If you’re on the journey to becoming a personal trainer, or you want to learn how to become a personal trainer in the UK, then you’ve come to the right place.
In this guide, we’re going to take a look at the interesting career path of the fitness trainer, and answer the popular question: how much does a personal trainer make?
Of course, money isn’t everything.
While your parents might say otherwise, there is more to life than earning as much as you possibly can.
For one, there’s job satisfaction.
We’ve all heard the expression, ‘if you love what you do then you’ll never work a day of your life’, and to some extent that can certainly be the case.
But if we’re realistic, the vast majority of us will find ourselves in jobs that we have a few gripes with, it’s no different with sports education jobs. Even if you find a way to maximise your fees, the extra money might not make everything alright.
As such, it isn’t a case of finding the perfect job, but of finding a job you can both be happy in and make enough money in to live the kind of life you want.
At the end of the day, you will have bills to pay, so it is an important factor to consider when looking into various career paths, but if you feel like you would get some satisfaction out of being a personal trainer then you should pursue it regardless.
Few things could be more rewarding than helping someone to reach their health and fitness goals, and maybe even a greater level of contentment in themselves.
With all that said, let’s talk money!
What is the Average Personal Trainer Salary?
The average personal trainer salary in the UK is anywhere between £15,000 and £60,000 per annum.
If you’re going by hourly rates, someone who is earning around £24,000 would be at £20 per hour, whereas someone with more experience bringing home £60,000 would be earning around £50 per hour.
So how do you know where you will fit in on the earnings scale as a new gym trainer?
Well, the main factors that influence a personal trainer’s yearly pay are the following:
- Experience
As is the case with pretty much any job you can think of, experience counts for a lot, and to a varying extent determines your earnings potential.
It isn’t the only thing that matters, so don’t get discouraged if you’re just starting out, but it makes sense that those who’ve been at it longer have a higher likelihood of earning more money.
Experience alone probably accounts for around £10,000 or so, meaning someone at the top of their game with years of experience under their belt can command on average £5000-10,000 more than someone who is new to the profession.
- Qualifications
Qualifications are another factor that makes a huge difference in most jobs.
The more qualified you are to do the job, the more likely it is that you’ll be able to secure a higher salary.
In sports and fitness jobs, the qualifications you’ll want to pay attention to are the Level 2 and Level 3 certifications.
The Level 2 certification makes you qualified to teach as a gym instructor, taking home a lower average salary than a personal trainer would.
The Level 3 certification is what makes you qualified to teach as a personal trainer, and gives you the potential to earn a higher salary.
Both personal trainer qualifications cost money to take, which we’ll discuss in more detail later, and can be completed online.
- Location
The third most important factor for determining your earnings potential as a personal trainer is where you are based.
Your salary isn’t likely to be the same if you work in a small town like Oldham versus a large city like Manchester. This applies whether you plan on working in a gym (which has a lot of benefits) or going solo and building up your own client base.
Even though the paycheck may be larger in the big cities, though, it doesn’t necessarily mean you should pack your bags and move to the closest city.
City life comes at a cost, so with a higher salary comes higher living costs, so you’ll have to figure out whether it’s worth your while financially speaking.
Your pay will also be closely related to how many clients you secure, which leads us to the next commonly asked question...
Ensure that your search for personal trainers near me also considers the trainer's availability to match your schedule, ensuring consistent progress towards your goals.
How Can you Earn a Higher Salary?
The best way to command a higher salary as a personal trainer is to work on yourself.
No, we don’t mean hit the gym even harder than you already do!
What we’re referring to is your ability to market yourself and the services you sell. While you might not see it this way, as a personal trainer you’re effectively a salesman trying to encourage others to pay for your services.
As such, learning a thing or two about marketing could work in your favour financially.
We’re not saying that you should employ sleazy salesperson tactics in order to lure clients in and take their money.
Far from it.
What we’re saying is you need to think outside the box to convince gymgoers to choose you over the next personal trainer.
One of the most effective ways to do this is to build an online presence for yourself.
This is true for most professions these days since all it takes is a small following and you can start monetising your audience or drumming up interest for your business.
Even at the most basic level, if you just set up an Instagram account where you post regular photos of yourself working out coupled with inspirational captions, you can generate more interest in your services.
Just take a look at the rise of the fitness instructor celebrity, like Joe Wicks, who has proved that all you need is charisma and a willingness to deliver regular online classes to succeed.
If you want to follow in this vein, then why not set up a YouTube account for yourself and see if you can rise to internet stardom?
Even if you never make it past 10 followers, you’re still channelling your energy into marketing yourself and your services, which you’ll eventually see a return on. If you have a channel you can direct potential clients to before they sign up, they’ll know exactly what they’re signing up for.
How much does it cost to become a personal trainer in the UK?
To become a personal trainer in the UK, you’re going to need to pursue a few qualifications, which naturally cost money.
First, you’ll need to get your hands on the Level 2 Gym Instructor qualification, before you can go on to get the Level 3 Personal Trainer qualification. These pt courses are thorough and should give you the skills and knowledge you need to embark on your personal trainer career.
So how much will this set you back?
Well, it depends on which organisation you do the qualification with, and whether you’re able to find a discounted rate.
For example, at The Fitness Group, you can take the Level 2 qualification for around £674 online and £794 to do it full-time. This organisation does offer discounted prices though as well as different payment options at 0% interest.
For the Level 3 qualification, you’re looking at paying north of £1,000, in the case of The Fitness Group, it would be £1595.
As such, since the Level 2 qualifications is a prerequisite, you’ll end up spending at least £2000 between the two.
How do you become a Personal Trainer?
If this all sounds great to you, and you aren’t put off with any of the costs, then how do you take the first steps towards becoming a personal trainer in the UK?
First, you may be wondering how long it takes to become a personal trainer. The answer to this will depend, but depending on your experience it can take as few as 3 months to get certified. There are many personal trainer courses out there to get you up to speed in no time.
If you want to learn first-hand how to become a pt, why not find a personal trainer yourself and get a feel for the process?
This can be useful in a number of ways.
First, you’ll get to see exactly how a personal trainer goes about structuring their classes and programmes, and if they’re nice they may even answer a question or two you have about their job.
Second, you’ll get to experience what it feels like to be a client, which will be hugely beneficial as it can help you learn how to best motivate others and how to create enjoyable classes.
With Superprof, you can look up ‘personal trainers near me’, and get that experience you’re looking for. You can even work with a PT online, in case you’d rather work out from the comfort of your own home.
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