Personal Trainer Salary and Compensation Guide
Personal Trainers report they are working more as employees (49%) than as independent contractors (38%), with an average of six trainers per facility, according to data from the 2010 IDEA Fitness Industry Compensation Trends Report.
Sixty-five percent of the facilities surveyed employ personal trainers. Few trainers report being salaried (8%); therefore, the average personal trainer salary of $39,182 should be considered carefully, particularly as no personal trainer salaries were reported in 2008 that can be used for comparison. The personal trainers in this current survey are eligible for benefits (38%), cash incentives (37%) and education funds (50%).
The majority of the trainers in our study are paid an hourly rate, with 47% earning a percentage of the client’s fees, and the fee split remaining at about 60/40, similar to findings since 2004. The average hourly rate of $34 reflects a decline from $34.75 in 2008. When the 2008 hourly rate is adjusted for inflation ($35.21), we see an even greater decline in pay.
Trainers are potentially able to increase their income by working more hours per week; however, the number of hours worked has declined by 1 hour since 2008 (18 vs. 19). Independent contractors make a significantly higher hourly rate ($42.50) than employees ($25.50) and typically work 2 hours less per week (17) than employees (19).
Personal Trainer Job Description & Stats
Personal trainer instructs individual clients; monitors and records progress; enrolls new clients; collects fees.
| Employment Status | |
| employee | 49% |
| independent contractor | 38 |
| both | 12 |
| Payment Methods | |
| salary | 8% |
| per hour | 20 |
| per class/session | 62 |
| per participant | 11 |
| Position Perks | |
| benefits | 38% |
| cash incentives | 37 |
| education fund | 50 |
| Pay by Hour, Class or Session | Hours per Week (n = 129) |
Hourly Rate (n = 131) |
| mean | 18 | $34 |
| median | 15 | $30 |
| mode | 10 | $25 |
| minimum | 1 | $9 |
| maximum | 50 | $150 |
| Pay by Salary | Hours per Week (n = 12) |
Salary (n =11) |
| mean | 34 | $39,182 |
| median | 37.5 | $35,000 |
| mode | 40 | $35,000 |
| minimum | 5 | $18,000 |
| maximum | 46 | $87,000 |
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