Do personal trainers need a license in Minnesota?

No statewide license is required for personal trainers in Minnesota. Most employers expect industry certifications such as NASM, ACE, or ISSA CPT.

How to Become a Personal Trainer in Minnesota (2026)

Q: How long does personal trainer training take in Minnesota?

Most people become a Personal Trainer in Minnesota through an NCCA-accredited CPT credential (NASM, ACE, or ISSA) plus CPR/AED; most states do not license personal trainers.

Q: How much do personal trainers earn in Minnesota?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (May 2025), personal trainers in Minnesota earned a median annual wage of approximately $43,620. Employment concentration in Minnesota is about 1.14 times the national average for this occupation.

Q: What is the job outlook for personal trainers in Minnesota?

Minnesota currently employs approximately 7,010 workers, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 11.9% national employment change for this occupation from 2024 to 2034.

Updated June 8, 2026 | TradeCareerPath Editorial Team

Minnesota employs about 7,010 personal trainers earning a median $43,620 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Training as a Personal Trainer here means completing an NCCA-accredited CPT credential (NASM, ACE, or ISSA) plus CPR/AED; most states do not license personal trainers.

Compare Personal Trainer Schools in Minnesota

BOC Score, tuition, graduation rate, and median graduate earnings from federal IPEDS and U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard data. Tuition is the published annual figure for the latest reported year and excludes room, board, books and fees. Earnings are reported across all programs at the school (all majors), not a single trade. Distance is measured from the page's primary location.
#	School	BOC Score (0–100)	Tuition (published, per year)	Median grad earnings (all majors)	Graduation rate	Online	Distance
1	Alexandria Technical & Community College	74.5	$6,236	$59,377	60%	Yes*	100 mi
2	Dakota County Technical College	72.2	$6,679	$59,518	58%	Yes*	46 mi
Sponsored Ad
3	Moraine Park Technical College	66.9	$4,819 in-state / $7,084 out-of-state	$53,771	58%	Yes*	270 mi
4	Minnesota North College	63.9	$6,022	$54,100	42%	Yes*	146 mi
Sponsored Ad
5	Madison Area Technical College	59.1	$4,977 in-state / $7,255 out-of-state	$55,207	29%	Yes*	255 mi
6	North Iowa Area Community College	57.1	$6,653 in-state / $9,551 out-of-state	$47,068	61%	Yes*	152 mi
Sponsored Ad
7	Kirkwood Community College	56.3	$6,176 in-state / $8,220 out-of-state	$48,663	43%	Yes*	253 mi
8	Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College	54.2	$6,006	$53,919	26%	Yes*	104 mi
Sponsored Ad
9	Rochester Community and Technical College	50.7	$6,389	$55,258	29%	Yes*	105 mi
10	Anoka-Ramsey Community College	46.3	$5,682	$53,298	30%	Yes*	13 mi
Sponsored Ad

Schools closest to the page's primary location are gathered first, then ranked by BOC Score; distance from the page's primary location is shown for reference. The BOC Score is an independent measure of school outcomes (graduation, earnings, net price, retention) expressed as a 0–100 percentile within each school's peer group; higher is better and advertising never affects it. *Online availability refers to coursework; hands-on trade training is completed in person. Read the full methodology.

Minnesota employs approximately 7,010 personal trainers according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a median annual wage of $43,620 ¹. Nationally, personal trainer employment is projected to grow 11.9% from 2024 to 2034, with about 74,200 openings per year ². This page covers how to become a Personal Trainer in Minnesota, including licensing requirements, training programs, and salary data.

At a Glance

Training paths: NCCA-accredited personal trainer certification program (find programs)
Typical timeline: an NCCA-accredited CPT credential (NASM, ACE, or ISSA) plus CPR/AED; most states do not license personal trainers
Exam: NASM, ACE, or ISSA CPT
Median wage (Minnesota): $43,620 per year ¹

Quick Answers About How to Become a Personal Trainer in Minnesota

How to become a Personal Trainer in Minnesota? Complete an NCCA-accredited CPT credential (NASM, ACE, or ISSA) plus CPR/AED; most states do not license personal trainers. Confirm credential rules with the program and employer.

