There are many motivating factors that have spurred you to pursue personal training as a career. Most personal trainers are motivated, energetic, dedicated to maintaining a high level of fitness, and have a genuine desire to help others improve their lives. Before committing yourself to any career, you want to know what your earning potential is. To help you with this search, Insurance Canopy has put together a guide exploring personal trainer salaries.
We’ve looked at what personal trainers generally make, how experience and qualifications factor in, what role location plays in determining how much you can make, and what effect your work environment will have.
Remember, once you’ve gotten the job and are working with clients, Insurance Canopy offers “A+ Rated” personal trainer insurance that will protect you and your business from costly lawsuits. You’ll need personal trainer insurance to keep you from being exposed to risk and liability.
What Is the Average Salary of a Personal Trainer?
The first question we need to answer is how are personal trainers paid? The (unsatisfying) answer: it depends. Most personal trainers bill either by the hour or by the session, which usually lasts an hour anyway.
We can give you a salary estimate based on average rates and hours worked. The average personal trainer hourly rate, or the average cost of 1 session, is $25. Working a bit less than 40 hours per week, this results in a yearly salary of $52,000 for certified personal trainers.
Really, the amount of money you make as a personal trainer depends on the hours you work and the clients you have. Some personal trainers can make into the six figures, but they represent a minority of personal trainers; ones who work crazy hours or have deep-pocketed clients (or both).
If you’re just getting started as a personal trainer, however, that $52,000 mark is more of a goal rather than what you should expect out of the gate. Your immediate earning potential will depend on a few other factors.
Will My Salary Change if I Work At a Fitness Center?
Many new personal trainers start out working at a commercial fitness center or chain gym. They’ll start out making a small hourly wage and a commission for individual gym members they work with.
To get a rough estimate of what you can make in a year as a beginner at a chain gym, let’s do some math.
- Working 40 hours per week at around $8/hr, your base salary will end up at about $16,540
- If you complete, for example, fourteen $25 workouts each week on the job, you’ll end up earning a commission that comes to about $350 per week, or $18,200 per year
- This leaves you with a total of $34,740 before taxes
The hourly wage and rate of commission varies from gym to gym, so this number can vary quite a bit.
The more time you spend working at a chain gym or fitness center, the more you’ll be able to make in terms of hourly wage and workout commission. The ballpark figure of $34,740 is likely to go up provided you continue to work at the gym.
For most personal trainers, however, the time spent working in a chain gym or fitness center is a step towards working independently. It’s a chance for you to learn the ropes, make connections, and establish relationships with people who could potentially become your clients.
What Can I Expect to Make As a Self-Employed Personal Trainer?
If you’re looking to work as a personal trainer long-term, your goal is likely to be self-employed, owning your own gym, working at a private gym, or working one-on-one with clients. This affords you a greater level of independence–you can set your schedule, devise workout plans, put together your own workplace, and to the extent that you’re successful, pick your clients.
Working as a self-employed personal trainer also provides the greatest earning potential.
As a self-employed personal trainer with a full arsenal of clients, you can expect your salary to settle in a significantly higher range than it did while employed at a chain gym. While the average salary is about $52,000/yr, your salary will ultimately depend on the client base you’re able to cultivate.
Get Personal Trainer Insurance with Canopy Today!
As a personal trainer, you face numerous risks on the job every day. Working closely with clients to help them achieve peak physical fitness means that the risk of them getting injured is always present. It’s highly likely that an injury to one of your clients will result in a lawsuit that could derail your career.
As such, it’s imperative that you be insured. Insurance Canopy’s personal trainer insurance can protect you from lawsuits and a number of other expenses that you could accrue due to damages or injury.
Insurance Canopy can cover you in most locations and while training in more than one place, including online. We offer plans starting at $129/yr, which averages out to just $10.75/month. It’s extensive coverage at a competitive price, which is why we are the trusted choice of thousands of personal trainers across the country.*
Best of all, you can get coverage in literally 15 minutes or less. The entire process can be completed online, and you’ll have all insurance documents digitally available to you immediately after purchase.
Click here to get insured today.
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*Not currently available in Missouri.
