This is REALLY how much money you will make as Personal Trainer

[Wackajack]

Hey guy's this is my first post.

Just like to say excellent advice, especially for PT's like me who are just beginning.

On topic this is what i get, working in a recreation centre in Australia.

$24 hr flat rate for gym floor shift @ 38 hrs week + 4x1 hr group fitness classes a week @ $38 a class

$29 hr for either half hour or full hour PT session

So on average i'll take home $770 a week.

Considering the amount of work i do to how much i get paid i'd say i'm pretty lucky.

[alexedye]

So I'm thinking about taking a 2 year personal trainer course, once finished that I'll be eligible to take a test so I can receive a well recognized certificate. (CSEP-CPT)

so I take it this is the kind of money to expect after I were to finish said course, correct?

Canadian here, went BA Kinesiology, Can-Fit-Pro (lol), CSEP-CPT, CSEP-CEP. I work now as a primary care kinesiologist, probably one of 4 or 5 in the province. The plan we're working on is to have kinesiologists protected by a government act just as physios are, but it will be about 6-8 years in getting off the ground, as there is overlap and arguments with everyone from physios to RMTs.

If you're planning to move with the industry, invest the time in something CSEP. It's probably the only cert that means something if you want to move beyond gym guy to legitimate practitioner. I may be in the minority, but expanding my knowledge and attending conferences (not the joke kind that just sell you things, but stuff like the conference in Regina next month) has let me do everything from cardiac rehab, 12 lead GXTs, clinical patient interaction, at the same time as having the option to make money doing PT and teaching classes. I wouldn't train anyone for anything under $50/hour. PM if you want more Canadian info, I was there in 2007 and had no idea wtf I was doing - I spent a miserable summer at a health club in Edmonton, and realized I really, really don't enjoy personal training as a main career. I think in Edmonton I was making tops $20 an hour, but when averaged with the time you spend cold-calling people and doing free assessments (sales pitches) it was drastically lower. In most gyms, they'll sell you on working for them by showing unrealistic brackets, i.e. people will get paid a higher percentage if they train 35+ clients a week. Unrealistic when you're in that environment - people no-show, management randomly gives other people clients you buttered up, etc. Realize that you'll have a ****ty first year and make no money - we all have to do it. From there, use that experience to move onwards and upwards to something better.

edit: just noticed that you're taking a 2 year course. It's worth noting that if you want to make this your thing and move upwards, CSEP-CEP specifically requires a degree.

[KyleAaron]

If more money can be made privately why aren't all personal trainers doing it?

Here's a little vid where a Crossfit owner talks about how she and her husband got things going. The short version is that her full-time job as a lawyer subsidised the business for the first 3-4 years. On the rare occasions their Crossfit bank account was positive, they'd rush out and buy new equipment. It took them a couple of years "to build that core group of clients" and then build on them, she notes that many people will give up within those two years - probably those without someone subsidising them like she was. On the other hand, the first thing she says is "we didn't have a business plan, we didn't really have any long-term planning."

Most small businesses are like this, they start out with no business or long-term plan, someone in the family is subsidising it, paying the bills while the person running the small business does it as their money-losing passion, and then maybe after a couple of years, if they know what they're doing and stick with it, they start making a living from it.

If you don't have someone to pay the bills while you're taking those 2+ years to actually turn a profit, well things are going to be a lot harder. You might even need a business plan.

[buckeyefighter]

Thank you very much for your information! i am a LEO looking into getting my PTC soon and doing part time trainer work for a few years till i can be stabke enough to try and make my own trainer buisness!

[Joefind]

I train people at a gym that doesn't take any of my profit, as long as the clients have a membership there. I charge 60-100 an hour and have 23 clients...most train 1-4x a week...you do the math. The only big difference is that you have to do all your own marketing to get your clients.

Moral of the story: **** working for gyms

[SVT03DAL]

Good information in here, thank you for sharing.

[spainishard]

very useful

[Puck1pa]

How can LA Fitness make a trainer a 'Master' Trainer without any additional education and charge for that upgrade? Doesn't a Master Trainer need certain certificates and education to uphold that title, not just being the GM's best buddy?

