Have a question? You will need the following to become a personal trainer in Ohio:
- Attain the age of 18
- Have a GED or its equivalent
- Hold an up to date adult CPR/AED Certification
- Become certified through a recognized personal training organization
Personal Trainer Certification Ohio
Here are the best personal training certification options in Ohio:
- International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA-CPT)
- National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer (NASM-CPT)
- National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF-CPT)
- National Personal Training Institute (NPTI)
I recommend that you take the quiz and determine which certification makes the most sense for your specific Ohio personal trainer career goals.
Personal Trainer Certification Ohio Cost
Becoming a personal trainer in Ohio comes at a cost of between $449 to $999, and this largely depends on the certification chosen.
Do you need a license to be a personal trainer in Ohio?
A majority of fitness centers and gyms in Ohio will only consider personal trainers who have some kinesiology certification, in addition to first aid and CPR skills, however, they do not need to be licensed.
Personal Trainer Schools in Ohio
- Baldwin-Wallace University School of Health, Physical Education, and Sport Science
- Bluffton University Health, Fitness and Sport Science
- Bowling Green State University Human Movement, Sport and Leisure Studies
- Capital University Health and Sport Sciences
- Cedarville University Kinesiology and Allied Science
- Central State University Health and Human Performance
- Cleveland State University Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
- College of Mount St. Joseph Health Sciences
- Defiance College Exercise Science
- Denison University Health, Exercise and Sport Studies
- Heidelberg College Health and Human Performance
- Kent State University College of Education, Health, and Human Services
- Malone University Exercise Science
- Marietta College Health Science
- Miami University Kinesiology and Health
- Mount Vernon Nazarene University Physical Education
- Muskingum University Physical Education
- Notre Dame College of Ohio Health Education/Physical Education
- Ohio Northern University Human Performance and Sport Sciences
- Ohio State University Department of Exercise Science
- Ohio University Recreation and Sport Pedagogy
- Ohio Wesleyan University Health and Human Kinetics
- Otterbein College Health and Sport Science
- Shawnee State University Sport Studies
- University of Akron Sports Science and Wellness Education
- University of Cincinnati Allied Health Sciences
- The University of Dayton Health and Sports Science
- University of Mount Union Human Performance and Sport Business
- University of Toledo Health and Human Services
- Urbana University Sports and Leisure Studies
- Wilmington College Sport Management
- Wright State University Kinesiology and Health
- Xavier University Sport Studies
- Youngstown State University Human Performance and Exercise Science
If you haven’t yet, please take the quiz to find out the best personal trainer certification for your career.
How Much Do Personal Trainers Make in Ohio?
In the state of Ohio, the average personal trainer makes approximately $65,285 annually, but their income can range from $47,096 to $80,201 depending on factors such as the city, their professional and academic qualifications, any other skills they may have and their overall experience in the field. You can view the report here.
Make sure to check out the general guide on how to become a personal trainer.
State Fitness Rating
Before delving into personal trainer certification in Columbus and other cities, we must check the viability of the local fitness industry.
The state fitness rating is a measurement based on how Ohio ranks against 49 states and one district (DC).
This measures the population’s health, indirectly impacting your career, as you’ll soon learn.
The data I’m using was taken from exercise.com, which has done a great job of compiling a list of states based on fitness.
Personal fitness goals may differ from individual to individual, but the overall fitness level of a state can be estimated using certain stats.
Several states and factors have gone into these rankings, but we’ll only deal with two in this article.
Those are the obesity prevalence and gyms per capita.
These give us a fair idea of market activity regarding how viably you can operate as a PT in that state.
When it comes to obesity, having a high prevalence population means there is a relatively low engagement with healthy lifestyle habits, which would normally lead to spending within the fitness industry.
Ohio does have somewhat of a high obesity prevalence sitting at 31,5%.
This gives them a state ranking of 33, which isn’t very ideal, showing a low market engagement with the same services you aim to provide.
This can also be good for a fitness trainer whose aim is to start a personal training business or get a job at a health club.
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Next, we have the top gyms per capita category.
This shows us how much access the general population has too large commercial gyms.
These gyms are a good yardstick because they are the most accessible, easy to use, and affordable fitness facility options around.
They include brands such as:
- Gold’s Gym
- 24 Hour Fitness
- Anytime Fitness
- Crunch Fitness
- LA Fitness
- Orange OrangeTheory Fitness
- Planet Fitness
- Snap Fitness
- YMCA
Ohio has 598 of these gyms.
With a population of 11,614,373, the state has a gym per capita ratio of 5.15, giving it a low rank of 34th place regarding public access.
This, however, doesn’t mean bad news for you.
598 has many gyms and thus many opportunities if you manage to position yourself in the right city with the right credentials.
Ohio is ranked 39th out of 51 in terms of state fitness rankings, placing it well on the scale’s low end.
Fitness Market Makeup
With a high obesity prevalence and large urban centers, most of your clients and client prospects will be somewhat sedentary and overweight, simply looking to improve baseline health indicators.
