Personal Trainer Salary- In gym

[bsdgeek]

i do it cause i really love it when people reach their goals. when they actually see results. the guys at my gym are all wanting me to put them on my mass routine, and the women want me to get them fit and looking like fitness models. wonder what all the fuss is about?? just a couple of good clients, who got results, and guess what- run their mouth. that's the best form of advertisement. if you met my training partner, you'd swear he had a thing for me. he's one of my best sellers, talks me up to everyone he talks to. but i've added 15 lbs of lean mass to his frame in the last 4 months(naturally), and now i'm about to drop his bodyfat to about 9 or 10 % so he can have his beach bod.

i definitely don't do it for the money- i make more than twice what i make hourly training on my day job(IT), and could make a whole lot more doing side IT work, or residential remodeling.

bsdgeek
NSCA -CPT

 

[TheOak84]

I make squat......but I like it.

really? why dont you become a manager of some sorts?

 

[sinnerstefan]

This is a topic of great interest to me, since I just got certified this week with NASM and have been interviewing at gyms in my area all week. Every where I have gone seems to have the same pattern. As a new trainer your goal is to get familiar with the clients of the gym and do introductory sessions at no cost. You may or may not get paid for these sessions as a trainer and your goal is to try to sign the client up for additional personal training after the free sessions. You make commission off of these sales (as high as 40%) to start off with and continue to build up a client base doing this. A gym I went to the other day had a $7/hr rate while you are building up your base before you start making commissions.

There is an interesting amount of negativity going on in this thread that really confuses me, it seems like some people are convinced you can't make money as a trainer. Well, you can't make money doing anything with a poor attitude about it. I know people who make tons of money doing the most unorthodox isht but they have a good attitude and know their strengths and play to those strengths. As personal trainers we have knowledge that is geared towards helping the general public get healthier, look better, live longer, and have a more fun life. In my eyes that is a product that sells itself if you go about it the right way.

Anyway, as my job search continues I will keep everyone posted about how the cheddar is flowing.

J
B.S.; Exercise and Sports Science
NASM - CPT

So J, how's the cheddar flowin' ?

 

[motiondo]

LOL.

i guess people could look up how to change their alternator.

i guess people could look up how to take a throat culture.

i guess people could look up how to make a souffle.

i guess people could look up how to do anything really.....

people pay for what they want to have a specialist learn and apply to their unique situation....thats why its a personal trainer and not a workout generator.

People pay because they are lazy - but we all pay for the things we do not know how to do ourselves. PERIOD.

 

[sinnerstefan]

Assuming that people who pay personal trainers are lazy is simply judgemental. Nuff said.

 

[motiondo]

Assuming that people who pay personal trainers are lazy is simply judgemental. Nuff said.

yes..it is judgemental.....and I'm right!

 

[motiondo]

...on a side note, i know personal trainers who make 75 - $100.00 an hour / on there own not in a club...
If you get the right client base and you're motivated....you can make really good money, but it won't come over night, and may take years to establish such a client base. IMO

 

[chrisproia]

Depends on where you work, what your experience is, and how many certifications you have. Many gyms offer you more money for more certifications. Some gyms allow you to set your own rate.

I made a percentage where I worked before coming back to school, and made around 30-35/hr when I was even just starting out.

Personal training is about business. Supply and demand, and demographics, etc. are all very important. The better your business skills are, the more economically successful you will be as a personal trainer.

 

[bigdho]

PT in gym = SHIT PAY PERIOD!

 

[ChefWide]

I charge $125/hour, wil go down to $100 for long term commits and will charge a substantial discount for MIL or LEO, it's just the right thing to do.

That said, I manage fitness depts for 9 of our corporate gyms in our area, and the money although not stellar is livable, considerably better than what most of this thread paints. I have a few trainers in our region that regularly have five day weeks with 8 clients a day at $90+/hour... they only get 45% of that, but it still works out to $80k+/year for training alone.... again, not a mountain of money but you do what you LOVE, you do something that literally saves some of your clients lives, you have no moral or ethical black hole as your profession is all good, no tobacco company karma here.

Now, take that company % away and you have some real money, but you need to play the whole 'self insured, rent n' infrastructure' game and deal with all your marketing.. hard stuff, no doubt.

Ps: i am looking for trainers, in case you live in the DC/NOVA area...