If you Google “personal training statistics,” a lot of the data on the top posts are wrong, or at least outdated.
One example is that many articles cite that Personal Training is the 18th Best Job in America according to CNN, but they fail to mention that this was in 2012. Personal trainers have not been featured on CNN’s most recent lists. However, “Recreation and Fitness Workers” are ranked #97 in US News’ list of 100 Best Jobs in 2021. US News also ranks them on these lists:
I’ve spent 37+ hours researching personal training industry statistics and have compiled a complete list below, if there’s anything I missed please let me know in the comments below.
How much do personal trainers make?
This personal trainer industry includes, but isn’t limited to the following categories: personal trainers, strength coaches, CrossFit coaches, sports nutrition, gym trainers, yoga instructors, spin instructors and aerobics and dance teachers.
- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for personal trainers is $40,510 a year, with only the top 10% making over $75,000 a year.
- Salary Estimates are 31k-90k according to Salary.com, 28k-75k according to Zip Recruiter and 27k-78k on Glassdoor.
- Fitness and Recreation Workers made a median salary of $30k in 2019 according to US News.
- Zippia has data on personal trainer salaries by state, adjusted for cost of living. I’m a personal trainer in Las Vegas, and data indicates that the adjusted average salary is the worst in the United States at a mere $28k. Though this probably because of the high cost of living in Hawaii, and the median income is weighted towards the lower end because of the tourism industry.
However, it’s important to note that the Bureau of Labor data is heavily skewed towards workers in fitness centers (59%). And many of us already known that you don’t make a lot of money at big box gyms (though OPEX FIT does a great job in outlining how to be in the top 10%). Thus it might be a bette question to ask:
How much do self-employed personal trainers make?
Since many people are part-time, or do it as a side business, it might be better to look at the average hourly rate for personal trainers.
NASM, the most popular fitness certification indicates that self-employed personal trainers can make $100-150 per session in large cities, and as low as $40/hr in smaller cities. Thus full-time self-employed personal trainers can easily make over $100k a year.
A look at Yelp, Thumbtack, et. al., shows that most independent personal trainers charge about $40-75 per session (this may vary on your location). I’ve found that to really break the $100/hr mark, you have to be a specialist (ie. boxing, Olympic lifting, etc.).
And lets not about forget about the income streams related to personal training. You can make a lot of money on YouTube, and on social media as many personal trainers are cashing in as fitness influencers. Influencers often have deals with big brands, supplement companies, merchandise, etc.
Personal Training Trends in 2021
According to the ACSM Health and Fitness Journal, the top 20 Worldwide Fitness Trends for 2021 are:
- Online training
- Wearable technology
- Body weight training
- Outdoor activities
- HIIT
- Virtual training
- Exercise is Medicine
- Strength training with free weights
- Fitness programs for older adults
- Personal training
- Health/wellness coaching
- Mobile exercise apps
- Employing certified fitness professionals
- Functional fitness training
- Yoga
- Exercise for weight loss
- Group training
- Lifestyle medicine
- Licensure for fitness professionals
- Outcome measurements
Other notable fitness trends include:
- Science Based Training and Research – I’ve discussed How Strength Training Improves Body Composition, based on science. Thousands of new studies are posted every month, MASS is a great research review that culls through studies and provides the main takeaways.
- The Rise of Flexible Gym Memberships – Classpass (see our review) allows people the flexibility to drop-in on classes at any gym they want. Anything from powerlifting to yoga, and now they’re including other wellness venues – such as cryotherapy, massage, etc.
- Affordable Personal Trainer Marketing and Advertising – Plenty of platforms have exploded, and help personal trainers grow their audience. Google My Business, Yelp, Thumbtack, Bark and much more.
What is the job outlook for personal trainers?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that the 2019-2029 job outlook is positive at 15% (compared to 4% for all occupations).
Personal trainers could well become the go to for anyone needing to work out, but do we really want someone who has just a phone number and email address being the one we speak to about our fitness goals? With the recent growth in internet usage, the number of trainers we can find easily is no longer limited to the physical locations in which we live. The number of personal trainers on the web is now reaching the tens of thousands and growing fast. In the latest survey, this figure has climbed to 17,000, which means you are more likely to end up speaking to a random internet user than to actually talk to a trained personal trainer. So, could this be the end for personal trainers? As internet use increases, does this mean something for personal trainers? The growth in personal trainers online has caused a wave of concern over whether the personal trainers available online are in fact trained. If the training is good enough to do personal training just for a living from home, why is it not worth the cost to train? The answer appears to lie somewhere between the two. Whilst personal trainers are increasingly available through the internet, they are not available through a formal body like the UK Personal Training Association.