[KyleAaron]

Pukc1pa, remember that anyone call themselves a "personal trainer", there are no regulations or laws about that. They can claim other titles or professions, too. They just can't lie about their actual degrees, certifications, etc, as that would be fraudulent.

Likewise the title Master Personal Trainer has no meaning. Typically certifying bodies will give the title if the person's done a PT course which involved a lot of marketing - since to their minds, that's what makes you masterful.

[WoofieNugget]

How can LA Fitness make a trainer a 'Master' Trainer without any additional education and charge for that upgrade? Doesn't a Master Trainer need certain certificates and education to uphold that title, not just being the GM's best buddy?

We have a company here in Canada that calls you a "Master Trainer" when you're newly hired. You don't even have to be certified as long as you get it within 90 days. Then from there you move up to "Elite Trainer" and then "Elite Plus Trainer". It means nothing. They even made up another level above that because their top salesperson a few years ago demanded a new title and a raise or he was going to quit.

Especially at chain gyms you will quickly find that promotions and titles come with sales, not competency.

[blackd]

I learned pretty quickly (within a couple months at my training job) that even at one of the nicest gyms in the USA, you'll make ****. You won't earn anything until you can start freelancing, and then your clients will own you. The most highly paid trainer at this gym, where people paid like 4k a year to join, only pulled 80k a year. This was working 6 days a week from 5 to 9pm. They trumpeted it to everyone as if it was a great accomplishment and he was so successful, and it kind of is- until you look at the hours.

[DPeezy13]

dick of peace

[sabino24]

hey i was just considering to become a personal trainer. Would you happen to know the best class to take? Also how would you become a tier 2 etc.?

[Health45]

VERY interesting thread. didn't think wise to open a new one hence posting here

questions:
1. in general is there a limit of hrs per week that a gym or "boss" can ask the trainer to do ? what about training clients
in "overtime hours" (say at 8 or 9PM)

2. regarding Gold's gym, how much now they charge for personal training and how much they pay the trainer per hour ?

3. what to charge say 2-3 persons ( mini group) either in a private gym or at one of the persons' home gym ?
(what about mileage also ?)

4. what to charge 1 client per hour of personal training at his/her home (client having his own gym) ?


this post is more on the "what to charge" clients aspect... might have proposals to make (hiring) end of the year. want it to be fair
and motivating for the trainer and the client. So everybody is satisfied.

[SquatMilkMeat]

As a new PT, this is somewhat depressing.

For those of you who have been in the industry for a long time, how did you support yourself financially in the beginning? Would you have had another part-time job to pay the bills (if you didn't already have one)? I'm only at 3 clients now and at this pace, it'll be a while until I get to earn what I need if I'm only doing PT.

[KyleAaron]

For those of you who have been in the industry for a long time, how did you support yourself financially in the beginning?

Same way I supported myself while studying, savings. While preparing for the career change and looking for where to study at, etc, I saved up.

It also encouraged me to get off my arse and work hard at getting new clients.

[SFT]

As a new PT, this is somewhat depressing.

For those of you who have been in the industry for a long time, how did you support yourself financially in the beginning? Would you have had another part-time job to pay the bills (if you didn't already have one)? I'm only at 3 clients now and at this pace, it'll be a while until I get to earn what I need if I'm only doing PT.

I'm starting a business now, so I'm funding it by working at a hospital 25-30 hours a week (plus 8-10 hours worth of commute) and a second personal training job that is ~10 hours per week. This definitely limits the growth of the business slightly because you don't have all hours of the day available. I'm currently doing Bootcamps 2x a day on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 5:30am and 8:45am. That leaves 2-3 potential 1 hour slots before I go over to my other job. Then, I have Saturday availability as well.

So, basically just like when starting in any other business, you either have to save a lot of money up before you start, or work around the clock. Between driving to work and working, those two jobs take up 45-50 hours of my week. I'd say I spend another 3-4+ hours a day working on my business, including at least one weekend day.

