You worked hard to build your fitness business. But, like so many trainers, you may not be earning your full potential. If you want to know how to increase your personal trainer salary, keep reading!
In this guide, we teach you seven ways to make more money as a personal trainer.
Tips to Increase Your Personal Trainer Salary
Some personal trainers are stuck working minimum wage, while others are earning six figures. Here’s how to increase your income as a personal trainer.
#1 Become an Independent Trainer
If you’re still putting in hours as a gym instructor, you may be missing out on a wealth of opportunities. You have the potential to double your personal trainer salary by starting an independent fitness business.
As an independent trainer, you set your rates and work your own schedule. You have the freedom to teach how and when you want. Of course, it takes time to hit that six-figure income goal. But at least you have the potential to grow. As a gym instructor, you may be locked into one salary for life.
#2 Get Certified
You don’t need a certification to be a personal trainer. But with so much competition in the industry, you have to be certified to stand out and attract new clients. Not to mention you need a strong foundation to create effective routines and build a successful fitness business.
There are lots of popular certifications out there, so do your research. Choose a certification program that’s been accredited by National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA)
If you’re already certified, try a specialty. This way, you can expand your services and keep up with industry trends. Whether you become a NASM-certified personal trainer or specialize as a wellness coach, it pays off to continue your education.
The good news is that you can transfer Continuing Education Credits between most cert programs. So, you may be able to pursue multiple certs at one time.
#3 Host Online Classes
To double your personal trainer salary, take your classes online. Clients love online fitness classes with flexible schedules that they can do from the comfort of their homes.
You can connect with clients all over the country. You don’t lose out on a session if a client moves or has to travel. And you get to travel too! All you need is a decent camera. You can create online classes in the PocketSuite app using our video conferencing feature.
You’ll increase your client base and make more money. It also means less money spent renting out gym space to host your classes. Just make sure the online program can be done comfortably in a small space with little equipment.
#4 Sell Products
To boost your personal trainer’s salary, try selling fitness products to your clients. You can offer water bottles, resistance bands, or even personalized goal trackers as add-ons to your classes. You know what your clients need to crush their fitness goals. So why not sell it to them directly?
And the products don’t have to be physical. Digital products, like ebooks, templates, and courses, are highly profitable. Your clients want more than a workout partner. They want your expertise and guidance. You have valuable information that can help them with other aspects of their life, like diet and self-image. You can create a guide on training for a marathon or building muscles at home.
It takes time to create these products. But once they’re done, all you have to do is advertise them on your booking site and earn cash for years to come!
#5 Create a Fitness Membership
Fitness memberships have taken over the industry. A fitness membership is like a community within your client base. Clients like to feel like they’re part of a supportive club that motivates them to crush their fitness goals.
When clients subscribe to your membership, they pay a monthly fee for exclusive content and services. So, it’s a great way to boost your personal trainer salary. You can give members free products, live training sessions, ebooks, or discounts.
#6 Become a Fitness Influencer
Are you good on camera? Perfect! You can increase your personal trainer salary by becoming a fitness influencer, i.e., build a social following and earn money from brand endorsements.
In general, fitness trainers perform well on social media. You have a wealth of interesting, helpful content built into your profession.
To grow on social, you can post:
- Full-length training videos,
- Snippets of a routine,
- Meal plans,
- Your own health and fitness routine,
- Progress pictures from your clients
- Equipment Reviews and recommendation
The possibilities are endless. By now, you’ve had a few clients achieve phenomenal success from one of your programs. Those stories are client magnets. Highlight their before and after pics on your Instagram or start a YouTube series where you interview past clients about their journey.
If you’re not familiar with social media, don’t spend too much time or money trying to perfect content. People prefer relatable, off-the-cuff videos anyway. Just remember to engage with your followers, whether by commenting in your Facebook group or answering questions on Instagram live. It gives you an opportunity to connect with potential clients.
#7 Boost Your Marketing Strategy
There’s so much to do when you run a fitness business. So marketing often takes a backseat. If you want to double your personal trainer salary, you need to make promoting your business a priority.
You probably already have a website where clients go to book you or learn about your services. Take it a step further and start a blog to boost your website SEO score and push traffic to your site. This way, potential clients find you organically through your content. Or, you can look into paid advertisements on Google, Facebook, and other social media.
Whatever marketing strategy you choose, remember to connect with your current clients. This could be as simple as doing regular follow-up SMS texts from your PocketSuite business line. Or, you can send a congratulations text each time a client hits a milestone to build trust and show clients you care about their progress.
And remember to ask for referrals. Referral marketing is key to a small business. Your loyal and happy clients are your best asset to land more clients and earn more money!
The Bottom Line
Your personal trainer salary isn’t set in stone. You can take steps to hit your income goals. To make more money as a personal trainer, offer online classes, products, and membership. And make a push to market your fitness business online.
PocketSuite can help you across the finish line. From bookings to payments to contracts, we have 5-star tools to manage a high-earning fitness business.
