Hey Everybody, and welcome to PT Pioneer.
Ever wondered where the best place to work as a Certified Personal Trainer is?
Well, that’s what this article is about. It’s part of a series where I state by State, unraveling what it takes to cut it as a PT in each location.
Your location is a huge factor in a successful career, so I felt giving you a full rundown of the best places was essential.
This time around, I’ll be looking at how to become a personal trainer in Maryland.
I’ll give you insight into the local fitness industry using data, analytics, and anecdotal evidence.
I’ll also touch on what qualifications you should aim for to optimize your success and income.
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.
Contents
- State Fitness Rating
- Fitness Market Makeup
- Personal Trainer Certifications in Maryland
- Personal training schools in Maryland
- Personal Trainer Jobs in Maryland
- Best Cities to Be a Personal Trainer in Maryland
- Personal Trainer Salary in Maryland
- Final Words on How to Become A Personal Trainer in Maryland
- FAQs on How to Become A Personal Trainer in Maryland
State Fitness Rating
![How To Become A Personal Trainer in Maryland in [year] 1](https://www.ptpioneer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ptp-quiz-desktop.jpeg.webp "How To Become A Personal Trainer in Maryland in [year] 2")
![How To Become A Personal Trainer in Maryland in [year] 2](https://www.ptpioneer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ptp-quiz-mobile.jpeg.webp "How To Become A Personal Trainer in Maryland in [year] 3")
The first order of business is the state fitness rating. In this case, it will be based on a ranking provided by exercise.com.
Understanding the fitness profile of a specific location paints a picture of what potential you can expect from the local market.
It will allow you to strategize on the best way forward and decide if this is the right spot for you.
For this, we’ll be dealing with two pieces of data.
The first is the obesity prevalence rate and the overall national ranking against all other states.
This is important to look at because obesity indicates a population’s predilection towards fitness. This shows us the viability of becoming a personal trainer in Germantown and other cities.
Maryland has an obesity prevalence of 29.9%. This relatively high indicates a population with limited health and fitness industry engagement.
As a personal trainer, low engagement with the local health and wellness industry posed a challenge and indicated a less than ideal opportunity for a fitness trainer.
At the same time, this can also be treated as an unsatisfied gap in the market. It all depends on your approach and entrepreneurial drive.
With this prevalence rate, Maryland is ranked 25th out of 51 states (including DC). This ties it up with Maine.
The middle spot obesity rating means moderate engagement and adequate opportunity for fitness professionals to engage with the general market.
The next stat we will deal with is top gyms per capita.
This indicates how primed the fitness industry is for engagement by the local market.
Top gyms are those popular fitness facilities or fitness centers with mainstream appeal and household names.
These commercial gyms also present great employment opportunities.
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Top gyms include some of the following fitness chains:
- Snap Fitness
- Planet Fitness
- Crunch Fitness
- Orange Theory Fitness
- YMCA
- Gold’s Gym
- Anytime Fitness
- 24 Hour Fitness
- LA Fitness
These gyms tend to be the most affordable, the most widespread, and the easiest to use, making them a useful metric in determining the fitness profile of a state.
Maryland has a total of 270 gyms to a population of 6,016,447 inhabitants.
This gives the state a figure of 4.49 gyms per 100 thousand locals.
Those stats are pretty low, landing Maryland in 48th place concerning gym access.
Overall, Maryland is 41 out of 51, indicating a less than ideal fitness industry.
Fitness Market Makeup
Before you become a personal trainer in Columbia, Baltimore, or Germantown, you need to understand what sort of clients you’ll be dealing with and their fitness levels.
The fitness market in Maryland will have a decent general population group but might also include a sizable amount of special populations in the form of elite athletes.
Maryland, especially Baltimore, has a sporting heritage, so you might find some opportunity to create exercise programs with this market segment, depending on your experience and credentials.
You might also find a gap in the market for nutrition coaching and group fitness with such a high obesity prevalence.
Personal Trainer Certifications in Maryland
Personal trainer certification in Baltimore and other cities is needed to get a job as a personal trainer in Maryland.
I have written an article on my best personal trainer certifications. Use this as a guide to becoming a certified personal trainer in Maryland.
Overall here are my top 2 best personal trainer certificates in Maryland. Ensure you have all or any of them when you decide to become a personal trainer in Baltimore and other areas.
Having the best personal trainer certification in Maryland will help in your quest for personal trainer jobs in MD.
Personal training schools in Maryland
Aside from personal trainer certification in Germantown and other areas, you could also upskill and bolster your credentials with a higher learning qualification.
This would be in the form of a university or college degree.
Getting a degree as a personal trainer in MD is widely known to boost your career potential.
Having such an official qualification to your name allows you to leverage for better pay and higher positions with Personal trainer jobs in Baltimore and other cities.
As an independent trainer, a degree can also allow you to boost your credibility, which can raise your status, allowing you to charge more for your experiences.
There are several exercise science schools in Maryland you can look at. Let’s check them out:
- Frostburg State University Kinesiology and Recreation
- McDaniel College (Western Maryland University Exercise Science and Physical Education
- Morgan State University Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
- Mount St. Mary’s University Sports Management
- Mount St. Mary’s University OT, PT
- Salisbury University Health and Sport Sciences
- Towson University Kinesiology
- University of Maryland College Park Department of Kinesiology
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore Kinesiology
These kinesiology schools in Maryland present a great opportunity to solidify your professional status when looking for Personal trainer jobs in Columbia or Baltimore.
