Have a question? In order to become a personal trainer in South Carolina, you must meet the following requirements.
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have a GED or its equivalent
- Have a current adult CPR/AED Credential
- Get certified through an acknowledged personal training organization
Personal Trainer Certification South Carolina
Here are the best personal training certification options in South Carolina:Â
- 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)
Please take the quiz and find out which certification makes the most sense for your specific South Carolina personal trainer career goals.
Personal Trainer Certification South Carolina Cost
The cost of becoming a personal trainer in South Carolina will depend on the certification chosen but typically varies from $449 to $999.
Do you need a license to be a personal trainer in South Carolina?
Most gyms and fitness centers in South Carolina will only hire personal trainers with nationally accredited credentials, in addition to a high school diploma or its equivalent.
Personal Trainer Schools in South Carolina
There are a few kinesiology schools that you can consider in South Carolina. To gain your certification, check out the following schools.
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 South Carolina?
South Carolina personal trainers make approximately $62,845 annually, which can vary from $45,335 to $77,203 depending on their professional and educational qualifications, other relevant skills, the city, and overall work experience. You can view the salary report here.
Make sure to check out the general guide on how to become a personal trainer.
State Fitness Rating
The first thing I want to look at is the state fitness rating.
This ranking system is compiled by the good folks over at exercise.com, indicating how healthy each state’s local population is.
While this ranking aims to provide an impression of health, it also gives a good read on the state of the fitness industry.
Two main data categories are used to arrive at the state fitness ranking.
Those are access to top gyms and obesity prevalence.
Let’s start with obesity prevalence, as this shows us how engaged the market is regarding health and fitness services.
That’s because obesity stats indicate the level of consciousness towards pertinent health and fitness goals concerns, which translates to how much people are willing to invest in the wellness industry.
South Carolina has an obesity prevalence rate of 32.3%. This is quite high, indicating a relatively unhealthy population.
By extension, this means there is a limited market engagement from people buying into the health and fitness industry.
South Carolina’s obesity stats put it in 40th place out of 51 states and districts.
As a fitness trainer, this isn’t the best situation, but let’s take a look at the gym’s stats before we make any conclusions.
Top gyms, in this case, are categorized as popular, mainstream commercial gyms.
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These gyms are household names with a large nationwide presence because of their exercise programs and training sessions.
Top gyms include the likes of:
- Gold’s Gym
- 24 Hour Fitness
- Anytime Fitness
- Crunch Fitness
- LA Fitness
- Orange Theory Fitness
- Planet Fitness
- Snap Fitness
- YMCA
These gyms are chosen as a reliable metric because they present the most accessible means by which most public members can gauge their fitness level and access fitness facilities.
Top gyms are more affordable, easy to use, and commonly available.
South Carolina has a total of 267 top gyms with a population of 4,961,119. This gives the state a top gym per capita ratio (per 100k residents) of 5.38 gyms. Compared to other states, that puts South Carolina in 29th place overall.
That isn’t terrible, but not great either when it comes to access to gyms for the population.
As a trainer, 267 gyms mean at least 267 potential work opportunities as far as you are concerned.
Those aren’t bad odds and may work in your favor to offset the not-so-ideal obesity statistics with great fitness programs.
South Carolina is 40th out of 51 in terms of state fitness ranking.
Fitness Market Makeup
The fitness market trends correlate with state fitness statistics.
When it comes to South Carolina, a low fitness ranking suggests that the demand from the market is relatively low.
You will likely be dealing with general population groups—people looking for weight loss programs more for health than for aesthetic or vanity reasons.
The personal training sessions are to achieve these goals.
Personal trainers working in health clubs, fitness clubs, and fitness centers will have a lot to do with helping the populace with fitness assessments and training programs to help achieve their fitness goals.
From my findings, there will be a need for “personal trainer jobs in Columbia, SC,” “personal trainer jobs in Greenville, SC,” and “personal trainer jobs in Charleston, SC, and fitness jobs in Charleston, SC.
With a market made up in this way, you should be on the ball with your nutritional coaching and some fundamental group training expertise.
Personal Trainer Certifications in South Carolina
Personal trainer certification in Columbia and other cities is needed to get a job as a personal trainer in South Carolina.
I have written an article on my best personal trainer certifications. Use this as a guide to becoming a certified personal trainer in South Carolina.
