North America is leading the fitness market, with an annual growth rate of more than 8.7%, fitness market in the United States is one of the largest in the world and the fastest-growing sector in the country itself. Though the fitness industry faced a slump during the COVID shut down but it is back on track. However, the COVID pandemic has transformed the fitness industry completely. Virtual fitness channels (like live streaming, YouTube channels, and fitness apps), home workouts, and personal training have emerged as an alternative to conventional communal gyms.
Overall, people around the world have become health conscious. Fitness has become a trend for millions of people, leading to a rapid increase in the size and popularity of the global fitness industry. They are investing their time and money to maintain a healthy lifestyle and physique.
An increasing number of individuals are opting for a more proactive lifestyle. This fascination is also translating into the rapid growth of the fitness market, carrying technological innovation and financial gains on its back. As the fitness industry grows, the demand for personal fitness trainers and coaching personnel is also rising. But the common question is, is it profitable to become a personal fitness trainer and how much can a personal trainer make in the USA. In this article, we’ll look at the personal trainer salaries they earn in the USA. This blog will give you a solid idea of what you can expect money-wise in your career as a personal fitness trainer.
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- How much do personal trainers make in the USA?
- Personal trainer salaries in the USA
- Essentials of becoming a personal trainer
- What are the popular gym brands' personal trainer salaries?
How much do personal trainers make in the USA?
Though it is nearly impossible to grasp the sheer enormity of the fitness market, we can look at the current growth stats to analyze the size of the fitness market in the USA to work out the demand-supply of personal physical trainers. As a result, we will lay out statistics and information regarding the fitness industry relevant to our topic. Despite the COVID, the fitness industry has shown tremendous growth. Every day, thousands of fitness fanatics are hitting the gym to keep in shape. In 2020, the market size of the gym, health, and fitness club industry in the United States was estimated at over 32 billion U.S. dollars. The sector was forecast to reach 33.25 billion U.S. dollars in 2021. The market size of the Gym, Health & Fitness Clubs industry is expected to increase 3.7% in 2022.
The market size, measured by revenue, of the Gym, Health & Fitness Clubs industry is $36.6bn in 2022. Individuals aged 20 to 64 make up the largest gym-going demographic. However, the aging baby boomer generation, coupled with the maturation of their children, is expected to broaden the market for this industry. In 2021, the number of adults aged 20 to 64 is predicted to rise, providing an opportunity for the fitness businesses. As a result, the fitness sector in 2022 appears to be promising and poised to grow. As the fitness business expands, more gyms and fitness centers will open, necessitating the hiring of personal fitness trainers.
Personal trainer salaries in the USA
"How much does a personal trainer make a year?" is one of the most asked questions asked by people looking to make a career in the fitness industry. There are numerous ways to make money as a personal trainer, but unquestionably the most common way is to start working at a gym. When people initially consider becoming a personal trainer, they consider only the major gyms and the personal trainer salaries they provide.
And, as much as certification groups like NASM would like you to believe that the typical personal trainer salary is $42k per year, the reality of a personal trainer salary is determined by what gyms will pay, as this is the most frequent career path. The average trainer pay in the United States is $40,000 (in 2020), according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NDSM), which is somewhat more than the median salary in the United States.
These figures, however, vary depending on who you question. The average fitness instructor salary, according to ZipRecruiter, is $49,000, whereas the average salary for fitness instructors and trainers is $42,000, according to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics.
What type of personal trainer do you determine your typical personal trainer pay. The following three types of personal trainers, as well as their average pay, are identified by NASM :
1. Personal Physical Trainer – $78,000
2. Independent Physical Trainer - $62,000
3. Gym PT – $34,000
However, the gym route is not the only route to earning as a physical trainer. There are many aspiring trainers who want to venture into the more entrepreneurial routes or online personal training, as higher income levels are more easily achieved.
Essentials of becoming a personal trainer
If you aspire to get fit, lead a healthy lifestyle, and want to make a career out of it and have the satisfaction of having a positive impact on someone and making money. Here is the list of four essentials you need to become a professional physical trainer.