How long does it take? Most people finish an NCCA-accredited CPT credential (NASM, ACE, or ISSA) plus CPR/AED; most states do not license personal trainers. Confirm current hour totals with the program and employer.

Do I need a license in Minnesota? Most states do not require a statewide occupational license. Employers typically expect NASM, ACE, or ISSA CPT. See the licensing section below.

What do personal trainers earn in Minnesota? The median annual wage for personal trainers in Minnesota is $43,620 according to BLS data. Entry-level wages start around $29,660 and experienced professionals can earn $66,650 or more ¹.

How to Become a Personal Trainer in Minnesota

Meet basic requirements. Certifying bodies typically expect a high school diploma or GED. This is not a state occupational license.
Choose an NCCA-accredited CPT. Pick NASM, ACE, ISSA, ACSM, or NSCA. Do not treat horse-racing trainer or private-investigator trainer licenses as personal training credentials.
Earn CPR/AED. Most certifying bodies and gyms require current CPR/AED before or with the exam.
Pass the CPT exam and get floor hours. Pass the cert exam, then gain supervised gym or studio hours. This is not a registered apprenticeship and most states have no personal-trainer license board.

Steps and hour totals vary by credential level; confirm current requirements with the program and employer before you enroll.

Personal Trainer License Requirements in Minnesota

Most states do not license personal trainers. Employers expect an NCCA-accredited CPT (NASM, ACE, ISSA, or similar) plus CPR/AED.

Typical path

Choose an NCCA-accredited CPT.
Earn CPR/AED.
Pass the cert exam.
Confirm any rare local registration with the city or gym, not a racing commission.

Hour totals, fees, and reciprocity rules change. Confirm current requirements with the program and employer before you enroll.

Personal Trainer Wages by Metro Area in Minnesota

Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors Wages by Metro Area in Minnesota

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), exercise trainers and group fitness instructors wages in Minnesota vary by metro area.

Metro Area	Employment	Median Annual Wage	Avg. Annual Wage	Entry Level (10th pctile)	Experienced (90th pctile)
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington	5,530	$44,790	$47,270	$29,740	$72,160
Sioux Falls	510	$41,440	$44,230	$30,570	$60,620
Rochester	350	$40,460	$43,120	$28,690	$63,900
Fargo	300	$37,570	$42,240	$30,730	$61,330
Duluth	210	$37,540	$42,220	$29,290	$57,960
La Crosse-Onalaska	180	$37,400	$39,670	$28,620	$49,420
St. Cloud	170	$38,160	$40,860	$28,340	$55,630
Mankato	110	$37,390	$39,990	$28,560	$58,710
Grand Forks	70	$37,440	$36,470	$20,430	$53,990

Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the job outlook for personal trainers in Minnesota? Minnesota currently employs approximately 7,010 personal trainers ¹. Nationally, personal trainer employment is projected to grow 11.9% from 2024 to 2034 ².

What training programs are available in Minnesota? Options include trade schools, community colleges, and state-approved training programs. Use the school finder above to search for programs in Minnesota.

How much do personal trainers earn in Minnesota compared to the national average? The median annual wage for personal trainers in Minnesota is $43,620, which is $2,560 below the national median of $46,180 according to BLS data ¹.

In Minnesota

Best Trade Schools in Minnesota (2026)

Top local programs

Explore More Trades in Minnesota

Citations

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/.

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics - Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/oes/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎
Bureau of Labor Statistics - Employment Projections: https://www.bls.gov/emp/ ↩︎ ↩︎

Data sources

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

Data	Provider	Vintage
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)	U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics	May 2025
Employment Projections	U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics	2024-2034
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System	National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)	2024
College Scorecard (school-level outcomes)	U.S. Department of Education	latest release
College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings)	U.S. Department of Education	latest release (updated 2026-06-12)
Occupational licensing requirements	CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)	latest release (updated 2026-02-22)
Registered apprenticeship programs	CareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor)	latest release (updated 2025-10-25)
O*NET occupation profiles (skills, tasks, tools, job zones)	U.S. Department of Labor (O*NET / Employment & Training Admin.)	O*NET 29.1 (updated 2026-06-13)