But now that we understand the value of higher learning credentials, you must recognize the massive time and financial investment you must make.
Think things through and have a clear roadmap for your personal training career before jumping into a degree program.
It would help if you quickly searched for “fitness jobs in Maryland” and “personal trainer jobs in Baltimore” to know the qualifications of a personal trainer in Maryland.
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| Gold Standard Cert | Most Popular Cert | Best Study Materials |
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Personal Trainer Jobs in Maryland
With 270 gyms situated in the state, you will have at least 270 opportunities for personal trainer jobs in Germantown, Columbia, or Baltimore.
Starting in a gym or health club as an employed personal trainer in MD is my best suggestion for the genesis of a fitness career.
That’s because you can gain expertise, get rid of the nerves and jitters, and build a reputation that will launch you into a lucrative solo career.
It’s also a good safety net regarding guaranteed income and benefits.
Once you go off alone, the tradeoff for freedom is initial financial insecurity and the need to handle many administrative tasks.
This an excellent area to focus on as an independent online fitness trainer.
Some clients prefer engaging in online personal training sessions.
As the fastest growing sector in the fitness services industry, it’s not even a question at this point.
Best Cities to Be a Personal Trainer in Maryland
With a population of over 6 million, Maryland has an adequate pool of prospects to work with, but it’s always best to target the major population hubs.
In this article, I’ve only mentioned the top three cities in Maryland by population, Baltimore, Columbia, and Germantown, in that order.
Baltimore is by far the best with opportunity. It is a major metropolitan area with a good level of commercial engagement.
It also has the lion’s share of the previously mentioned top gyms, making it a perfect option for personal trainers in Maryland.
Columbia and Germantown are far behind in terms of population but still hold their own in terms of excellent business and employment opportunities for a Maryland personal trainer.
Beyond that, while not impossible to succeed, the rest of the major cities aren’t ideal and will present a significantly lower number of opportunities.
Let’s have a look at the population stats real quick:
| City In Maryland | Population |
|---|---|
| Baltimore | 593,490 |
| Columbia | 103,663 |
| Germantown | 90,844 |
| Silver Spring | 79,750 |
| Waldorf | 74,587 |
| Ellicott City | 72,247 |
| Frederick | 72,244 |
As you can see, Baltimore is leaps and bounds ahead of the rest, so it should be your first priority.
Personal trainers in Baltimore have better opportunities with their population.
Personal Trainer Salary in Maryland
The average annual income for a fitness instructor in Maryland is $64,519 per year.
That’s pretty good, considering the national average is just over $61k.
But a promising income statistic is only as good as how far you can stretch your dollar. That’s why we must look at the quality of life and, specifically, the cost of living.
Quality of Life Rating
Maryland is one of the best states to live in, according to usanews.com.
It comes in as the 6th best state to live in.
Health care, education, and business opportunity are key contributors to this status.
The cost of living isn’t fantastic, but it is reasonable, making the annual average income for PTs in the state quite livable.
Crime is, however, a problem, and taxation can also dampen the mood.
Overall, Maryland gets an 8/10 quality of life rating.
Make sure to check out the full guide on personal trainer salary.
Methodology
The methodology I adopted in analyzing this article on how to become a personal trainer in Maryland is based on the following:
- The population of the state and its major cities.
- The obesity figures as compared with other states.
- Personal trainer certifications were attainable in the state. Â
- 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 Maryland
Maryland might seem like a lesser choice when looking at the fitness ranking, but it has such many opportunities that you might find great success with the right training programs.
Being a “personal trainer in Baltimore,” “personal trainer in Silver Spring,” or “personal trainer in Frederick, MD” is not a bad option.
There are definitely better places to be a personal trainer, but Maryland can support your career.
There’s also enough opportunity to boost your resume and get your personal trainer license in Maryland or your personal trainer certification in Columbia and other areas.
Overall, personal training in Maryland is worth it if you have the fitness certifications needed to help clients achieve their fitness goals.
FAQs on How to Become A Personal Trainer in Maryland
How to become a personal trainer in Maryland?
To become a personal trainer in Maryland, you should possess some basic requirements ranging from:
– A high school diploma
– A CPR/AED certification
– A First Aid Certification
– Possession of a nationally recognized personal training certification
In addition, some gyms require an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in an exercise-related field.
What is the best certification for a personal trainer?
The best personal trainer certifications are:
– American Council on Exercise (ACE)
– The Cooper Institute (CI)
– American Fitness Professionals Association (AFPA)
– National Exercise Trainers Association (NETA)
– National Association for Fitness Certification (NAFC)
– National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT)
– National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association (NESTA)
– American Senior Fitness Association (ASFA)
What is the best personal trainer certification to get?
The best personal trainer certification to get is accredited by the NCCA and DEAC.
Before choosing a certification program and writing the certification exam, ensure it has the right accreditation.
How much do personal trainers make in Maryland?
Personal trainers in Maryland earn an average of $64,519 as of June 28, 2021.
But the amount each trainer will receive depends on the city of residence, educational levels, certifications, skills, and years of experience on the job.
How long does it take to become a personal
trainer?
It takes an average of 3 months to 2 years to complete a personal trainer certification program.
References
https://www.exercise.com/learn/ten-fittest-states-in-the-us/
https://www.americankinesiology.org/SubPages/Pages/Kinesiology%20Institution%20Database
Tyler Read
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