How to Become a Personal Trainer in Tennessee in 2024

In order to become a personal trainer in Tennessee, you need to meet the following requirements.

1. At the minimum, be 18 years old
2. Hold a GED or its equivalent
3. Have a current adult CPR/AED Certification
4. Become certified through a recognized personal training organization

Personal Trainer Certification Tennessee

Here are the best personal training certification options in Tennessee: 

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 to find out which certification makes the most sense for your specific Tennessee personal trainer career goals.

Personal Trainer Certification Tennessee Cost

You can expect to spend approximately $449 to $999 to become a personal trainer in Tennessee and this will depend on your choice of certification.

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

Although the state of Tennessee does not require personal trainers to be licensed, a majority of employers prefer engaging trainers who have a nationally accredited certification.

Personal Trainer Schools in Tennessee

Having a personal trainer certification in Tennessee will open up bigger and better opportunities. Here are some of the top kinesiology schools I came across in my research.

• Austin Peay State University Health and Human Performance
• Belmont University Sport Science
• Bethel College Physical Education
• Bryan College Exercise and Health Science
• Carson-Newman University Physical Education and Exercise Science
• Cumberland University Physical Education
• East Tennessee State University Sports Exercise, Recreation, and Kinesiology
• Lambuth University Health and Human Performance
• Lee University Health and Exercise Science
• Lincoln Memorial University Health, Physical Education and Exercise Science
• Lipscomb University Kinesiology
• Martin Methodist College Human Performance and Physical Education
• Maryville College Physical Education, Health and Recreation
• Middle Tennessee State University Health and Human Performance
• Milligan College Human Performance and Exercise Science
• Southern Adventist University School of Physical Education Health and Wellness
• Tennessee State University Human Performance and Sport Science
• Tennessee Technological University Exercise Science, Physical Education, and Wellness
• Tennessee Wesleyan College Health and Human Performance
• Trevecca Nazarene University Exercise and Sport Science
• Tusculum College Physical Education, Sports Science and Sport Management
• Union University Physical Education, Wellness and Sport
• University of Memphis School of Health Studies
• University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Health and Human Performance
• University of Tennessee-Knoxville Department of Kinesiology, Recreation and Sport Studies
• University of Tennessee-Martin Health and Human Performance
• Welch College Exercise Science and Physical Education

If you haven’t yet, be sure to take the quiz to find out the best personal trainer credential for your career.

How Much Do Personal Trainers Make in Tennessee?

Personal trainers in Tennessee take home approximately $61,193 annually and this ranges from $44,144 to $75,174 depending on their experience, their academic and professional qualifications, other skills like CPR and first aid, and the city where they are practicing. Check out this detailed salary report.

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

State Fitness Rating

As you prepare to become a personal trainer in Tennessee, you must know how sustainable the fitness industry is for you.

So the first thing we will look at to this end is the state fitness rating.

This rating is based on a ranking of all states, as compiled by exercise.com.

We’ll be looking at how healthy the local population is, which naturally correlates with the local fitness industry’s activity.

For this, two important statistics come into play: obesity prevalence and the top gyms access.

Obesity plays an important role in understanding how healthy or health-conscious a population is, especially in America, where many people struggle with achieving their fitness goals.

Obesity is a good indication of one’s state of health by medical standards and shows how much of the general population takes their health and good lifestyle habits seriously.

This extends into how much people are willing to buy into the health and fitness industry.

Tennessee has a staggering obesity prevalence of 34.8%. This shows a population with a serious health problem and, consequently, a population with a relatively low engagement with the sort of fitness services you would offer.

Tennessee is the 46th state regarding obesity statistics making it one of the worst in America.

Let’s look at gyms, but it’s important to recognize what top gyms mean before we look at stats.

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Top gyms are essentially mainstream commercial gyms with a nationwide presence and popular appeal.

Gyms in this category represent the easiest, most accessible, and most affordable fitness facilities available to the general public.

Thus, they are a reliable indicator of how healthy a population has the potential to be.

The number of gyms also indicates the number of potential job opportunities you would have as a personal trainer.

