How To Become A Personal Trainer in Texas in 2023

Hello everybody, and welcome back to PT Pioneer for yet another career review article.

This and 50 other articles are part of a series where I go to each state in America and find out what makes the fitness industry tick and whether or not it’s a good fit for you as a fitness professional.

Location is one of the critical factors in determining fitness success.

Demographic shifts across geography significantly influence the industry’s market makeup, size, and growth.

I’ll use a blend of raw data and my educated take- having worked in the fitness business for several years.

In this article, we’ll be looking at how to become a personal trainer in Texas and also checking out how the fitness industry accommodates professionals like you.

For the sake of relevance and simplicity, I’m only going to bother with the top 4 cities in Texas.

That means we will only consider becoming a personal trainer in Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.

Apart from career opportunities in the personal fitness industry, I’ll also discuss qualifications.  

I’ll also be discussing qualifications so that we will be looking at personal training certifications in Dallas and other cities.

And with that said, let’s get into it.

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

State Fitness Rating

Before we discuss becoming a personal trainer in Houston or any other city in Texas, I’d like us to look at the overall state fitness rating.

This ranking compiled by exercise.com allows us to peer into America’s health status on a state-by-state basis.

How healthy the local population of a state is linked to how healthy and viable the fitness industry is.

The fitness industry’s viability clearly indicates the opportunities and potential success you can expect as a wellness or fitness instructor.

Two key categories are considered when it comes to the state fitness rating.

Those are obesity prevalence and top gyms per capita.

Obesity and overweight are reliable indications of how healthy or health-conscious a population group is.

In the case of a high obesity prevalence, we can conclude that a relatively large portion of the population is not health-conscious. This doesn’t buy into the fitness industry, the same industry you’re a part of.

Texas has such a prevalence, with 33.7% of all Texans being dangerously overweight.

This puts the state in 44th place out of 51, making it one of America’s most obese states.

They did say everything is big in Texas, after all.

Jokes aside, Texas’s obesity problem means a less than ideal portion of the population invested their money into the same industry that ultimately pays your bills.

However, Texas is one of the biggest states in America.

You would probably have as many prospects as you’d with a healthy state with a far smaller population by sheer numbers.

Now let’s look at top gym access.

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Top gyms are identified as popular, mainstream commercial fitness centers.

The type you would typically find dotted around the country.

These facilities are more accessible, easier to use, have a larger capacity, and are the most affordable.

Top gyms include facilities such as:

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

Texas has 1,409 of these top gyms to a population of 27,862,596.

That means every 100 thousand residents have access to 5.06 gyms.

That’s Texas’s gyms per capita ratio, which ranks 36 out of 51.

With stats like that, Texas might not seem like a great place to work as a fitness instructor, but two things that may change your outlook stand out.

Firstly, Texas is huge when it comes to population size.

Even if the general impression is that people aren’t buying into fitness based on percentage, the sheer number probably eclipses many healthier states.

Another thing is the number of gyms.

While this low ratio might make for a tight squeeze for local Texans, having 1409 gyms really brings your odds up tremendously.

Overall, Texas is ranked 44 out of 51. 

Fitness Market Makeup

Personal trainer jobs in Dallas and other cities depend on the size and demand of the market.

With a high obesity prevalence rate, your fitness market will consist of many overweight, sedentary individuals who might not have specific fitness goals rather than lose some weight.

These types of clients require just the fundamentals, including an excellent lead to nutritional coaching.

Personal Trainer Certifications in Texas

Personal trainer certification in San Antonio and other cities is needed to get a job as a personal trainer in Texas.

I have written an article on my best personal trainer certifications.

Use this as a guide to becoming a certified personal trainer in Texas.

Overall here are my top 2 best personal trainer certificates in Texas.

Ensure all of them when you decide to become a personal trainer in San Antonio and other areas.

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

Personal Training schools in Texas

Personal trainer jobs in Austin and other cities hinge on your qualifications.

Getting your personal trainer certification in Dallas is a step in the right direction, but you might consider taking things further.

I mean gaining a degree or qualification from a higher learning institution such as a university or college.

You can advance your full-time personal training career by taking exercise programs and earning continuing education units.

This means that taking an online course on group fitness, biomechanics, exercise physiology, and the like might allow you to work in a gym or medical fitness facility. 

After enrollment, these online training programs and certification courses provide study materials and practice exams.

When seeking employment as a PT, having a degree usually allows you to cut ahead in the line of applications while also placing you in contention for bigger and better positions.

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Also, like in many other industries, a personal trainer’s salary with a bachelor’s degree is higher than that without a degree. 

As far as running your own business is concerned, having a degree means you can market yourself as an authority figure and leverage that to justify charging more for your fitness training services.

