What is the average percentage fitness centers receive from personal training sessions?
You asked about group classes“. do you mean small group personal training?
Group ex is very different from personal training. In health clubs there tends to be an instructor rate, and then sometimes a slightly higher rate for specialty instructor. If your classes are consistently full sometimes such rates can be negotiated higher, though in big facilities, particularly chains, that may not be the case. As Karin said small ‘mom and pop’ facilities seem to pay better. Exactly what that pay is will differ depending on your geographic location.
The exception to this rule is in stand alone facilities. When I teach in a yoga studio if I sub I do get a straight rate (considerably higher than what I would earn in group ex in the same market), and if it is a regular class typically I get a percentage (typically 50%) of what the student has paid.
If you are teaching in a larger facility and they are charging extra for a specialty class sometimes you get a higher rate as well.
Good luck.
Hi Janet,
as the others said, the percentage is different from location to location but 50 % for the club is usually the high end. You may be able to negotiate a flat fee to pay the gym regardless of the number of clients you train. I had such an arrangement years back and only needed to add a guest fee if my clients were not members of the club.
I have never seen an arrangement where classes were conducted on a fee base for an independent trainer.
Remember, though, that you need to carry your own liability insurance if you are an independent trainer.
Karin Singleton
www.meltnc.com
Hi Janet. The answer to your question depends so much on the particular facility involved (e.g. chain gym v. private studio v. mom and pop gym). Everyone is different but as a general rule of thumb it seems in my experience that your better percentages will be paid at the private studio or mom and pop. A lot depends on your bargaining power. For example, if you bring a certain specialty training to the facility, you can command a different/higher percentage. Another consideration is a varying percentage based on WHERE the client comes from (i.e. the gym’s client versus one of your own or one that is referred to you by another client).
The best advice I have is negotiate, negotiate, negotiate.
Good luck!
LaRue, CSCS
www.lecfitness.com
