What can a personal trainer expect to make hourly?
This is a very important topic for my consideration of personal training, I realize that alot goes into how much you can make. This is the job I plan to have while in college therefore I need to have the ability to pay for my rent at the very least, main point of this is as a first time personal trainer with a nationaly accredited certification would it be reasonable to expect to make $1000 a month working no more than 30 hours a week?
$1,000 a month working 30 hours a week comes down to about $11.00 an hour. Most trainers who I know make more than that, but it’s also based on your ability to sell training.
Have you considered group exercise? A HIIT class, a bootcamp class, a weight training class that is close to your area of interest? That’s a guaranteed income stream week after week.
I paid my way through graduate school teaching group exercise as my only job, 11 to 13 classes per week. I had a tuition scholarship but had to pay for my room, board, and books. I stacked my classes so that I was teaching 2 at a time for time efficiency. Keep in mind that this was 20 years ago that I was in grad school so the wages are different today, but my choices were office work at around $6.00 per hour versus group-ex at $16 to $20 per hour. It was an easy decision.
On the personal training end of things, these days, I make between $28 and $75 per hour. More when I’m lecturing.
Just take exceptional care of your body. I was much younger, thinner, and athletic but I wasn’t managing my hydration so plantar fascitis was an issue, big time. Now, I MELT my feet every day and am feeling better than I was feeling in my 20’s.
Hello Logan Jones,
I agree with Nancy Korf’s input. You also need to consider that you will need to purchase insurance, equipment, CEC courses and recertification, which add up quickly. You will need to do the studying for CECs while doing your college studies. Don’t forget about taxes.
Personal training is not a guaranteed fixed income: clients get sick and move. For every hour I spend with a client, I spend up to eight hours of my own time designing and updating their programs. Please consider the time factor, as well.
Make sure all your ducks are in a row and consider group training classes.
I highly recommend that you secure a position before going a route that requires fees on your part; since, you will have school bills, school being your top priority for now. How much you earn also depends on the area you are training; talk to gym owners/trainers in your chosen area.
Take care and good luck,
Natalie aka NAPS 2 B Fit.
Hi Logan,
while $1000 per month seems a very low expectation when you work 30 hours per week, getting those 30 hours can be difficult, particularly for a novice trainer. I know from your earlier post that you are still very young, and you will be competing with older trainers who have more experience and/or who are able to sell themselves better.
If you work for a gym, you do not need to get professional liability insurance, but you must have it as soon as you train clients in their home.In that case you also need to be set up as a business.
There are a lot of things to consider, but I hope the collective information from this site will help you make a better informed decision.
Good luck.
Karin Singleton
www.meltnc.com
Hi Logan,
Your hourly wage will depend on many factors. Demographics and what people are willing to pay in your area, your experience, and working at a high end gym or community center are a few things to consider. You could do a search in your area to see what the average hourly rate is where you live.
Fitness can be very rewarding and fulfilling personally, but it can also be difficult to build a client base (and income), and for maintaing a consistent income–especially personal training. You also need to consider that there are many out of pocket expenses to pay for as well. In addition to that, there can be a high factor of burnout if you work many hours per week (teaching classes and training can take a toll on you and your body). So, those are just some factual things to consider in advance.
It really is a wonderful industry, and helping people achieve their fitness and health goals is priceless–it can change lives for the better. You will have to weigh your pros and cons and consider both your passion for the job as well as your time and financial constraints if your main focus is your studies in college.
Best wishes to you,
Christine