Peloton Instructor Salary: Explained

With over 6 million users worldwide, becoming a Peloton instructor is a highly exclusive, sought-after role that you may be considering as a career option.

Whether you’re a newly qualified fitness instructor or an aspiring PT, you may be interested to get an idea of the average Peloton instructor salary in the UK.

In this article, we’ll answer the question ‘how much does a Peloton instructor earn?’, covering: 

• What is the Average Salary of a Peloton Instructor?
• 4 Factors That Influence a Peloton Instructor’s Salary
• Who is the Highest Paid Instructor and What is Their Peloton Trainer Salary?
• How Much Do Peloton Coaches Make Compared to Other Careers in the Fitness Industry?
• Why is the Peloton Salary in the UK and Worldwide Higher than Other Fitness Instructors?

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What is the Average Salary of a Peloton Instructor?

Although the company doesn’t disclose exact figures for their salaries, we are going to provide the answer to the question ‘how much do Peloton instructors make?’

It has been reported that senior instructors earn a salary as large as ‘six figures with stock options’, as Jess Sims told The Wall Street Journal in 2019.

This is because Peloton founder John Foley believes in shared ownership and therefore hands several billion dollars' worth of company equity awards to instructors. This then in turn boosts the overall Peloton fitness instructor salary.

These free stock options also act as an incentive for instructors to begin teaching classes on the Peloton platform. 

It was reported in January 2021 by various media sources that senior instructors earn up to $500,000 per year, which is equivalent to £359,000.

However, this does not count the extra income that instructors can make from external sponsorships, which we’ll cover in more detail later in this article.

How Much Do Instructors Earn Per Class in Terms of a Peloton Trainer’s Salary?

As with the overall Peloton instructor salary, Peloton does not officially report on the amount that their instructors make per class taught.

However, it has been frequently reported that instructors can earn from $500 to $750 per class, (approximately £400-600) depending on several factors that we will discuss in the next section.

Since they teach 10 to 15 classes per week, instructors could therefore be earning approximately $12,000 per week (approximately £9694) from their Peloton classes alone! 

4 Factors That Influence a Peloton Instructor’s Salary

Since there is no fixed income for instructors, it is difficult to answer the question ‘how much do Peloton coaches make?’

This is because their earning potential can vary based upon the following factors:

#1- The Salary of Peloton Instructors Depends on their Role Within the Company

Some Peloton instructors have other roles within the company alongside teaching classes, which will boost their earning potential.

For instance, Cody Rigsby is Peloton’s cycling director and acts as a scout for potential new Peloton instructors. He also has a large Instagram following of over 1.3 million users. 

This means that he has extra responsibilities when compared to other instructors, meaning that he is likely to generate a higher income. 

If you’re wondering what a Peloton manager salary is, it has been estimated that CEO John Foley earned $17.8 million in 2021.

In contrast, it was reported in Peloton’s Proxy Statement that in terms of the average Peloton employee salary, such as someone who works in a showroom, for example, earned on average $56,084 (approx £45310) in 2021.

This is dramatically lower than the salary of Peloton instructors! 

#2- Reputation Can Determine a Peloton Teacher Salary

When Peloton instructors are initially hired, they are given full-time contracts. They are also provided with a generous compensation bonus on an incentive basis.

This means that the more successful their workouts are with Peloton’s customers, and the more active their association with the brand is, the more commission they will earn.

So when answering the question ‘what do Peloton instructors make?’, it’s clear that the better the reputation that they earn for themselves, the higher their salary is likely to be!

Those with a better public reputation are also likely to gain higher-paid brand deals which will boost their yearly salary. 

For example, popular instructor Robin Arzón is an Adidas ambassador and Leanne Hainsby has worked with luxury brands such as Harrods! 

#3- A Peloton Coach Salary Varies Based on Their Level of Experience

To determine the average Peloton instructor salary, it’s important to consider that instructors who have been working for longer are given more responsibility.

In other words, they are seen as the main faces of the Peloton brand. They are therefore huge assets to the company, and to retain their talent, they are therefore likely to be paid more.

When Peloton was first founded, talented instructors would have been offered a higher salary to secure their employment. This would ensure that Peloton would be able to attract and retain members in the long term.

However, as the platform grew from an audience of 1.6 million in 2020 to 5.9 million by June 2021, the Peloton instructor role has become much more desirable and exclusive. 