What is the career stability for personal trainers?
The turnover rate for personal trainers is extremely high, at an average of 80-90% per year.
Personal training is an extremely competitive field with a low barrier to entry (you can get a fitness certification over the weekend at many places).
What is the future of hybrid and online personal training?
According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), Online Training is the #1 Fitness Trend for 2021, ranking right above Wearable Technology for comparison.
What is Personal Training?
Personal training is the training industry that helps you achieve your goals one step at a time and you don’t have to go to a gym or a fitness center. Personal trainers do not work with you to build muscle or lose weight, they simply do their job by teaching you what you need to do to get your ideal physique.
The personal training industry includes people who provide general services and/or general training for people to make them more efficient in doing their jobs. The industry also includes people who provide special training or sports training to individuals for sports performance. Although these types of people may be considered to be trainers, they are probably trainers in that they help people achieve a goal or reach a goal through an activity and they develop and provide instructions regarding the activity or activity.
What do personal trainers do?
You’ve heard of personal trainers for people looking to lose 20 pounds or do a 60-minute sweat to achieve “the most muscular” body on the beach, or to have the perfect bikini body. And you know that personal trainers teach people a great deal. You’ve been around a training gym or seen them on your television screen a couple of times. And you’ve also heard of the various types of trainers, including strength trainers who build up the muscles in your legs and arms, anaerobic trainers who break down lactate to get you fitter, and a plethora of specialty trainers.
However, you don’t really understand the trainers’ true value because you think that personal trainers just teach people to be better or healthier people. The truth is, that personal trainers also have another job. They are there to provide the training necessary to get you the physique that you want. Personal training has become a multi-billion dollar business that many people dream about.
Personal training is the only industry that has the ability to work on all the different aspects of your health, body and your physique in one location—your home. Some examples of your home are the gym or the living room because all of these locations usually provide a comfortable working environment and a good amount of privacy. Even if you are not a personal trainer but still are interested in being healthy and looking great, then you need to sign up for personal training.
How is the work-life balance and quality of life like for personal trainers?
How is the work-life balance and quality of life like for personal trainers? In fitness, it is important not only to have the best techniques, the best coaching, etc. — but also make sure that you are enjoying the work you do.
What does that mean for you, personally? Well, it goes something like this:
1. You’ll probably be spending more time on activities, doing the work that results in the best type of training. For example, you might try a variety of different exercises, or mix it up by lifting multiple times per week.
2. You’ll be working with other people in a fitness context that can be extremely stimulating, which can take a toll on your work-life balance.
3. Because you’ll be training with people, you probably won’t be doing work you need to do in order to achieve your fitness goals. So much time might be lost during a workout, which could get you closer to your fitness goals faster.
Of course, if you’ll be able to work in a way that will optimize your training, this will only help you make progress. What type of training will help me have a better work-life balance? So, you decide that one of your fitness goals is, say, a 10-pound weight loss. To get there, you’ll first want to get to a 2-pound weight. But you don’t want to have to spend 20 minutes doing an interval training session with no rest in between. So you decide you really need to lift weights for about 15 minutes every day. How good will that work-life balance be, if you have to do 20 workout sessions in the morning and 20 more in the evening? On the other hand, if you can get to a 10-pound weight in three weeks, you now have the time to do a 10-week training plan, and will also know the exact week your weight loss goal is met. Your fitness goals are different from your priorities in life. And so, you might find that you can do better work-life balance if you focus on your fitness goals. So, now that you know there are some basic guidelines you need to incorporate into your work-life balance, here are some things to consider when choosing a personal trainer for you: How will you be spending your time? The trainer’s work-life balance depends on four things: The number of sessions a trainer has during the week — for example, there are times when a trainer might do as many as 30 sessions during a work week. The length of the training sessions (intensity, variety, etc.). The quality of the workouts (intensity, variety etc.). The hours a trainer is on the schedule (day hours, night hours, weekend hours). So, if you’re going to choose a personal trainer who is only willing to do 30 sessions a week, it is good to know these things about the trainer as you plan for training
How do you become a personal trainer?
- Personal Trainer Certifications
- National Federation of Personal Trainers (NFPT)
- Personal Training Education
- Personal Training Certification
As a trainee in a certification or diploma program, you’ll have an instructor to guide you through the program, answer your questions, and look over your work.
What education and certifications are required to be a personal trainer?
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