[soren_xavier]

I learned pretty quickly (within a couple months at my training job) that even at one of the nicest gyms in the USA, you'll make ****. You won't earn anything until you can start freelancing, and then your clients will own you. The most highly paid trainer at this gym, where people paid like 4k a year to join, only pulled 80k a year. This was working 6 days a week from 5 to 9pm. They trumpeted it to everyone as if it was a great accomplishment and he was so successful, and it kind of is- until you look at the hours.

5-9 PM sucks, but it's not terrible. You can still go out after work if that's what you want to do. And making $80K a year working only 24 hours a week is pretty damn good. I wouldn't complain.

[I Drive Spoons]

wow this sucks big time. -_- i just started studying for acsm cpt, and after skimming through this thread i feel really bummed out. my cousin who works at retro said the personal trainers' salaries are horrendous, but i didn't know it's comparable to the other franchise gyms.

[Plectume]

great advice I'm looking to be a personal trainer someday. how does one increase their tier? also what are the needed certifications and ones that are good to get?

[sonti]

5-9 PM sucks, but it's not terrible. You can still go out after work if that's what you want to do. And making $80K a year working only 24 hours a week is pretty damn good. I wouldn't complain.

Go out if you are still into partying... what about quality time with your family/wife/husband/kids?

[OhmandMe]

5-9 PM sucks, but it's not terrible. You can still go out after work if that's what you want to do. And making $80K a year working only 24 hours a week is pretty damn good. I wouldn't complain.

I was assuming he meant 5am to 9pm. I don't see how 5pm -9pm would suck at all unless you had kids, a second job, or were a night person.

[Ronin4help]

you should change your title to " this is about how much money you will make as personal trainer working at a chain gym". What you forget is that most serious trainers want to eventually work independently and only work at a big corporate gym for experience and building a clientele.

This is true because corporate training is much more productive and there are no 'tiers'. Frankly, it doesn't matter how much you earn at a chain club because the real story is the duration at which you will be there.

[Endevorforever]

This is true because corporate training is much more productive and there are no 'tiers'. Frankly, it doesn't matter how much you earn at a chain club because the real story is the duration at which you will be there.

Agreed. working at a chain gym is hardly personal training because you only have access to 17% of individuals. Most of which aren't interested in getting results.

[Ronin4help]

So I'm thinking about taking a 2 year personal trainer course, once finished that I'll be eligible to take a test so I can receive a well recognized certificate. (CSEP-CPT)

so I take it this is the kind of money to expect after I were to finish said course, correct?

Is CSEP like ACE in the U.S.?

[ManletBanBrah]

what about the EFT group? (they use this at Retro Fitness)

[WoofieNugget]

Is CSEP like ACE in the U.S.?

Stands for Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology - think of ACSM of Canada. More research based but the CSEP CPT is a terrible cert.

[sgtmom1]

I've had my NASM CPT/PES then MS since 2005, NASM CES 2010. But I have done mostly probono work. I only have 5 kids but they were a handful, I now have 3 left at home that are home schooled with one readying to leave in the next year. But my plan when we purchased our property was to use the apartment (which we live in now-2500 SF) above the 5 car garage as my private gym to train when and whom I chose. My plan is to not take on extra debt and to pay for everything when I get it. My husband has been very supportive of this because that would mean he has a first rate gym and trainer at his disposal. We plan to build our house right next to it. I am currently concentrating on our farm and getting it going. I am redoing the business plan for my business and drafting an initial plan for the farm. He is CEO and I am the CFO and COO. I figured trainers did not make much on the floor. I am fortunate to be in the situation I am, but I am considering going to work at Icon Fitness which is close to home to subsidize and get equipment. Still pondering and praying about that. Shopping Government auctions is a good way to get equipment. If you are on the East or West Coasts, it is much easier than the 'fly-over' states. Lots to think about and ponder.

[godzilla916]

this is the reason group training at your own place is superior in every single way

[GangaBanga]

no offence but there is a reason why the pay is pretty low..

its a low end job and doesn't require much experience or education, its also an extremely casual job. I am jealous of the lifestyle pt's get to live though.