Online Degrees in Sports Fitness
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were approximately 228,000 fitness trainers and aerobics instructors nationwide in 2009. Health clubs and gyms are becoming more common, and employment of fitness trainers and instructors is expected to increase by 29 percent from 2008 to 2018, much faster than the national average. Fitness trainers must be certified before working one on one with clients, but a formal degree program isn't always necessary.
Athletic trainers, on the other hand, must have at least a bachelor's degree to qualify for entry-level jobs. Athletic trainers differ from fitness trainers in that they work to prevent and treat injuries rather than to improve physical fitness. The majority of athletic trainers work for colleges, universities, hospitals and doctor's offices, and their role preventing injuries helps reduce health care costs. Because of this, demand is growing, and the BLS expects employment of athletic trainers to increase by 37 percent between 2008 and 2018. In 2010, athletic trainers earned a mean salary of $44,030.
While many graduates of sports fitness degree programs work as fitness trainers, exercise instructors or athletic trainers, others build careers as coaches, nutritionists, athletic directors and fitness managers.
