How to Become a Personal Trainer in Pennsylvania

Becoming a personal trainer in Pennsylvania requires:

1. Attaining a minimum age of 18
2. Hold a GED or the equivalent
3. Have a current adult CPR/AED Certification
4. Get certified through a recognized personal training institution

Personal Trainer Certification Pennsylvania

Here are the best personal training certification options in Pennsylvania: 

1. International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA-CPT)
2. National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer (NASM-CPT)
3. National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF-CPT)
4. American Council on Exercise (ACE-CPT)

I recommend you take the quiz and find out which certification makes the most sense for your particular Pennsylvania personal trainer career goals.

Personal Trainer Certification Pennsylvania Cost

The cost of becoming a personal trainer in Pennsylvania will largely depend on which certification you choose but it generally varies from $450 to $1000.

Do you need a license to be a personal trainer in Pennsylvania?

YOu do not need a license to practice as a personal trainer in Pennsylvania, but a personal trainer certification from a nationally accredited institution will be advantageous since most employers prefer certified trainers.

Personal Trainer Schools in Pennsylvania

One of the first steps to becoming a personal trainer is obtaining certification through a reputable school. Here are a few kinesiology colleges I found during my research that you might want to try.

• Alvernia College Athletic Training
• Bloomsburg University Exercise Science
• Cabrini College Exercise Science and Health Promotion
• Cairn University Physical Education
• California University of Pennsylvania Health Science and Sport Studies
• Chatham University Exercise Science
• Cheyney University Recreation, Health, and Physical Education
• College Misericordia Physical Therapy / Occupational Therapy
• Duquesne University Athletic Training
• East Stroudsburg University Exercise Science
• Edinboro University Health and Physical Education
• Gannon University Sport and Exercise Science
• Gettysburg College Health Sciences
• Immaculata University Human Movements Sciences Department
• Indiana University of Pennsylvania Kinesiology, Health, and Sport Science
• Lancaster Bible College Health and Physical Education
• Lincoln University Health, Physical Education, and Wellness
• Lock Haven University Health and Physical Education
• Marywood University Health and Physical Education
• Mercyhurst University Sports Medicine
• Messiah College Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Science
• Millersville University Wellness and Sport, Sciences
• Neumann College Athletic Training
• Penn State Berks Kinesiology
• Penn State Harrisburg Behavioral Sciences & Education
• Penn State University Department of Kinesiology
• Shippensburg University Exercise Science
• Slippery Rock University Physical and Health Education
• St. Francis University Exercise Physiology
• Temple University Department of Kinesiology
• University of Pittsburgh Department of Health & Physical Activity
• The University of Pittsburgh-Bradford Health and Physical Education
• University of Scranton Exercise Science and Sport
• Ursinus College Health and Exercise Physiology
• Waynesburg University Athletic Training and Exercise Science
• West Chester University Kinesiology
• Wilson College Exercise and Sport Science

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 Pennsylvania?

A personal trainer in Pennsylvania can take home $66,432 on average annually, and this can start from $47,923 to $81,610 depending on factors such as the city, academic and professional qualifications, any other skills that an employer may deem important and experience. You can see the salary report here.

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

State Fitness Rating

Before I even begin to look at personal trainer jobs in Pittsburg and other cities, we need to handle how receptive the fitness industry in Pennsylvania will be to your presence.

To begin understanding that, I will look at the state fitness rating.

This rating or ranking is a collection of data done by exercise.com, which we will use to figure out how viable the local fitness industry in Pennsylvania is for you as a fitness professional.

We will deal with two data categories: obesity prevalence and the top gyms’ access.

Obesity is a reliable measure of public health as it shows how conscious and engaged people are with fundamental health and fitness training in health clubs, fitness centers, etc.

That engagement translates as interaction with the fitness industry, and that interaction means more work/business for you.

Pennsylvania has a relatively high obesity prevalence of 30.3%. This places the state in 27th place overall when it comes to obesity.

This indicates a less than ideal engagement by the public with fitness services, spelling less opportunity for you.

However, Pennsylvania has a sizable population, so the sheer numbers may help provide a worthy level of opportunity regardless.

Now we look at the gym stats, but before we do that, let’s examine what is meant by “top gyms.”

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Top gyms are categorized as fitness facilities whose accessibility and affordability make them mainstream options for the general public.

The prominent availability of these gyms also indicates your most immediate possibilities for employment.

These gyms include:

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

Pennsylvania has a total of 674 top gyms to a population of 12,784,227 residents.