There’s quite a vast number of exercise science schools in Texas to choose from; take a look below:

• Abilene Christian University Kinesiology & Nutrition  
• Angelo State University Kinesiology   
• Austin College Exercise and Sport Science  
• Baylor University Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation    
• Dallas Baptist University Kinesiology   
• East Texas Baptist University Kinesiology and Exercise Science  
• Hardin-Simmons University Athletic Training  
• Houston Baptist University Kinesiology  
• Houston-Tillotson University Kinesiology Department  
• Howard Payne University Department of Kinesiology  
• Lamar University Health and Kinesiology   
• LeTourneau University Kinesiology  
• Lubbock Christian University Exercise and Sport Sciences  
• McMurry University Kinesiology  
• Midwestern State University Kinesiology   
• Our Lady of the Lake University Kinesiology  
• Prairie View A&M University Health and Human Performance  
• Rice University Kinesiology  
• Sam Houston State University Health and Kinesiology   
• Schreiner University Exercise Science  
• Southwestern Adventist University Kinesiology  
• Southwestern University Kinesiology  
• St. Edwards University Kinesiology  
• St. Mary’s University Exercise and Sport Science  
• Stephen F. Austin State University Kinesiology and Health Sciences   
• Tarleton State University Kinesiology   
• Texas A&M University Department of Health and Kinesiology    
• Texas A&M University Commerce Health and Human Performance   
• Texas A&M University –Corpus Christi Kinesiology  
• Texas A&M University Kingsville Health and Kinesiology   
• Texas Christian University Kinesiology   
• Texas Lutheran University Kinesiology  
• Texas Southern University Health and Kinesiology   
• Texas State University – San Marcos Health and Human Performance   
• Texas Tech University Kinesioloogy and Sport Management   
• Texas Wesleyan University Kinesiology  
• Texas Women’s University Department of Kinesiology    
• University of Houston Department of Health and Human Performance    
• University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Exercise and Sport Science  
• University of North Texas Kinesiology, Health Promotion, and Recreation   
• University of Texas – Arlington Kinesiology   
• University of Texas – Austin Department of Kinesiology and Health Education    
• University of Texas at El Paso Kinesiology   
• University of Texas at Tyler Health and Kinesiology   
• University of Texas of the Permian Basin Kinesiology   
• University of Texas-Brownsville Health and Human Performance   
• University of Texas-Pan America Health and Kinesiology   
• University of Texas-San Antonio Kinesiology, Health, and Nutrition   
• University of the Incarnate Word Kinesiology   
• Wayland Baptist University Exercise and Sports Science  
• West Texas A&M University Sports and Exercise Sciences

With this many options for kinesiology schools in Texas, you’ll find something that suits you.

Obtaining a college degree is much different from just taking a certified personal trainer course. 

Getting into college or university shouldn’t be taken lightly.

It is a big-time and money investment, with the potential of a lingering student loan debt. 

Be certain of your goals and objectives, and ensure your current circumstances allow you to spend that much time and money on your credentials.

Several certification programs for personal trainers will cost much less than a university degree in Texas. 

You can check for one close to you by simply searching “personal trainer courses near me” on Google and you should have more than a handful of results.  

A degree is great, but getting your personal trainer certification in Houston is an adequate step.

Personal Trainer Jobs in Texas

Before you become a personal trainer in Dallas and other cities, a job market review is in order.

With over 1400 commercial gyms around the state, job opportunities won’t be hard to come by, especially if you have a fitness license.  

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CPR/AED certifications are in high demand in almost every state.

Starting in a gym while offering a relatively low income provides you with security and experience as you begin your career.

As you take on the role of running your own fitness business, your time in one of the large gyms will pay off.

Best Cities to Be a Personal Trainer in Texas

Personal trainer jobs in Houston and other cities are all about the numbers.

Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin should be your go-to locations.

All but one has a population of over 1 million residents, with Houston sitting in the 2 million range.

Austin is just shy of 1 million residents.

Fort Worth, El Paso, and Arlington are actually pretty decent despite being eclipsed by the big 3.

Personal Trainer Salary in Texas

The average annual salary for trainers in Texas is $56,237.

That’s considerably lower than the national average of $61,802, according to salary.com.

Income can only really be measured based on the cost of living.

So let’s take a look at that.

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

Quality of Life Rating

On your way to becoming a personal trainer in Austin, you’ll also want to consider what living in Texas would be like.

Texas often ranks around the lower half out of all states regarding the quality of life; while it has a vast economy, Texas struggles with crime and health care.

However, Texas has the cost of living below the national average.

Overall, I’ll give Texas a 7 out of 10 quality of life rating.

Methodology  

I approached this review based on carefully curated facts and figures and my final verdict was based 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 Texas

While Texas indicates a health and fitness industry with limited engagement, this is based on proportions.

The overall numbers show a viable market and great potential for opportunities.

Getting your qualifications and personal trainer certification in Austin and other cities also presents numerous opportunities.

However, you may require a high school diploma or GED as a prerequisite to enroll in most NCCA accredited personal trainer programs.

FAQs on How to Become a Personal Trainer in Texas

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