Best Personal Trainer Programs in North Carolina (2026)

Quick answer: Personal trainers in North Carolina earn a median of $46,450 per year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). This page lists accredited personal trainer schools in North Carolina with local wage data and median graduate earnings for each school.

Comparing personal trainer schools in North Carolina starts with the local labor market and the credentials each program offers. For context, the state median annual wage for this occupation is approximately $46,450 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

North Carolina Quick Facts

MetricValueSource
State median annual wage$46,450BLS OEWS, May 2025
North Carolina pay range (10th to 90th percentile)$24,910 to $74,210BLS OEWS, May 2025
Top-paying North Carolina metro for this fieldDurham, NC, $49,410BLS OEWS, May 2025
National job outlook (2024 to 2034)+11.9% growth, about 74,200 openings per yearBLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
State employment10,670 workersBLS OEWS, May 2025
North Carolina location quotient1.04BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the Personal trainer Career

What You’ll Find Below

The school listings below are sorted by proximity to Programs. Each entry includes the school name, address, and the credentials offered. Use the North Carolina figures above as a reference point when comparing program length, schedule, and tuition.

How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention. Advertising plays no part.

This page lists 12 schools within 369 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 12 of them carry a score.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%

Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.

#1

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA 269.3 miles away BOC Score 81.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 68.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 28
  • Annual completions: 2376
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $78,425 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

Frederick Community College

Frederick, MD 304.5 miles away BOC Score 71.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 36.3% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 60
  • Annual completions: 337
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,058 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC 134.6 miles away BOC Score 68.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 62.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 37
  • Annual completions: 1271
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $60,888 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Southern Union State Community College

Wadley, AL 368.9 miles away BOC Score 51.3
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 31.8% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 33
  • Annual completions: 1131
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $50,973 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Columbus Technical College

Columbus, GA 360.2 miles away BOC Score 47.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 23.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 109
  • Annual completions: 2527
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $43,818 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Emory & Henry University

Emory, VA 147.3 miles away BOC Score 45.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 55.1% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 6
  • Annual completions: 79
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $47,079 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Pennsylvania Western University

California, PA 318.6 miles away BOC Score 45.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 51.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 43
  • Annual completions: 383
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,553 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Augusta Technical College

Augusta, GA 192.1 miles away BOC Score 45.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 30.9% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 94
  • Annual completions: 2339
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $43,469 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

Cecil College

North East, MD 356.3 miles away BOC Score 45.1
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 32.3% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 42
  • Annual completions: 118
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $50,453 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

Lander University

Greenwood, SC 161.9 miles away BOC Score 43.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Completion rate: 49.3% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 7
  • Annual completions: 33
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $47,003 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#11

York Technical College

Rock Hill, SC 78.7 miles away BOC Score 40.4
Tuition Contact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 63
  • Annual completions: 1055
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $47,738 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#12

Averett University

Danville, VA 80.0 miles away BOC Score 39.6
Tuition $38,550 - $53,460
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 56.6%
  • Graduation rate: 45.9%
  • Programs offered: 5
  • Annual completions: 80
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $59,911 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

Personal Trainer Pay and Job Outlook

Annual Wage by Percentile, United States - Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors annual wage percentiles, BLS OEWS May 2025P10 $28800, P25 $35280, P50 $47160, P75 $61730, P90 $83100.10th$28,80025th$35,28050th (median)$47,16075th$61,73090th$83,100
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors annual wage percentiles
PercentileAnnual wage
10th$28,800
25th$35,280
50th (median)$47,160
75th$61,730
90th$83,100
Projected employment growth, United States, Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors, 2024-2034
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors employment 2024 vs 2034 projection, BLS Employment Projections2024 employment 370100; 2034 projected employment 414200; percent change +11.9%.2024370,100 jobs2034 (proj.)414,200 jobsChange: +11.9%
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors employment projection 2024 to 2034
YearEmployment
2024370,100
2034 projected414,200
Percent change+11.9%

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does personal trainer training take in North Carolina?

Personal trainer certificate programs in North Carolina typically take 6 to 12 months of full-time study, while associate degree programs generally run about 2 years. Actual completion time depends on schedule (full-time vs. part-time) and any prerequisite coursework.

How much do personal trainers earn in North Carolina?

According to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), personal trainers in North Carolina earned a median annual wage of approximately $46,450. Pay varies with experience, certification, and employer; the 10th to 90th percentile range was approximately $24,910 to $74,210 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many personal trainer schools are in North Carolina?

The schools listed above are within about 800 miles of Programs. Compare them by tuition, program length, and the credential each one awards.


About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.

Data sources

Figures on this page are sourced from the federal and state datasets below. Methodology: how we rank and source data.

DataProviderVintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2025
Employment ProjectionsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data SystemNational Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)U.S. Department of Educationlatest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirementsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programsCareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)latest release (updated 2025-10-25)