You can’t put a price tag on your health. Fortunately for personal trainers, there is a way to determine how much you should be charging your clientele.
But how much do personal trainers make? If you are thinking about becoming a fitness instructor, you have come to the right place.
On average, personal trainers make somewhere between $30,000 and $90,000 per year. The wide range speaks to the complex nature of a personal trainer salary. From upfront costs to the multitude of services, if you’re preparing to embark on a new career in personal training but are still uncertain what to charge customers, keep reading.
Self-Employed vs Gym Employed
The biggest discrepancy in personal trainer salaries comes down to self-employed trainers vs. those that are employed by a fitness center.
While fitness center employees can look forward to things like:
- A guaranteed paycheck and rate of pay
- A set schedule and expected work hours
- Employer benefits (health insurance, vacation)
They typically command a significantly lower wage than their self-employed counterparts. To maximize your earning potential you’ll need to build your own personal training business, allowing you to focus on the work you’re most passionate about and creating an environment where you can make the call when it comes to your wages.
Still, there are several factors to consider when deciding what to charge your customers for all your unmatched tips, tricks, and training regimens.
Factor in Your Costs
You have to spend money to make money. Building a business takes capital and it’s no different for an athletic trainer. While you’re reviewing your rate, consider the costs that you incur to begin your business and any monthly fees you continue to pay, including the following.
Equipment
Unless your training consists solely of body-weight exercises and running, there’s a good chance you’ll be using a variety of free weights, exercise machines, mats, and accessories.
Having the right equipment is important, even if you’re not looking to invest in everything right away. As Milwaukee resident and gym owner, Bradley Perez says, “We want to keep it as simple as possible while giving people what seems to be in right now, which is weightlifting”
Equipment costs include both:
- Equipment purchases – Whether necessary for your home gym or mobile enough to bring to your clientele, you may find yourself spending a significant sum on proper equipment.
- Equipment rentals – Some equipment may be impractical to own or only relegated to specific customers. In these scenarios, you may find yourself incurring the costs of renting the equipment.
- Clothing and protective gear – Additionally, your investment in proper clothing and protection shouldn’t be overlooked when determining your costs. You have to look professional to train professionally.
Insurance and Premiums
Insurance is required for most independently employed personal trainers. Your insurance premiums will be a consistent cost for as long as you’re operating as a business and are an expected aspect of our business budget.
That includes:
- General liability insurance
- Professional liability insurance
- Personal health insurance
Consider what your operating costs are before you settle on a specific rate and keep in mind the possibility of unexpected expenses.
Venue and Travel
If you’re working at a gym independently as a fitness professional, you’re likely paying a daily or monthly rate to host your sessions in that venue. Make sure to include this cost when creating a cost list for your personal training business, as well as the cost for getting there.
On the other hand, if you’re traveling to a client’s house, those miles should be a factor in your pricing.
There is the possibility of conducting your training sessions through various online portals and in those situations make sure to notate how much you’re spending for hosting and streaming platforms required to broadcast your workouts.
Ultimately, depending on your taxable status, you may be able to write off several of these expenses while completing your business taxes. Always consult with an expert before making any legal decisions regarding your taxes. As a small business, it’s imperative that you work with someone who understands the ins and outs of the U.S. tax system.
Certifications and Education
What you earn as an athletic trainer is often based on what you know. Your training, certification, and education level go a long way to determining your earning potential.
Consider these factors when creating a competitive rate for clients as a fitness professional:
- The American Council on Exercise (ACE), the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), and the National Association of Sports Medicine (NASM) — These organizations are just three of the most popular personal training certification boards. Each offers accreditations that allow you to command a larger wage by displaying your expertise and wherewithal in the field of physical fitness.
- Secondary accreditations – Nutrition, weight loss, and other offshoots of the physical health field are smart ways to increase your desirability as a professional personal trainer. Your clientele can come to you with questions about their diet as well as their bench press form.
