How Much Does a Personal Trainer Make?

In most fields, answering salary information is very cut and dry. Your salary is based upon your experience and how many years you have been working. Entry level individuals in most professions can expect to receive a certain amount of salary. Not so with personal trainers. A personal trainer’s salary is extremely complex. However, we will explore the salary of a personal trainer as best as possible as well as factors that can influence salary for a personal trainer.

National Statistics

The national average for a personal trainer’s salary is between $34,000 and $48,000 per year. However, this is an average. This is figured by taking all of the salaries in the country and finding the average range. The national average is extremely deceptive of the potential earnings that a personal trainer can make.

Personal trainers can make as little as $14,530 a year. They can also make as high as $55,560, or more. This gives you a more realistic view of just how varied a personal trainer’s salary can be. One may wonder why these earnings are so varied and so far apart. It all comes down to one thing: how well you can sell yourself.

Types of Personal Trainer

When it comes to personal trainers, there are many different types. This does not pertain to their certifications but their personal experience in the fitness industry. First, you have trainers that have recently received their certification. These trainers may or may not have experience in the fitness industry. Then, you have experienced personal trainers that have been certified for a while but are looking for new employment opportunities. Since we are talking about personal trainer salaries for individuals that are just entering the field, we will only talk about the first group of trainers.

Individuals who have recently received their certification but have no experience in the fitness industry may be recent high school or college graduates. They may even be individuals that have worked in other industries but have finally decided to start pursuing their passion – helping others get fit. Individuals that have recently received their certification and have experience in the fitness industry could include bodybuilders, athletes, or other sports professional.

You would think that individuals that have a fitness industry background would make more money. However, this is not necessarily true. In the fitness world, it isn’t about how much you have done but how valuable you are to your potential employer.

Qualities that Can Increase Your Earning Potential

The personal trainers that make the most money have a specific set of qualities that make them successful. Truthfully, these are the same qualities that make individuals successful in any industry. These qualities can help you make the best salary, no matter how much experience you have. And, if you find an employer that cannot recognize the importance of these qualities, then keep searching.

• Personality: Personality is everything! You must be able to maintain a positive attitude, even with the most difficult clients. You must be able to get along with your co-workers and your clients. Most of all, you need to have a personality that motivates others.

• Experience: What skills do you have that are important to your profession? These skills do not have to be related to the fitness industry, but it will help. Skills can include management of others, multi-tasking, and much more.

• Versatile: Personal trainers need to be able to do more than just train. They need to inform their clients. You can also make yourself more employable through the ability to handle administration tasks and sales. The more you can bring to the table, the more valuable you are to your potential employer.

• Personal Motivation: You need to know why you want to work for a specific employer. What is it about their company that has motivated you to apply with them?

• Professional Appearance: You don’t have to have a ripped body to be a personal trainer. However, you do need to look like you know something about fitness. You also need to have a professional appearance.

Other Factors That Influence Salary

Personal trainers who work on their own often tend to earn less initially. However, as they build more clients, personal trainers that run their own businesses have a higher earning potential because there is no one cutting into their training costs. Additionally, personal trainers that have more certifications or more prestigious certifications tend to have higher earning potential.

Some of the top credentials that can increase earnings for personal trainers include A.C.E. certification, NESTA certification, ISSA certification, ACSM certification, and NCSA certification. You can obtain certification through more than one source. However, you will need to keep track of all of your certification renewals and continuing education courses to ensure that your certification does not expire.

 

Where Can You Find Personal Training Jobs?

If you are just starting out in your personal training career, you may be wondering where to find a job. You may also have these thoughts if you are just thinking about becoming a personal trainer but have not started your education or training yet. Luckily, there are many places that you can find a job as a personal trainer. You just have to learn what your options are and know what you want.

Growing Popularity

Personal trainers have become extremely popular over the last few years. This is due to several different factors. Some of the biggest factors include the growing obesity rate in the United States and popular television shows that place personal trainers in the spotlight, like The Biggest Loser.

The television shows do provide a good indication as to what personal trainers do for people. They help motivate individuals to change their lives and get in shape. They develop close relationships with their clients and develop a total plan that is catered to their clients’ specific needs. This can be a wonderfully rewarding job for those that are passionate about fitness and people. Of course, not everyone gets to work on a television show.

Where Do Personal Trainers Work?

Personal trainers can work almost anywhere – at a gym, in a health club, and even in some medical facilities like physical therapy offices. Some personal trainers also choose to start up their own personal training business. Before you start looking for a personal trainer job, you may want to consider what your long term career goals are.

Working in a Gym or Health Club

There are many reasons why a personal trainer may want to work at a gym or a health club. This can be a great option for a personal trainer that has just completed certification. This will give you time to get to know people and hopefully build a client base outside of the gym while you work with your clients in the gym. Just keep in mind that many gyms and clubs have strict guidelines about selling your services to gym or club member.

