The average salary of a fitness coach is nothing to write home about. Many people work part time as fitness coaches and instructors, and this inevitably brings the national salary average down.
What is the Average Salary of a Fitness Coach?
Glassdoor lists the national average as $22,000, but some areas can make more. In my home area of San Diego, the average salaries of fitness coaches are $51,000. Salary.com lists the national average as $42,163 with a normal range of $33,461 to $62,584. Payscale.com lists the median pay for a fitness coach as $15.32 per hour, with the national hour rate range being $8.87 to $25.53.
Fitness Coaching is a Great Part Time Gig
These numbers don’t paint a picture of individuals getting rich as fitness coaches. There is no doubt that these numbers are influenced by the number of people who work part time in this industry. Being a fitness coach is a great part time or side gig. You get to keep your real job, make extra money, work out, and help people achieve their fitness goals all at the same time.
But, what if you want to make it a full-time gig? What if you want to get rid of your “real job” and make fitness coaching your main gig?
How to Make a Great Fitness Coaching Salary
Turning your fitness coaching gig into a full-time job means you need to treat it like a full-time business. You will need to become an entrepreneur. The salary of a fitness coach depends on many factors – here are a few ways to increase yours:
- Certification. Certification not only tells potential clients that you have received the necessary training, it also tells clients that you value training and education. You are more than just what you’ve learned at the gym over the years.
- Walk the walk as you talk the talk. No one wants to be trained by a coach with a beer gut or flabby arms. Get in top shape! For older people who want to be fitness coaches, there is a bit more leeway – you don’t have to be perfect, but you should look good for your age.
- Market yourself wisely and with flair. The salary of a fitness coach who promotes wisely and with a touch of flair is undoubtedly greater than one who is lazy about marketing or promotes in bland and routine ways. You need to market yourself and your coaching skills. Turn heads, make waves, and get noticed.
- Offer packages. You don’t have to only charge by the hour. Create packages in which you charge monthly or for extended periods of time. Results take time, and longer coaching packages often produce better outcomes…and more income!
- Continue to grow and learn. The more you know, the better you are as a coach. Keep up with new theories, exercises, and discoveries about fitness and health. The salary of a fitness coach depends greatly on knowledge, as knowledge gets results. The more results you get, the better your reputation will be. With a good reputation, clients will be banging on your door, and you’ll see an explosion in income!
By the way… you’re invited to claim your FREE step-by-step “Life Coach Salary Secrets” video toolkit. Just go HERE now to get your Life Coach Salary Secrets.
Fred Philips
Business Coach
Writing Team, Coaches Training Blog Community
Thanks for the tips. They will surely be helpful as who does not want to earn more?! New Year, new things to accomplish! Great read.
These are some great tips to increasing your salary. We also can’t forget that it’s not all about the money, we also have to love what we are doing and the rest will follow!