5 Tips for Personal Trainers Who Want to Make More Money

You may enjoy a deep personal sense of satisfaction from your career as a personal trainer, but unfortunately that contentment does not always extend to your pocketbook. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary of a personal trailer is only about $31,000 per year!

What can you do if you want to raise that number a little higher?

How can you create a demand for your services that will leave clients and fitness centers willing to pay premium for them? These five strategies are just a few potential options to help you bring home a bigger paycheck as a personal trainer.

1. Go back to school

Expanding your education as a personal trainer can take many forms. You could enroll in courses in nutrition, yoga and pilates; join cue and choreography workshops; or jump through the hoops set up by the National Exercise Trainers Association (NETA) or similar major organizations for personal trainers who wish to become accredited.

Not only will this type of extra education help you refine your technique as a fitness or group exercise instructor, but it can also allow you to scope out the competition and get an idea of their rates and marketing strategies in the current economy. You might well stumble upon an idea that benefits you in the long run even more than the actual classes themselves.

2. Raise your prices

One of the easiest ways to make more money as a personal trainer is to simply hike your prices. This is the furthest thing from greed; once you have developed the skills, certifications and real-world experience of a qualified and experienced fitness instructor, it is only natural that your talents should cost more than those of rookie trainers who are just beginning their careers.

3. Become a specialist

Building off the first point, if you can increase the rarity and value of the services you provide your clients, you will be able to command a premium for your time. For instance, many individuals who work in a gym could lead a yoga class, but how many are trained in the art of bikram yoga, which is exploding in popularity nationwide? The world is full of strength trainers, but what percentage is certified in high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts?

4. Offer more services

Building off the first point, if you can increase the rarity and value of the services you provide your clients, you will be able to command a premium for your time. For instance, many individuals who work in a gym could lead a yoga class, but how many are trained in the art of bikram yoga, which is exploding in popularity nationwide? The world is full of strength trainers, but what percentage is certified in high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts?

5. Teach

Finally, you can complete the cycle by becoming a teacher after you have been a student. Of course, this does not require you to give up your job as a personal trainer; you can simply supplement your income by lecturing or holding clinics on the weekends. While the most low-risk paychecks will come from being employed by an actual fitness agency, there is also nothing stopping you from striking out on your own if you choose to do so. If you have built up an established following, you may be able to bring a stable of clients with you to your new venture, easing the transition significantly.

Keep in mind that these five strategies are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to increasing your earnings as a personal trainer. Whether you decide to adopt only a single one of these strategies or to combine several at once, or even to try something completely different from any of them, the only limits are your own imagination and drive!

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