1. Get certified!
Any profession or career in the fitness industry would almost certainly require or strongly recommend that you obtain at least one fitness certification. If you want to get employed in a famous and good-paying gym chain or even start your own gym/fitness center, it’s important to get certified by an authentic agency. You’ll need to have a few items checked off before you can get certified. The certification will ensure that you have a decent personal trainer salary. These are:
- 18 years or older
- High school diploma or GED
- CPR/AED certification
2. Pick your certification
The one you opt for should be determined by where you want to work and what you want to do. There are many certification courses given by prestigious agencies like IFFA, NASM, etc. You can also get certified through a Vocational College or through University programs with a bachelor's or master's.
3. Social media presence
If you are aiming to become a personal fitness trainer, it's best to start early and register an online presence through YouTube channels, social media accounts. You can start posting your training videos and fitness regimens. You can also upload reels and ride the latest trends on the internet. You can even have Q and A sessions with people, it will attract people towards you and fetch you, potential clients. Once you have clients, your personal trainer salary would skyrocket.
4. Marketing
Marketing is central to your career as a fitness trainer. It’s important to register yourself in memory of people and your locality. What you can do is – offer free demo classes at schools, colleges. You can also market yourself through local radio or newspapers. You can also make a website or blog and share the success stories of your clients through them. You can even invest in Facebook or Instagram ads and reach potential clients.
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What are the popular gym brands' personal trainer salaries?
You must be curious to know how much popular gym brands pay their personal trainers. Well, we have scored the personal trainer salaries of the top three gym brands to give you a better idea of the money prospect in the profession of the fitness trainer.
24 Fitness
24 Hour Fitness is a privately owned and operated fitness center chain headquartered in Carlsbad, California. It is the second-largest fitness chain in the United States based on revenue after LA Fitness, and the fourth in the number of clubs (behind LA Fitness, Anytime Fitness & Gold's Gym), operating 286 clubs in only 11 U.S. states with four million clients to LA Fitness's 725 clubs in 30 states. 24-Hour beginner personal trainer salary is around $10/hour, so if you work for around 120 hours in a month you can earn around $1,200 and for Master trainer’s minimum wage is $10/hour. And since they get to work for 160 hours in a month they earn around $1,600.
YMCA
YMCA pays around $15 – $28 per session/hour to their personal trainers depending on their tier. There are total of four tiers –
Tier 1 Trainer – The personal trainer pay is around $15.89 – $19.86 per hour and are responsible for training at least two sessions per week. For the first three months, work 4-8 hours each week.
Tier 2 Trainer – The personal trainer pay is around $17.48 – $21.85 per hour. They have to hold a minimum of 5 sessions per week. For the first three months, they have to work 4-8 hours each week.
Tier 3 Trainer – The personal trainer pay is around $21.00 – $26.24 per hour and is required to train a minimum of 10 sessions per week. They are also required to work the fitness floor 4-8 hours per week for the first three months.
Tier 4 Trainer – The personal trainer pay is around $22.89–$28.61 per hour and is required to train a minimum of 20 sessions per week. They are required to work the fitness floor for 4–8 hours per week for the first three months.
LA fitness
LA Fitness (doing business as LA Fitness International LLC) is an American gym chain with more than 700 clubs across the United States and Canada. The company was formed in 1984 and is based in Irvine, California. The company’s personal trainer salary is around $6 – $7.50 per 30-minute session and $12 – $15 per 1-hour session. It pays around $7.50 – $15 is for larger cities with a higher cost of living like in Los Angeles. In less populated areas like Arizona, its pays around $6 – $12 per session.
Anytime fitness
Since these are franchised gyms, most of them have varied payment structures. Average Anytime Fitness personal trainer pay per hour in the United States is approximately $19.47, which is 14% below the national average. Other than that they get employee discounts and performance bonuses, and health insurance and they also have a retirement plan, and a flexible schedule.
Crunch fitness
The average yearly personal trainer salary for Crunch fitness is $56,454. The average hourly personal trainer pay in Crunch Fitness in the United States is $31 as of January 27, 2022, but the range typically falls between $23 and $39.
We hope this article gave you a fair idea about the personal trainer salaries. Before you begin your journey, it's best to do your own research and reach out to people already in the profession to know things more closely. And if you are planning to open your gym, it is better to start your journey with the Bookee app. Bookee is the best fitness management software laced with industry-best features and everything your fitness business might need. Book your demo by hitting the button below.
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