Personal Trainers

The U.S. Department of Labor reports that in May 2023 the median annual salary for exercise trainers and group fitness instructors, which includes personal trainers, was $46,480. The median annual salary for workers in all careers was $48,069. The lowest paid 10 percent of exercise trainers and group fitness instructors earned $26,840 or less and the highest paid 10 percent earned $80,740 or more. Fitness trainers had the highest mean annual earnings in New Jersey ($66,970), New York ($65,370), Connecticut ($64,600), Vermont ($62,720), and California ($61,340).

PayScale.com reports that the average salary for personal trainers was $45,074 ($21.67 per hour) in 2025. Earnings ranged from less than $27,040 to $126,880 (or $13.00 to $61.00 per hour) or more. Personal trainers who offer specialized instruction (such as in yoga, martial arts, or indoor cycling), or who work with their own clients in their own homes, can charge higher hourly rates.

Personal trainers who work for health clubs usually receive benefits such as vacation days, sick leave, health and life insurance, and a savings and pension program. Self-employed personal trainers must provide their own benefits.