After obtaining your personal trainer certification in Cleveland, your nutrition knowledge will be a key factor in helping you stand out and deliver service that will bring results.
This will help your clients while growing your reputation.
Such a fitness market will also likely be adoptive of group training, so brush up on your crowd control skills to tap into that market segment.
Personal Trainer Certifications in Ohio
Personal trainer certification in Cincinnati and other cities is needed to get a job as a personal trainer in Ohio.
I have written an article on my best personal trainer certifications.
Use this as a guide to becoming a certified personal trainer in Ohio.
Overall here are my top 2 best personal trainer certificates in Ohio.
Ensure all of them when you decide to become a personal trainer in Cincinnati and other areas.
Personal Trainer Jobs in Ohio
Ohio may not have the fittest population in America, but it has almost 600 commercial gyms, which means at least many potential job openings.
Working in the field as an employed trainer may not be that glamorous regarding income, but it’s very useful when you’re just starting.
Having a fixed, guaranteed income and benefits at the start of your career is a huge safety net while you hone your skills in health promotion and build your reputation with clients.
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| Gold Standard Cert | Most Popular Cert | Best Study Materials |
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Beyond this, as an independent trainer, you will be able to charge your own rates and set your own schedule.
Remember to include online training as part of your business model.
Economies and the way we transact are shifting to an online landscape more and more, with online fitness being one of the fastest-growing sectors in the industry.
If you haven’t yet, please take the quiz to find out the best personal trainer certification for your career.
Best Cities to Be a Personal Trainer in Ohio
The biggest city is always the best for finding opportunities as a PT.
I find that cities with populations over 100k often present the best potential.
Fortunately, 6 of Ohio’s top cities check this box.
| City In Ohio | Population |
|---|---|
| Columbus | 878,553 |
| Cleveland | 385,282 |
| Cincinnati | 301,394 |
| Toledo | 276,614 |
| Akron | 198,051 |
| Dayton | 140,569 |
| Parma | 79,091 |
Personal trainer jobs in Columbus should be your first bet, with a population of over 800k!
Suppose you become a personal trainer in Cleveland and Cincinnati together. In that case, you won’t even make up the numbers of a Columbus personal trainer, although they both do have sizable populations to work with.
Therefore, personal trainer jobs in Cleveland and Cincinnati are viable to a lesser but satisfactory extent.
Personal Trainer Salary in Ohio
When deciding to become a personal trainer in Cincinnati, one must consider their earning potential.
The average personal trainer salary in Ohio is $58,125 per year.
This is much lower than the national average of $61,802.
This immediately looks like a major drawback.
However, income statistics in a location are largely influenced by the cost of living, one of the key quality of life measures.
A personal trainer with a bachelor’s degree salary is much higher than a personal trainer’s pay without a degree.
Make sure to check out the full guide on personal trainer salary.
Quality of Life Rating
Right off the bat, Ohio has the cost of living below the national average.
As mentioned, the cost of living is the real determining factor behind income value.
That means your average expected income as a PT in the state is not bad at all.
Not bad, considering Ohio is the second most affordable state in America, according to usanews.com.
Besides that, Ohio ranks high regarding housing, business freedom, and healthcare.
Overall, ’ll give Ohio a 7.5 out of 10 quality of life rating.
Methodology
After extensive research, I was able to come up with this comprehensive review based on the following considerations:
- The population of the state and its major cities.
- The obesity figures as compared with other states.
- Personal trainer certifications available in Ohio
- 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 Ohio
How much does a personal trainer certification cost?
Enrolling in a personal training certification program costs between $99 for ACTION CPT and $799 for NASM CPT.
Between these extremes, there are others like the American Council on Exercise (ACE) for $599 and ISSA CPT for $499.
How to become a personal trainer online?
Online personal trainer certification programs have become a norm since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, with many certifying bodies now conducting full online training programs.
These online programs provide adequate study materials and practice exams for their students.
What is the best personal trainer certification to get?
Most gyms accept NASM, ACE, ISSA, ACSM, NSCA, NCPT, and NCSF.
All these fitness certificate programs are nationally recognized and accredited by either the NCCA or the DEAC.
Though not NCCA-approved, the National Personal Training Institute (NPTI) also offers a diploma in personal training.
How to get certified as a personal trainer?
Several colleges offer personal training degrees where you can take personal trainer classes, including courses like exercise physiology, aerobics, biomechanics, etc.
There are also various certification exams to choose from as a group fitness instructor, so do your research before delving into the field of personal training.
Final Words on How to Become a Personal Trainer in Ohio
Ohio has a lot to offer.
It’s a busy state with a large population and many opportunities to work as a PT.
Whether you decide to become a personal trainer in Columbus, Cincinnati, or Cleveland, there are many ways to break into the industry.
Personal training certification Columbus Ohio is like any other city in the US.
Most certifying bodies require that you hold a high school diploma or bachelor’s degree before enrolling to become a health coach.
However, there are better states and cities in America.
Ohio sits somewhere in the middle when it comes to opportunity and potential.
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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