Do personal trainers need a license in Virginia?

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

How to Become a Personal Trainer in Virginia (2026)

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

Most people become a Personal Trainer in Virginia 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 Virginia?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (May 2025), personal trainers in Virginia earned a median annual wage of approximately $40,820. Employment concentration in Virginia is about 1.42 times the national average for this occupation.

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

Virginia currently employs approximately 12,100 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

Virginia exercise trainers and group fitness instructors earn a median annual wage of $40,820 ($19.63/hr) according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data (May 2025), with about 12,100 workers employed statewide. The state median is approximately -13.4% below the national median of $47,160 for the same occupation.

Key Takeaways

Median annual pay: $40,820 ($19.63/hr)
25th percentile: $30,750 per year
75th percentile: $54,410 per year
Top 10% earn: more than $74,510 per year
Entry-level (bottom 10%): under $26,560 per year
Workers employed in Virginia: 12,100
Versus national median: -13.4% below the U.S. median of $47,160
Job concentration: Location quotient 1.42 - this occupation is more concentrated in Virginia than the national average

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Last reviewed June 8, 2026.

Virginia employs about 12,100 personal trainers earning a median $40,820 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 Virginia

BOC Score, tuition, graduation rate, and median graduate earnings from federal IPEDS and U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard data. 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	Median grad earnings (all majors)	Graduation rate	Online	Distance
1	Frederick Community College	71.1	Contact school for pricing	$54,058	36%	Yes*	165 mi
2	Butler County Community College	54.4	$5,910 - $12,340	$45,728	34%	Yes*	254 mi
Sponsored Ad
3	Cecil College	45.1	Contact school for pricing	$50,453	32%	Yes*	220 mi
4	York Technical College	40.4	Contact school for pricing	$47,738	Not reported	—	207 mi
Sponsored Ad
5	Community College of Philadelphia	36.8	Contact school for pricing	$50,788	22%	Yes*	266 mi

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.

Virginia employs approximately 12,100 personal trainers according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a median annual wage of $40,820 ¹. The state’s concentration of personal trainer jobs is 1.42x the national average, indicating strong demand. 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 Virginia, 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 (Virginia): $40,820 per year ¹

Quick Answers About How to Become a Personal Trainer in Virginia

How to become a Personal Trainer in Virginia? 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 Virginia? 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 Virginia? The median annual wage for personal trainers in Virginia is $40,820 according to BLS data. Entry-level wages start around $26,560 and experienced professionals can earn $74,510 or more ¹.

How to Become a Personal Trainer in Virginia

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 Virginia

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 Virginia

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

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

Metro Area	Employment	Median Annual Wage	Avg. Annual Wage	Entry Level (10th pctile)	Experienced (90th pctile)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria	10,440	$46,190	$52,140	$28,070	$79,720
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk	2,050	$38,610	$43,120	$27,600	$61,550
Richmond	2,000	$39,110	$44,280	$28,380	$72,680
Charlottesville	490	$42,900	$47,790	$29,120	$80,680
Roanoke	480	$38,650	$41,050	$27,000	$49,130
Lynchburg	260	$36,460	$39,450	$25,810	$59,580
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford	140	$37,290	$43,250	$25,810	$71,690
Harrisonburg	120	$35,020	$39,470	$25,810	$63,880
Winchester	110	$40,590	$45,510	$25,810	$71,850
Kingsport-Bristol	90	$35,750	$39,700	$23,390	$61,400

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 Virginia? Virginia currently employs approximately 12,100 personal trainers ¹. Nationally, personal trainer employment is projected to grow 11.9% from 2024 to 2034 ².

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

How much do personal trainers earn in Virginia compared to the national average? The median annual wage for personal trainers in Virginia is $40,820, which is $5,360 below the national median of $46,180 according to BLS data ¹.

In Virginia

Best Trade Schools in Virginia (2026)

Top local programs

Explore More Trades in Virginia

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)