Gyms in this category include the likes of: 

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

Tennessee has a total of 342 top gyms to a population of 6,651,194.

This gives the state a gyms per capita ratio (gyms per 100,000 residents) of 5.14, putting Tennessee in the 35th position.

While this is quite a low ranking, you still have 342 gyms as potential job openings. That actually isn’t bad when focusing on just the numbers.

Tennessee ranks 45 out of 51, making it one of America’s unhealthiest states.

Despite this, the relatively large number of gyms means there is an adequate level of opportunity for fitness professionals with the right certification programs.

Fitness Market Makeup

In a state like Tennessee, with a high obesity prevalence, your typical fitness client would likely be a novice, overweight, and sedentary.

That means most of your tasks should focus on the fundamentals of healthy weight-loss and simple movement mechanics training programs.

Avoid intricate exercises, especially those that involve high impact.

You’ll also find that group fitness classes are popular in this market, so brush up on your group fitness training repertoire.

Personal Trainer Certifications in Tennessee

Personal training certification in Knoxville and other cities is needed to get a job as a personal trainer in Tennessee.

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

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

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

Always ensure you have the basic requirements for personal trainer certification for Tennessee.

You can attend an online personal trainer school; there are many online personal trainer schools.

Personal Trainer Jobs in Tennessee

With up to 324 potential work opportunities to choose from, Tennessee provides a decent level of opportunity when it comes to employment at a gym or health club.

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This is great because setting your foundation through fitness jobs in Tennessee provides a great springboard for future endeavors.

While a Nashville personal trainer’s earnings may be meager, they have the security of a fixed income and employment benefits.

On top of this, you’ll also gain experience with your national personal training certification in marketing and sales.

Going beyond this point, your independent fitness business operator career gives you more freedom and flexibility.

The key here is to hone in on your marketing and business skills, including developing a strong online fitness business model.

The fitness industry is taking a more online approach, so this should be an area you place a lot of focus on.

It would help if you searched for “personal trainer jobs Nashville TN” or “personal trainer jobs Knoxville TN” to know how marketable your services are in your city of choice.

If you haven’t yet, be sure to take the quiz to find out the best personal trainer credential for your career.

Best Cities to Be a Personal Trainer in Tennessee

As already mentioned, fitness is a numbers game in which your best odds lie where there are the most people.

When it comes to Tennessee, Nashville, and Memphis are your best bets. They have similar population figures both in the 600k region. 

Going below those two cities, things don’t look too bad. I consider a population of at least 100k to be an ideal location to set up shop.

Let’s take a look at the top 7 cities by population size.

“Personal training Knoxville, TN,” “personal training Nashville, TN,” and other major cities are perfect for you whether you want to be a full time or part time personal trainer.

Personal Trainer Salary in Tennessee

Understanding your income potential is important regardless of your chosen career path.

Regarding working as a personal trainer, Tennessee’s annual average is $56,237 per year.

That figure sits well below the national average of $61,802 per year.

With a considerably lower than average income potential, you would think Tennessee is a write-off, but expenses only determine income.

For that, let’s look at the cost of living and other quality of life standards in the state of Tennessee.

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

Quality of Life Rating

Despite the low rating for health and fitness, Tennessee typically ranks somewhere in the middle regarding quality of life.

Leading the charge is the stable economy and a very affordable living standard.

This should restate any concerns you might have about the relatively low average income.

Tennessee gets a 7 out of 10 quality of life rating.

Methodology  

After a detailed research, I was able to come up with this comprehensive 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 Tennessee 
• 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 Tennessee

Tennessee is a mixed bag regarding opportunities and prospects in fitness.

On the one hand, it’s a low-income state with a generally unhealthy population; on the other hand, many gyms suggest numerous opportunities.

It will all come down to the strategy you decide to follow up on.

Personal trainers in Nashville, TN, or Knoxville, TN, should be creative with their exercise techniques or exercise programs to attract clients and help them maintain their fitness levels.

Independent personal trainers can use one-on-one training sessions to test-run their fitness programs.

FAQs on How to Become a Personal Trainer in Tennessee

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