practice in Louisiana should have a college education in an exercise or health-related field and a professional certification.
Some fitness outfits prefer potential employees that possess both certifications before considering them for employment, likewise if you intend to be an independent personal trainer.
How much do personal trainers make in Louisiana?
A Personal Trainer in Louisiana earns an average salary of $59,853 as of May 27, 2021.
Your exact amount will depend on your education, certifications, skills, and years of experience.
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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