Have a question? Anyone who wants to become a personal trainer in West Virginia will need to fulfill the following requirements:
- Attain the age of 18
- Get a GED or the equivalent
- Hold a current adult CPR/AED Certification
- Become certified through a recognized personal training organization
Personal Trainer Certification West Virginia
Here are the best personal training certification options in West Virginia:
- 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 you take the quiz and find out which certification will be most helpful for your specific West Virginia personal trainer career goals.
Personal Trainer Certification West Virginia Cost
The cost of becoming certified as a personal trainer in West Virginia will largely depend on the chosen certification and it can typically vary from $449 to $999.
Do you need a license to be a personal trainer in West Virginia?
A license is not mandatory in West Virginia, however, most employers prefer personal trainers who hold certifications from nationally accredited institutions.
Personal Trainer Schools in West Virginia
Certification from any of the following accredited kinesiology certification institutions is enough to get you started as a personal trainer in West Virginia. Let’s have a look:
- Alderson-Broaddus College Physical Education
- Bethany College Physical Education and Sports Studies
- Davis and Elkins College Physical Education
- Marshall University School of Kinesiology
- Shepherd University Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Sport
- West Liberty State College Physical Education
- West Virginia State University
- West Virginia University Physical Activity and Sport Science
- West Virginia Wesleyan College Exercise Science & Athletic Training
- Wheeling Jesuit University Athletic Training
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 West Virginia?
In West Virginia, a personal trainer makes $59,941 on average, and this can be as low as $43,240 or as high as $73,635 depending on factors such as their education and professional certifications, any other skills like CPR and first aid, city, and overall experience. See more on this salary report.
Make sure to check out the general guide on how to become a personal trainer.
State Fitness Rating
Before you become a personal trainer in Charleston, or anywhere else, for that matter, you need to get an idea of the industry as it stands.
So, how do you do this?
The best way to do this is to grasp the local population’s consumer habits regarding exercise programs and fitness.
This is indicated by the state fitness rating, a ranking system compiled by exercise.com showing how fit and healthy local residents in each state are.
The healthier the state, the more its residents are probably spending on your services.
I will look at two key data points to paint this picture.
Those are the obesity prevalence and the gyms per capita (per 100,000 residents).
Starting with obesity, I’ll use this to highlight the level of health consciousness members of the general population adhere to.
A high obesity prevalence indicates a low level of adherence to healthy lifestyle habits and, by extension, a low level of spending in the health industry.
West Virginia has a staggering 37.7% obesity prevalence, making it one of the most obese states in America.
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From my findings, this does not augur well for the fitness industry.
This means you’ll have your work cut out for you if you are trying to attract prospective clients to your business or services.
Next, we’ll look at the top gyms per capita, a ratio that provides insight into how many options West Virginia’s population has regarding accessible fitness facilities.
Top gyms are classified as large commercial gyms with a widespread mainstream appeal due to brand prominence, accessibility, and affordability.
You will easily find these fitness centers scattered all over the country.
They include the likes of the following:
- Gold’s Gym
- 24 Hour Fitness
- Anytime Fitness
- Crunch Fitness
- LA Fitness
- Orange OrangeTheory Fitness
- Planet Fitness
- Snap Fitness
- YMCA
The stats on these gyms is a reliable indicator of a state’s fitness rating and industry viability.
In West Virginia’s case, there are 83 top gyms with a population of 1,831,102.
One of which is Extreme family fitness.
That means for every 100k people in the state, there is access to only 4.53 top commercial gyms, giving us the gyms per capita ratio.
This leads to a low ranking of 45th out of 51 regarding gym access.
The low number of gyms also shows a less than ideal level of potential opportunity for you to enter the West Virginia fitness market.
As a personal trainer, you have lots of work to do to get the populace interested in exercise physiology and fitness activities.
Overall, West Virginia ranks at number 50, making it the second most unfit state in America.
Fitness Market Makeup
Before becoming a personal trainer in Morgantown, getting a feel of the fitness trainer market is vital.
The fitness market in West Virginia will likely comprise clients at a generally low fitness level if the state rating is anything to go by.