Keep in mind, if you go for this option, you shouldn’t just go to any club or gym and apply. You need to give careful consideration to the gym or club you work at. After all, this is your reputation. Get to know the clubs and gyms in your area. Find out what members are saying about the place. Find out what your requirements would be as an employee. All of this will help you find a job that will help you grow and build your reputation.

Personal Trainers Working in the Medical Field

Generally, personal trainers that work in the medical field have special schooling and education. They can work as physical therapists or in other medical facilities with patients with specific ailments or diseases.

Sports Trainers

Becoming a sports trainer takes time. It also takes special training. Additionally, the field is extremely competitive. There are only so many professional sports teams and athletes out there and you really do have to be the best of the best to work with them. However, if you work hard and are extremely persistent, you just might make it. Of course, being persistent and patient means that you will probably have to take a different personal trainer job until you do make it.

Self-Employed Personal Trainers

If you want to eventually go out on your own, are you willing to work in a club or gym until you raise money to start your own business or do you have enough to start your business now? If so, do you also have enough money to live off of for an extended period of time, just in case it takes longer to build a client base than you had anticipated?

What about equipment? If you do not have a place to have your own gym, then you will need to consider how you will train your clients. There are methods that you can use that require very little equipment. However, you have to consider whether or not these exercises can be done by your clients. Also, will your clients be okay with you holding sessions in their home?

You must also be rather flexible as a self-employed personal trainer. Personal clients will have different schedules and the more flexible you are, the more clients you can work with. However, you will also have to set some limits on your time, especially when your client base starts picking up.

The biggest disadvantage to working as a self-employed personal trainer is that, without clients, you have no income. This can create inconsistencies in income. However, the advantage is that you don’t have anyone else cutting into your income. You also don’t have to sell anything that you aren’t comfortable with selling.

 

What is an Online Trainer and are They Effective?

Are you desperate to get in shape or lose weight? Have you considered hiring a personal trainer but don’t have the money? Or, maybe money isn’t so much the issue. Maybe you just live in a place where a personal trainer isn’t an option. No matter what your reason for considering an online personal trainer, it is important that you recognize the benefits as well as the disadvantages. Learn more about what an online personal trainer is, how to find a good one, and whether or not they are right for you.

What is an Online Personal Trainer?

An online trainer is more a program than a person. This program offers you help with everything you need to be successful including diet planning, exercise routines, as well as other resources that you may need. However, it is important to keep in mind that different personal training sites will have different options and tools for you to use. In most cases, the more you pay for, the more benefits and tools you receive.

What is the Cost?

Cost can vary from one online training program to the next. Some are completely free to use. Others offer you more tools and benefits if you sign up for a paid membership. There are some that offer a limited time free membership that must be paid for once the trial is over. Still others want you to pay your membership up front. While it may be tempting to go for the free membership, it is important to keep in mind that you may have to sacrifice some useful tools by going for a free online personal trainer.

What Can an Online Personal Trainer Offer You?

While an online trainer is not the same as a personal trainer in person, there are many benefits to using an online personal trainer. These benefits can help you reach your goals and for a lot less money than working one-on-one with a personal trainer.

First, an online trainer can offer you personalized programs that are designed to match your level of fitness, personal goals, the equipment you have available, and your medical history. Having a program designed especially for you is important when it comes to reaching your fitness goals. Everyone has different fitness goals and these differences determine which fitness program works best for you.

Most online trainer programs offer you encouragement, motivation, and even accountability. Each online personal trainer will put this into practice in their own unique way. However, a couple of examples include diet and exercise logs, email encouragements, and email tips. Motivation and accountability are an important part of achieving success in your fitness goals.

Variety can help eliminate boredom and burnout. This is something that personal training offers you. This extends to online personal training. Once you feel like you have outgrown your program, you can simply change it to fit your new level of fitness.

Some programs, mostly paid programs, offer you online videos so that you can learn how to do the workouts properly. Not only is learning how to do them correctly important for achieving your fitness goals, it is important to preventing injury. This can be a big benefit for individuals who have not spent a great deal of time exercising or at the gym.

Online Trainer Disadvantages

All of the benefits can really help individuals reach their fitness goals. However, there are also some disadvantages to using an online trainer. These disadvantages should be considered carefully before committing to an online training program.

First, you need to consider whether or not you can be accountable enough to yourself to stick with the program. While you do have accountability components in place, it still comes down to you. You have to be responsible for the items that you put in your body. Only you really know if you try hard enough during your workouts. You don’t have a personal trainer standing there, watching you, and making sure that you push yourself hard enough.

Another thing to consider is health conditions. In some cases, it is best to work with a personal trainer one-on-one. This is something that you should discuss with your doctor. You may even want to print out a sample exercise program and take it to your doctor so that they can accurately evaluate the program.

An online personal trainer has helped many people reach their goals but they aren’t right for everyone. Just be sure that, before you commit to a personal trainer online, that you have given some careful consideration as to whether or not it is right for you.