Average Salary for a Personal Trainer

What is the average salary for a personal trainer?

Personal trainers are usually paid based on the number of sessions they schedule with their clients. The standard going rate for a personal trainer is between $40 and $70 per one-hour session; however those working as employees of health club chains can expect to take home about $20 of the per-session charge with the rest going to the house. Personal trainers with experience and a good reputation who work as independent free-agents and move between a number of independently owned gyms can negotiate pay at up to half of the client’s per-session cost.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) published information showing a tremendous range in personal trainer salaries. When employed through health clubs and gyms, the average personal trainer salary is typically between $20,000 and $57,000 yearly.

Independent personal trainers in the upper echelon of the industry who work with celebrities and the very wealthy have been known to charge $100 to $300 per session and can earn six figure salaries.

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What’s the job market like for personal trainers?

There is currently a tremendous interest in specialized forms of personal training including Pilates and Yoga. This coupled with an overall increased public interest in fitness and preventative health measures has caused this to be the biggest boom the industry has ever seen. The BLS projects a 27% increase in the number of personal trainers employed in the U.S. by 2016. That is much faster than is the case in most industries, health related or otherwise.

How are personal trainer’s work schedules structured?

Personal trainers who work independently and have established a solid base of steady clientele often have the luxury of being able to choose their own hours and take vacations as they see fit. This, of course, is done with consideration to the client’s schedule as well. For many personal trainers who are motivated by a passion for helping others, their work is not a chore and they are glad to meet the scheduling needs of their clients. A personal trainer’s day usually starts very early since there are always those clients who want to begin their workout as soon as the gym opens. Most often these are younger working professionals who are only able to make the time to meet with their personal trainer early in the morning before going to work. It is not uncommon for personal trainers to be out of bed at 4 am most days to be ready for 5 am sessions.

A personal trainer’s day can be very busy. Since clients schedule sessions in advance, a personal trainer with a good client base can find that every hour of their workday is accounted for. A normal day consists of working with between 6 and 10 clients in sessions lasting an hour each. Working independently requires a unique level of dedication as it’s easy for workdays to run long. However, when working independently, personal trainers always schedule sessions at their discretion since they are their own bosses.

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Personal trainers who are employed by chain gyms most often work standard 40 hour weeks, but may need to be available early mornings and evenings to meet the scheduling needs of the gym’s clients.

It is also very common for personal trainers to work independently on a contract basis for health clubs and gyms rather than as direct employees. Contracted personal trainers often hold part-time positions in a number of different health clubs and work for multiple employers offering their professional expertise at different health clubs, fitness centers, and even make themselves available to work in clients’ homes.

How is the work personally rewarding?

Bill Linaker, a 40-year veteran of personal training who at age 65 is in the best shape of his life has had an incredibly dynamic and successful career that has allowed him the privilege of working with some of the greatest icons of fitness including Jack Lalanne and Arnold Schwarzenegger. He described how he felt about the success he had working with former professional wrestler Brett “The Hit Man” Hart through his rehabilitation after suffering a stroke: “You know, this is what is really great about my profession and the work that I do: Being able to work with somebody like this, an athlete, and make a difference in his life. Get him off the medicinal regimen as a result of his stroke, put him back in the normal life; and shape-up his body so that when he goes out people are saying, ‘you look good, you look like you’re ready to get back in the ring again’.” In talking to Bill, it soon became clear that he was motivated by a genuine passion for what he does. He went on to say: “Really the joy in my profession is making a difference in peoples’ lives; it’s not about the money. The money is a secondary thing. As long as I do my work from my heart the money always comes.” This is a man who is very qualified to make this kind of a statement: He has been in the business for decades; he has long been recognized as a leader in his industry; he has enjoyed financial success through owning his own gym; and he has a waiting list of clients. Before owning his own gym, Bill’s reputation and experience helped him garner a very lucrative personal trainer salary.

The obligation to maintain a strong body and a healthy lifestyle, which is absolutely crucial of personal trainers who must set an appropriate example for their clientele, is its own reward. While most people struggle to find the time to workout between busy professional and family lives, personal trainers enjoy the benefit of being in the gym and part of the fitness community everyday. By the very nature of their work, and because of the expectations set by their peers and clients, personal trainers enjoy good health and longevity.