That means your client’s goals will likely deal with just the fundamentals of basic movement and healthy weight loss.
This market profile will also likely prefer group fitness activities since these are fun and require less discipline and motivation that come with the more lofty fitness goals.
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I believe getting a personal trainer license for group fitness training will be valuable here.
It would be best if you also brushed up on your nutritional coaching. Nutrition is the main factor in seeing results with such a client base.
Personal Trainer Certifications in West Virginia
Personal trainer certification in Huntington and other cities is needed to get a job as a personal trainer in West Virginia.
Overall here are my top 2 best personal trainer certificates in West Virginia. Ensure you have all or any of them when you decide to become a personal trainer in Huntington and other areas.
These personal training certification programs will bring lots of credence to your career.
Personal Trainer Jobs in West Virginia
With only 83 top gyms available in the state, the West Virginia job market leaves much to be desired.
With that being the case, it’s still a good idea to aim for an employment position in a gym when you’re starting as a trainer.
I will advise you to check out the personal trainer listings in West Virginia to know which one has vacancies.
Being an independent trainer takes a lot of work and wisdom, two traits that can only be cultivated by going through the growth phase of working in a commercial gym.
Your confidence, knowledge, and expertise will grow while being supported by stable, albeit small, income and employment benefits.
While it might be capital-intensive, setting up your gym will be worth it income-wise in the long run.
It will help you make a positive difference in the lives of the populace of West Virginia.
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 West Virginia
Personal trainer jobs in Morgantown and other areas rely on the number of client prospects you have exposure to.
West Virginia’s cities are generally sparsely populated, Charleston’s top city not even making it above 50k residents.
You should focus your efforts on packaging exercise techniques that will attract potential clients from the top three in any case.
| City In West Virginia | Population |
|---|---|
| Charleston | 48,006 |
| Huntington | 46,667 |
| Morgantown | 30,712 |
| Parkersburg | 30,021 |
| Wheeling | 27,062 |
| Weirton | 18,670 |
| Fairmont | 18,458 |
Personal Trainer Salary in West Virginia
Before you jump on personal trainer certification in Morgantown or anywhere else, it’s important to understand the state’s average income.
Personal trainers in West Virginia earn around $55,266 per year on average. That’s much lower than the $61,802 per year national average.
This low figure can only make sense once we understand the state’s cost of living and other quality of life indicators.
Make sure to check out the full guide on personal trainer salary.
Quality of Life Rating
Personal trainer jobs in Huntington and other cities will mean you will be subject to the state’s living standards.
West Virginia’s quality of life is considered one of the lowest in America.
It is considered to have the worst economy, infrastructure, and health care in the US.
However, it does manage to shine when it comes to the cost of living, which is one of the lowest in the country, making it very affordable even on a below-average income.
Personal Training can be classified as a highly rewarding career in West Virginia due to the low cost of living.
It does not matter whether you are working at Planet Fitness Martinsburg, Planet Fitness Charleston WV, Planet Fitness Huntington WV, or Planet Fitness Morgantown, West Virginia salaries will be sufficient for you.
Overall, West Virginia gets a 5 out of 10 QoL rating. It would have been lower had it not been for the attractive level of affordability.
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.
- Obtainable 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 West Virginia
West Virginia fails to give me good reasons why you should pursue a career in fitness there.
It is one of the worst states for pretty much everything.
Whether you are a personal trainer (Charleston, WV) personal trainer (Huntington, WV), or personal trainer (Morgantown, WV), you have to be able to convince people of the importance of fitness to their health.
Success is all about adaptability. If you manage to employ the right strategies with the right attitude, discipline, and timing, you can water to a well.
FAQs on How to Become a Personal Trainer in West Virginia
How much do personal trainers make in West Virginia?
Your amount will depend on your education, certification, skills, and years of experience.
Is a degree needed before becoming a personal trainer?
You can enroll for and pass a personal training certification exam.
How much is a personal trainer certification?
– NASM CPT ($799)
– NSCA CPT ($712.80)
– American Council on Exercise 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
Tyler Read
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