Overall here are my top 2 best personal training certifications in South Carolina. Ensure all of them when you decide to become a personal trainer in Columbia and other areas.
Personal Trainer Jobs in South Carolina
Before you become a personal trainer in North Charleston or anywhere else, for that matter, you need to assess your job prospects carefully.
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Fortunately, as far as South Carolina is concerned, there are 267 potential work opportunities to look into.
This is about the top gyms. Working in one of these is so great because it provides that initial safety net of having a fixed income and benefits.
This allows you to start your career on good footing while also building experience in exercise instruction, client interaction, sales, and marketing.
Once you’ve passed that career stage, it’s all about building and maintaining a fitness business around the lessons you’ve learned.
That should also include an online fitness component.
You can decide to be an independent contractor personal trainer or become a personal trainer online.
Online fitness has exploded recently, with no signs of slowing down. Online personal trainers tend to be among the top earners in the industry.
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 South Carolina
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, the bigger the city, the better the opportunities and prospects.
After obtaining your personal trainer certification in North Charleston or anywhere else, you should set your site’s on the most viable population centers, which will be the biggest.
| City In South Carolina | Population |
|---|---|
| Charleston | 135,257 |
| Columbia | 133,273 |
| North Charleston | 111,501 |
| Mount Pleasant | 86,982 |
| Rock Hill | 73,334 |
| Greenville | 67,737 |
| Summerville | 53,037 |
I generally believe that any population of 100k or more offers decent odds.
That makes personal trainer Jobs in North Charleston, Columbia, and Charleston your wisest choices.
I’ll advise you to search online to know how valuable “personal trainers Columbia SC,” personal trainers Charleston, SC, personal trainers Spartanburg SC, personal trainers Lexington SC, and personal trainers Greenville, SC, are.
Personal Trainer Salary in South Carolina
The annual average for personal trainers in South Carolina is $58,478 per year.
Salaries in SC fall well below the national average of $61,802.00 per year for PTs across the US.
As dire as that may seem, it all boils down to the cost of living, so let’s take a look at that and other quality of life measures.
Make sure to check out the full guide on personal trainer salary.
Quality of Life Rating
South Carolina often ranks as one of the worst states to live in America, according to greenvilleonline.com.
The major drawbacks are crime, poverty, low median income, and housing.
Regarding the cost of living, at least South Carolina is more affordable than the national average, making the average income more justifiable.
Overall, I’ll give South Carolina a 4.5 quality of life rating.
Methodology
I analyzed this review using meticulously gathered data and figures and my final conclusion was predicated on the following:
- The population of the state and its major cities.
- The obesity figures as compared with other states.
- Personal trainer certifications are obtainable.
- 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 South Carolina
South Carolina’s economy and health and fitness industry leave much to be desired.
It definitely shouldn’t be on your list if you have better options.
Suppose you don’t have better options. It is still possible to forge a fruitful career with the right approach to personal training in Charleston or personal training in Columbia, SC.
FAQs on How to Become a Personal Trainer in South Carolina
How to get a personal trainer certification?
Getting a personal trainer certification involves enrolling for a nationally recognized personal training certification with any accredited certifying body.
You should ensure they are certified with  National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) or Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC).
How much do personal trainers make in South Carolina?
Personal Trainers in South Carolina earn an average of $58,478.
But then, the city you live in, your level of education, certifications, skills, and years of fitness industry experience will determine what you will eventually earn.
What qualifications do I need to be a personal trainer?
To become a personal trainer in South Carolina, you must have some basic requirements before acquiring a personal training certification.
– Be 18 years of age or older
– A high school diploma or equivalent
– Be CPR/AED certified
How do I become a personal trainer in South Carolina?
Register for a personal training certification with any of these bodies:
– National Council on Strength u0026amp; Fitness (NCSF)
– International Sports u0026amp; Fitness Trainers Association (ISFTA)
– International Sports Science Association (ISSA)
– National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)
– American Council of Exercise (ACE)
– National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
Can you do a PT course online?
Yes, you can do a PT certification course online.
How much does a personal trainer course cost?
Check out the cost for each below:
NASM CPT – $799
NSCA CPT – $712.80
ACE CPT – $599
ACSM CPT – $521
NCSF CPT – $499
ISSA CPT – $499
NCCPT CPT – $478
NESTA CPT – $477
NFPT CPT – $249
ACTION CPT – $99
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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