What is a Realistic Personal Trainer Salary?

It’s the obvious first question that any fitness professional who plans to embark upon his chosen career path would want an answer to. If you are an aspiring personal trainer, you might want to have a clear idea about the earning potential in this field. However, unlike other careers where the figures are more or less fixed as per experience and qualifications, the personal trainer salary  can vary considerably depending on several factors.

Factors that influence personal trainer salaries

• Whether you’re employed, freelancing or working for a corporate office: Personal trainers who work for gyms and fitness clubs have the benefits of a secure, fixed salary and other perks but tend to earn lower than their free lancing counterparts. Similarly, if you are lucky to get employed as a personal trainer, outside the fitness industry, at a corporate office for instance, your pay packet and perks will be considerably higher too.
• Geographical area: Personal trainers working in cities and affluent pockets would earn significantly higher than those in smaller towns or suburbs.
• Qualifications:  If you have the required certifications from the recognised authorities, it would obviously put you in a position to command a better salary. Therefore it is definitely worthwhile to invest in time and efforts in order to qualify yourself according to the stipulated fitness industry standards.
• Experience: The number of years of practice you have behind you counts much like any other profession. If you have just begun your career as a personal trainer, your salary would not really be comparable to that of the veterans in the field.
• Specialised training: With new scientific knowhow and latest equipment constantly making their way into the fitness industry, it has become important for personal trainers to upgrade their skills and branch out into one or more specialised areas. This would enhance their professional expertise and give them an opportunity to boost their earnings.

Let’s talk about the actual figures

A gym instructor would typically make from £12k to £15k per annum

Personal trainers in the first year of practice, attached to a gym could expect to earn from £16k to £25k per year. But these are just the average figures and the actual salary could vary according to the size, location and facilities provided by the gym.

Freelance personal trainers could earn from £15k to 50k and in some cases could even go up to £70k per annum. If you would prefer getting the break up on an hourly basis, the rates in London are usually in the range of £50- £80 per hour and in the suburbs or in smaller towns it would be around £30-£60 per session.

How you can optimise your earning potential

1. Although the fitness industry is experiencing a boom, the personal trainer salary still largely region specific. The key to fetching a higher salary would be to target niche clientele in the affluent sections of society but that is only after you have accumulated sufficient experience.
2. If you are just beginning your career as a personal trainer, it would be better for you to work at fitness clubs and learn the finer nuances of the profession from experienced fitness experts and make the most of their knowledge and expertise. Although working in a club can put a restriction on the amount you earn, there are other advantages like a secure income, additional perks and benefits and zero investment on equipment and hiring a venue.
3. Another way to significantly improve your earning prospects would be to specialise in a particular fields like sports nutrition, weight management, kettlebells, strength and conditioning and other similar areas so that it keeps you right ahead in the competition.
4. Nowadays several corporate firms have seen the advantages of having an in-house fitness expert for their employees. It would be a great idea to capitalise on this trend and get hired by such a firm which would definitely bring in a higher salary and great perks along with it.
5. Last but certainly not the least,- polish your customer service and marketing skills so that you can build a good reputation which is what really counts in the fitness industry.

Like in any other profession, there are no short cuts to success. All you need is passion and enthusiasm for your job, integrity of character and a willingness to sweat it out. With these ingredients, the sky is the limit and you will soon be able to carve a flourishing and fulfilling career for yourself.