- Secondary education – Despite it not being a requirement, a college education can increase your earning potential. A degree in a related field, like exercise science, kinesiology, or physical education may be a relevant addition to your repertoire of fitness knowledge.
Whatever your background and level of training, there’s a place for you in the fitness community. If you want to become a personal fitness trainer, start working towards your career path by completing the recommended training. Before you can start a personal training business, you need to go through the proper personal training certification process. Make the most of your education and training by factoring it into your pricing model. Your personal training salary should take into account all your educational experiences.
Geographic Location
Are you training in the city streets of San Francisco or pumping iron in the open expanses of Wyoming? You can do the same workout anywhere in the world but the price you command might be radically different.
For any job, your salary will be dependent on your geographic location. Personal training is no exception. When coming up with a fair number to charge your clientele, consider these location-specific details:
- Average cost in your area – While your training regimen might be unlike anyone else in your area, it’s still worthwhile to check out your competition’s price points. If you’re charging dramatically higher or lower for your services, you may need to consider repricing.
- Oversaturation – Are you in an area with a plethora of personal trainers? Healthy competition can be a good thing for your fitness instructor business, but if you’re dealing with a surplus of individuals offering the same services, you may need to readjust your pricing to keep up with supply and demand. On the other hand, if you’re the only personal trainer in town, you might do well to consider your unique position when pricing your services.
- Local connection - Have you made a name for yourself among your neighbors? Do you connect with other locals about your services? Making a name for yourself is one way to ensure a salary boost as more customers flock to you based on recognition and reputation. Nextdoor allows personal trainers to connect with their community directly. Your Business Page will let potential customers learn more about you and ask questions about your services (plus it’s free to set up).
Experience
The top item on most resumes relates to your experience, and while first-timers can have a lot to offer (especially if they’re well trained, well equipped, and in a good location) few things can stand-in for the experience gained from working in the field.
Not only is your experience as a personal trainer relevant to your overall salary, but experience in the following fields can add to the expertise expected by top-paying clients:
- Group exercise instructor
- Fitness writer
- Nutritionist
- Wellness coach
If you’ve had a passion for physical fitness for any amount of time, your own wellness journey can be a bankable experience and a way to relate to your clients about their own goals. Use your history to your advantage when considering what your training salary should be.
Specialization
While it’s useful for personal trainers to possess a wide assortment of knowledge, those with specialties offer even more value to their customer base.
Sometimes specialization can refer to an overall approach to fitness. As Canonsburg PA fitness center owner, Natalie Momplaisir, says, “We want to change the way people think about fitness and take a more holistic approach”
More specifically, personal trainer specializations can include:
- Strength and conditioning
- Youth fitness
- Senior fitness
- Bodybuilding
- Corrective exercise
With each specialization comes a unique service and a target audience that is seeking out skills that other personal trainers may not have. Your field of specialization will go a long way to determining your salary as a personal trainer, ultimately it may be the biggest thing that sets you apart from the competition.
Boost Your Gains with Nextdoor
When it comes to working as a personal trainer, you need to make enough to feel that the job is worth your time. The biggest requirement for your salary is that you feel compensated for the work you do. As a small business, hitting your goal number (monetarily speaking) can be hard, but with Nextdoor you don’t have to go it alone.
Claim your Business Page, connect with neighbors, and get the word out about your personal training services. With 55 million business recommendations, your fitness business could have your community buzzing before you know it. All that talk can mean a salary that competes with the best personal trainers in the country.
Sources:
Salary.com. Personal trainer salary in the united states. https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/personal-trainer-salary
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He found confidence through fitness. Now he has opened a new 10,000-square-foot Brookfield gym to help others gain theirs. https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/west/news/brookfield/2021/03/10/mke-muscle-gym-traditional-equipment-opens-brookfield/4628383001/
Observer-Reporter. Fitness trainer opens new location in Canonsburg. https://observer-reporter.com/news/localnews/fitness-trainer-opens-new-location-in-canonsburg/article_0a03f73a-a91b-11eb-a57f-27bf4bf4ea90.html
