Personal Trainer Salary: Your 2025 Guide

As a personal trainer, you may work with various age groups and types of exercise in different locations. All of these factors can impact how much you can expect to earn as a personal trainer, but it’s also notable that this field is growing, which indicates an opportunity for those looking to pursue a fitness career. In fact, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) expects jobs for personal trainers to increase by 14 percent in the decade between 2023 and 2033, a much faster-than-average rate compared to the majority of careers [1]. 

To help you plan your future in this growing career, explore the various factors that can affect your earning potential. Discover how factors like education, personal trainer certification, skills, experience, and industry can impact your salary as a personal trainer. 

What is a personal trainer?

Personal trainers work with various people in gyms, client homes, or even on social media to teach exercise practices and safety. They create workout routines that fit clients’ personal goals, skill levels, and abilities. A personal trainer typically watches clients exercise during their sessions, ensuring safety and motivating them while they work out or do other physical activities. Personal trainers usually work one-on-one with clients, focusing on their individual needs, but they can also work in boot camps or organized classes. 

They may create and sell workout routines and sessions to health club members in the gym or online through social media and other digital spaces. 

How much does a personal trainer make?

Based on data from five popular job listing sites, the average annual salary for a personal trainer in 2025 ranges from $37,214 to $63,191 per year [1,2,3,4,5]:

These figures are base pay and do not include tips, commissions, or bonuses outside wages. Glassdoor reports that personal trainers make, on average, $6,433 per year in additional pay, bringing the total average annual salary to $69,624 per year [2]. 

Factors that impact personal trainer salary

A variety of factors affect personal trainer salary. Explore each one further to understand what to expect, how to get the most out of your earnings as a personal trainer, and whether it’s the right career for you. 

Education

Education is important in increasing your earnings as a personal trainer. Many employers want personal trainers to have an associate or bachelor’s degree in a medical-related field. Examples include physical education, kinesiology, and exercise science, which can help you grow your knowledge of physiology, anatomy, and nutrition, which contribute to becoming a well-rounded personal trainer. 

According to Zippia, if you have a higher level of education, you will make more on average as a personal trainer [5]:

• High school diploma: $35,579

• Associate: $36,407

• Bachelor’s: $38,479

• Master’s: $39,301

Zippia estimates that 67 percent of personal trainers hold a bachelor’s degree, 14 percent hold an associate degree, 7 percent hold a master’s degree, and 7 percent have only a high school diploma [6]. 

Certification

Many personal trainers become certified through their education or employer before or after getting a job. Certifications may specialize in a specific area of exercise or health, such as pilates, yoga, or nutrition. 

Certificates boost your credentials and make you more marketable to employers. Here is a list of certifications for personal trainers to consider:

• Certified Personal Trainer (CPT)

• Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)

• CPR, First Aid, AED certifications

• Certified Nutrition Specialist

• Fitness Nutrition Certification

• Certified Yoga Instructor

Location

Salary for personal trainers varies from city to city. Due to more service demand, you may often find higher wages in more densely populated metropolitan areas. Ultimately, the salary of a personal trainer in any given location depends on where exactly you’re located and if competitive trainers work nearby. 

Explore this list of the highest-paying states for personal trainers, according to Zippia [6]:

• California: $49,724

• Hawaii: $48,936

• Washington: $48,140

• Connecticut: $47,835

• Alaska: $47,698

Additionally, Indeed reports the following as the highest-paying cities for personal trainers [3]:

• Chicago, IL: $61,923

• Washington, DC: $59,072

• New York, NY: $56,993

• Los Angeles, CA: $51,165

• Omaha, NE: $44,604

Industry

According to BLS, 55 percent of personal trainers work in fitness centers and health clubs, 16 percent are self-employed, 9 percent work in educational services, 7 percent work in civic and social organizations, and 4 percent work in government [8]. 

Take a closer look at a breakdown of median annual salaries from different industries, reported by Zippia [6]:

Related job titles

Many jobs have similar degree requirements and skills required for a personal trainer. These shared skills include knowledge of fitness and exercise, strong communication with clients, and the ability to organize a fitness plan within the time constraints of those you’re working with. Explore these related job titles and their salaries:

• Yoga instructor: $64,911

• Trainer: $59,267

• Fitness instructor: $66,062

• Fitness manager: $67,930

• Fitness specialist: $54,873

• Sports coach: $45,807

• Dietitian: $82,221

• Fitness director: $77,469

*All annual base salary data is sourced from Glassdoor as of January 2025 and does not include additional pay, such as commission and benefits.

Job outlook

According to the BLS, personal trainers and fitness instructor jobs are expected to increase by 14 percent from 2023 to 2033, with an expected 73,700 projected openings each year on average [1]. 

This demand for jobs comes from the growing interest in gyms and health clubs from older adults trying to stay active and safe while exercising. In addition to individuals looking to become more active, employers are incentivizing employee health with onsite health facilities. Alternative forms of exercise, such as yoga and Pilates, are increasing as more people seek exercise options with low impact and a low risk of injury to relieve joint pain and other ailments in aging populations.

Next steps

Personal trainers enjoy an in-demand career with potential for growth and increased salary with experience, certification, and education. When pursuing a fitness career or as a personal trainer, it’s important to consider your location and certification, as they may impact your overall annual salary, clientele, and earnings.

If you want to learn more professional skills related to exercise science, check out the Science of Exercise, a course offered by the University of Colorado Boulder on Coursera. This beginner-level course covers everything from training and fitness to nutrition and public health to help you start your path to a career in personal training.