2005 Salary Survey Results |
| More than 2,800 people answered our 2005 Salary Survey, providing an intriguing glimpse into the fitness industry. Perhaps you can use this information to guide you when you answer that next career-defining question, such as "Should I go for my master's degree or am I better off with the additional full-time experience?" Or perhaps you simply want to see where you stand. Either way, we hope you find the following information helpful. |
 Download the survey results as a PDF |
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| 1. Average Salary/Hourly Rate by Country and Certification |
| Of the 2,832 respondents, 2,708 are from the United States, making this the most reliable data. The most striking numbers from this table are the high annual salaries of group fitness instructors in Europe and Canada, which mirror the fact that group fitness is much more popular than one-on-one training in these locations. One interesting note: More than 70% of respondents are paid on an hourly basis. |
| |
Personal Trainer |
Group Fitness Instructor |
| Full Time |
Part Time |
Full Time |
Part Time |
| United States |
$43,000 / $35.00 |
$23,000 / $30.00 |
$41,000 / $31.00 |
$21,000 / $25.00 |
| Canada |
$47,000 / $39.00 |
$20,000 / $26.00 |
------- / ------- |
------- / $23.00 |
| Europe |
$33,000 / $30.00 |
------- / $35.00 |
------- / $28.00 |
------- / ------- |
| Asia |
$28,000 / $13.00 |
------- / $30.00 |
------- / ------- |
------- / $30.00 |
| * If your country/continent is not listed there was not enough response for a proper results calculation. |
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| 2. Average Salary/Hourly Rate |
| Throughout the United States, meanwhile, personal trainers out-earn group fitness instructors, both when working on an hourly basis and as salaried employees. In addition, there is less variance than one might expect in different regions of the U.S. |
| Top 5 states |
| |
Personal Trainer |
Group Fitness Instructor |
| Full Time |
Part Time |
Full Time |
Part Time |
| California |
$55,000 / $41.00 |
$24,000 / $33.00 |
$46,000 / $37.00 |
$22,000 / $31.00 |
| Illinois |
$38,000 / $36.00 |
$27,000 / $28.00 |
$33,000 / $24.00 |
$15,000 / $27.00 |
| New York |
$40,000 / $46.00 |
$30,000 / $38.00 |
$45,000 / $40.00 |
$19,000 / $44.00 |
| Texas |
$47,000 / $28.00 |
$29,000 / $33.00 |
$38,000 / $30.00 |
$20,000 / $25.00 |
| Florida |
$38,000 / $39.00 |
$35,000 / $31.00 |
$30,000 / ------- |
$25,000 / $25.00 |
Salary based on region
PT = Personal Trainer | GFI = Group Fitness Instructor | FT = Full Time | PT = Part Time
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| 3. Top 5 Job Titles |
| There are no real surprises in the salaries among the Top 5 Job Titles, with club owners making the most on an annual basis, followed by general managers and fitness directors. |
| |
Full Time |
Part Time |
Consultant / Casual |
| Personal Trainer |
$39,000 / $38.00 |
$23,000 / $32.00 |
$24,000 / $33.00 |
| Group Fitness Instructor |
$36,000 / $34.00 |
$21,000 / $23.00 |
$20,000 / $17.00 |
| Fitness Director |
$43,000 / $22.00 |
$22,000 / $21.00 |
$60,000 / $25.00 |
| Club Owner |
$52,000 / $39.00 |
$32,000 / $32.00 |
$48,000 / $74.00 |
| General Manager |
$49,000 / $19.00 |
$35,000 / ------- |
------- / $75.00 |
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| 4. Benefits |
| One of the most common complaints among fitness professionals is a lack of benefits, and our research backs this up. While it may not surprise you to learn that only 2 to 7% of part-time employees and consultants receive health coverage, perhaps more alarming is the fact that 30% of full-time employees don't receive benefits of any kind. |
| |
Full Time |
Part Time |
Consultant / Casual |
| Health (full/partial coverage) |
35% / 21% |
3% / 2% |
7% / 2% |
| Dental (full/partial coverage) |
24% / 20% |
1% / 2% |
3% / 3% |
| Vision (full/partial coverage) |
14% / 16% |
1% / 2% |
3% / 2% |
| Life Insurance |
28% |
2% |
2% |
| 401k |
17% |
3% |
1% |
| 401k + employer match |
28% |
4% |
3% |
| Employee discount |
40% |
37% |
29% |
| Service awards |
15% |
6% |
-- |
| Employee assistance program (EAP) |
16% |
3% |
7% |
| Paid vacation |
53% |
5% |
3% |
| Paid sick leave |
41% |
3% |
3% |
| Maternity leave |
16% |
2% |
3% |
| None |
30% |
57% |
67% |
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| 5. Average Salary/Hourly range vs education |
| When asked which factor contributes most to their current level of pay, respondents felt that certification and experience were the primary factors, with 42% and 44% respectively. One glaring number is that only 5% felt that their advanced degree was the primary contributor to their income. The two tables below bear this out to some degree, with very little change from column to column. The exception is for those with a Ph.D. or M.D., for whom there is a substantial jump in income. An interesting note: 49% of respondents hold a bachelor's degree (though 30% of those are not fitness-related degrees) and an additional 20% hold more advanced degrees. |
| |
Personal Trainer |
Group Fitness Instructor |
| Full Time |
Part Time |
Full Time |
Part Time |
| H.S. Diploma |
$37,000 / $29.00 |
$21,000 / $31.00 |
$29,000 / $32.00 |
$15,000 / $24.00 |
| Associates / Some College |
$41,000 / $37.00 |
$22,000 / $29.00 |
$35,000 / $38.00 |
$18,000 / $24.00 |
| Bachelors Degree |
$42,000 / $30.00 |
$25,000 / $30.00 |
$39,000 / $25.00 |
$20,000 / $26.00 |
| Masters Degree / MBA |
$47,000 / $39.00 |
$23,000 / $29.00 |
$46,000 / $31.00 |
$19,000 / $27.00 |
| PhD / MD |
$58,000 / ------ |
$35,000 / $22.00 |
$65,000 / $22.00 |
$50,000 / $22.00 |
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| 6. Average Salary / Hourly outlook based on experience and education |
| |
H.S Diploma |
Some College / Associates |
Bachelors |
Masters / MBA |
PhD / MD |
| Under 1 year |
$15,000 / $24.00 |
$23,000 / $18.00 |
$25,000 / $22.00 |
$43,000 / $26.00 |
$60,000 / ------- |
| 1 - 2 years |
------- / ------- |
$36,000 / $23.00 |
$29,000 / $24.00 |
$31,000 / $24.00 |
------- / ------- |
| 3 - 4 years |
$38,000 / $20.00 |
$39,000 / $29.00 |
$37,000 / $30.00 |
$31,000 / $24.00 |
------- / ------- |
| 5 - 10 years |
$31,000 / $32.00 |
$31,000 / $33.00 |
$35,000 / $31.00 |
$40,000 / $28.00 |
$48,000 / $26.00 |
| 11 - 15 years |
$27,000 / $25.00 |
$43,000 / $31.00 |
$47,000 / $34.00 |
$50,000 / $32.00 |
$67,000 / $33.00 |
| 16 - 20 years |
$21,000 / $29.00 |
$45,000 / $30.00 |
$47,000 / $30.00 |
$50,000 / $30.00 |
$72,000 / $22.00 |
| Over 20 years |
$47,000 / $32.00 |
$43,000 / $48.00 |
$60,000 / $28.00 |
$54,000 / $50.00 |
$81,000 / ------- |
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