This means that Peloton does not necessarily have to pay their newer instructors as high a salary as their original recruits.

For example, as the first ever instructor, Jenn Sherman’s Peloton salary is likely to be higher than a newer recruit.

This is actually the case for most fitness-related roles. 

For example, the salary of a fitness instructor also depends on their experience level. The more experience you have, the higher you can expect your salary to be. 

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#4- How Many Classes They Run Can Impact a Peloton Instructor’s Salary in the UK and Worldwide

As we’ve mentioned, Peloton instructors generally earn from $500 to £750 per class (£400-600). This means that the more classes they run, the more they are likely to earn!

However, the number of classes taught per week may depend on how popular the instructor is, as well as other commitments they have. 

For example, many instructors work on brand campaigns and post sponsored content on social media, which will take up some of their schedules.

Who is the Highest Paid Instructor and What is Their Peloton Trainer Salary?

As we’ve mentioned, the answer to the question ‘how much does a Peloton instructor make per year?’ depends largely on their role within the company.

Cody Rigsby is currently the highest-paid Peloton instructor to date, with his salary estimated to be greater than $500,000 (£404,000), with his net worth between $5 and $6 million (£4039,500- £4847,400).

Cody is Peloton’s Cycling Director alongside his role as an instructor. With his eye for talent, he also helps to recruit new instructors, and it is these roles combined that make him the highest-earning instructor.

Alongside his roles at Peloton, Cody shot to fame with his appearance on the American TV show ‘Dancing with the Stars.’

He now has over 1.3 million followers on Instagram, where he promotes his rides and works with various brands. This is another factor that contributes to his Peloton instructor salary.

How Much Do Peloton Coaches Make Compared to Other Careers in the Fitness Industry?

If you’re considering becoming a Peloton instructor, it can be useful to know how the salary compares to other careers in the fitness industry.

So when considering ‘how much do Peloton instructors earn?’, this will allow you to make an informed decision on the career path that is most suited to you.

Here is an idea of the average salary for some of the most popular fitness careers:

• Peloton instructors-£359,000
• Gym instructors - £24,000
• Personal trainers - £29,000
• Gym managers - £30,000

Check out our list of the highest paying jobs in fitness for more roles and their salaries! 

Why is the Peloton Salary in the UK and Worldwide Higher than Other Fitness Instructors?

As you can see from the figures above, the average Peloton instructors salary is higher than that of other fitness instructors. 

Peloton pays their instructors a higher-than-average salary as they typically recruit high-profile instructors to run their classes. In fact, it is reported that Peloton uses talent agencies to find their instructors. 

Having well-known, likeable instructors acting as the face of the Peloton brand helps to attract people to their classes and keeps them coming back each week. 

As they are so important to the high-end nature of the brand and help to maintain its values, Peloton instructors are therefore well-rewarded with a high salary for their efforts.

This also ensures that Peloton can retain its high-quality staff and that they are not head-hunted by other fitness companies offering higher salaries.

Since they are high profile, instructors can also make money through sponsorships and ads on social media. 

For example, instructor Leanne Hainsby began teaching spin classes in London.

After being spotted by star instructor Cody Rigsby, Leanne began working as a Peloton instructor and has built up 282,000 Instagram followers.

She has also built a community of fans online known as the ‘Yes to You Crew’ and is frequently invited to high-profile events such as film premieres.

Along with her Peloton instructor salary, Leanne works with brands such as Mazda to produce sponsored content to share with her followers- as you can see below.

The content aims to encourage users to make purchases of a company’s products or services, which she will be paid for based upon a pre-agreed, contracted price.

With over 54 Peloton instructors across the world, this is a highly exclusive role that is only open to those spotted by Peloton scouts.

This means that instructors have built up a reputation in their field and are discovered by Peloton through word-of-mouth or networking. With so few instructors to pay, Peloton can therefore afford to reward their small and exclusive group of instructors with a large salary!

Before You Go!

So, we hope you now have a better idea of the average Peloton instructor’s salary, and the factors that can affect it. 

Feeling inspired? If you’re not already, start a lucrative career in the fitness industry with our industry-leading Personal Trainer Diploma! Enquire today, or check out our industry-leading courses by downloading our free course prospectus here. 

Sources

• Amy Lombard, ‘Peloton Instructor: “We Are Treated Like Professional Athletes’, The Wall Street Journal
• Peloton, 2021 Proxy Statement, October 2021