This means that for every 100 thousand people in the state, there are 5.27 gyms available. That’s an overall gym’s per capita ranking of 31 out of 51.

Those statistics may initially look bad, but that’s only from a client/consumer perspective.

From a PT perspective, 674 gyms are plenty of opportunity, and the fact that the demand exceeds the supply means that your career has the potential to accelerate really fast.

Overall, Pennsylvania ranks 31st out of all the states regarding fitness.

Fitness Market Makeup

The fitness market in a state tells you what sort of clients or customers you can expect regarding goals, the current state of health, and preferences.

In states with high fitness rankings, you can usually expect a decent variety of population groups, including athletes.

In a state like Pennsylvania, with a low fitness rating, most of your clients would be categorized as overweight and sedentary.

That means your modus operandi is simply helping them correct fundamental health indicators, such as engaging them in weight loss exercise programs that eliminate the risk of metabolic diseases, such as aerobics.

This type of client is also typically drawn to the group workout situation.

That means having an idea of running small group training sessions will be a huge benefit.

An understanding of nutrition is also always necessary to help this set of people achieve their fitness goals.

Personal Trainer Certifications in Pennsylvania

Personal trainer certification in Allentown and other cities is needed to get a job as a personal trainer in Pennsylvania.

I have written an article on my best personal trainer certifications. Use this as a guide to becoming a certified personal trainer in Pennsylvania.

Overall here are my top 2 best personal trainer certificates in Pennsylvania. Ensure you have all or any of them when you decide to become a personal trainer in Allentown and other areas.

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

With the right personal training certification in Philadelphia or personal training certification in Pittsburgh, you won’t have issues getting personal trainer jobs in Philadelphia, personal trainer jobs in Pittsburgh, or personal trainer jobs in PA.

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Personal Trainer Jobs in Pennsylvania

Personal trainer jobs in Pittsburg, Allentown, and Philadelphia will primarily be based in the top commercial gyms.

There are 674 of these gyms, so your options and potential opportunities are decent.

Working in a gym is great due to its security, especially when you’re just starting out.

Even though it’s relatively meager, a fixed salary with benefits is very beneficial when you’re still climbing the ladder.

Another great thing about gym jobs is the amount of experience and exposure you will get.

This will help you catapult your career when you venture off independently.

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 Pennsylvania

This series is all about knowing which state is best, but you also need to understand which cities are the best to work and live in each state.

Many states have experiences that vary drastically from city to city, town to town.

Pennsylvania is no exception. Philadelphia’s largest city has a population size roughly double the next six largest population centers.

That means Philly should be your plan A without question.

Philadelphia personal trainers have lots of opportunities considering its population.

Pittsburgh and Allentown are reasonable alternatives since they have population sizes of more than 100k inhabitants.

Personal Trainer Salary in Pennsylvania

Before looking at personal trainer jobs in Allentown and other cities, it’s crucial to understand salaries in PA.

The average Pennsylvania salary for personal trainers is $61,653. 

This is very close to the national average, but to truly get a handle on the value of an income, you need to understand how much of it you’ll be required to let go of.

For that, we’ll need to delve into the quality of life rating and understand the cost of living.

Make sure to check out the full guide on personal trainer salary.

Quality of Life Rating

If you decide to become a personal trainer in Pittsburg or any other city, you also choose to live there.

Pennsylvania is one of the biggest and busiest states in America.

For this reason, the advancement in economy and infrastructure means it generally offers a good standard of living.

Key areas where Pennsylvania excels include healthcare and business opportunities.

Philadelphia is particularly great in these same areas too.

As for the cost of living, Pennsylvania is affordable, with the cost of living below the national average.

A Philadelphia personal trainer has nothing to worry about in the long run.

Overall, I’ll give Pennsylvania a 7 out of 10 QoL rating.

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 that are available in Pennsylvania 
• 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 Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania, and especially Philadelphia, provide plenty of opportunity due to the sheer size and scope of the population and economy.

While not the fittest state, it has the potential to pave the way for a lucrative career if you are a personal trainer in Erie, PA, personal trainer in Allentown, PA., and personal trainer in Scranton, PA.

FAQs on How to Become a Personal Trainer in Oklahoma

References

https://www.exercise.com/learn/ten-fittest-states-in-the-us/

https://www.salary.com

https://www.americankinesiology.org/SubPages/Pages/Kinesiology%20Institution%20Database

https://www.teleport.org