Personal Trainer Salary Explained

To understand what factors influence this figure, the following topics will be covered:

• What Is The Average Personal Trainer Salary (UK)
• 3 Factors That Affect Your Personal Training Salary
• 3 Ways to Boost Your Salary as a Personal Trainer 

Obtaining a specialist a Personal Training Diploma will be the first step in earning this lucrative salary. Once qualified you can begin taking on clients and earning a reliable source of income.

If this sounds appealing to you, but you have no idea where to start, check out our article detailing 'How to Become a Personal Trainer'.

What Is The Average Personal Trainer Salary (UK)

For immediate clarity, the average salary of a PT is around £29,200 per year.

This is corroborated by salary comparison site Glassdoor, however, one thing to keep in mind when viewing these figures is they are a reflection of the site's users, meaning they can be somewhat biased.  

This is because these figures don't consider external factors that can influence a personal trainer salary, including:

• The level of experience a PT has - Newly qualified personal trainers will earn less than those who have been working in the industry for several years.
• The qualifications held by a PT - You can justify charging higher prices if you hold a specialist qualification in areas such as Level 4 Advanced Sports Nutrition.
• The number of hours a PT works - The more hours you work, the more you earn.

These examples are just a selection of smaller variables that can influence your overall earnings, with other factors having a greater influence:

• How You Work as a PT
• The Location of Your Employment 
• What Kind of Gym You Work At

The following section will take an in-depth look at each of these factors in greater detail!

3 Primary Factors That Can Influence Your Personal Training Salary 

How You Work Can Affect Your Personal Training Salary 

Let’s explore the three primary forms of employment of this position, and determine how each can influence your overall salary as a personal trainer.

#1 - Contracted Employment 

When employed by a gym or fitness centre, personal trainers can work up to 40 hours per week. In this position your employer will set your working hours, requiring you to adhere to a designated schedule. 

Keep in mind when pursuing contracted employment that your salary will be capped at a set fee every month, meaning you won’t be able to earn any additional income. 

This arrangement is ideal for many personal trainers, as it offers a dependable fixed source of income that they can rely on every month!

#2  - Freelance Work

Freelance personal trainers have a greater amount of control over their working hours, and can decide when and where they wish to work. 

For this reason, their salary is uncapped as they can take on more hours than contracted personal trainers. 

However, this can result in an inconsistent source of income should they work different hours every month. 

In addition to this, freelance personal trainers will also have to factor in expenses that can impact their salary such as gym rental fees - This can range in price, with PureGym charging £550 per month!

#3 - Working As A Self-Employed Personal Trainer

Becoming a self-employed personal trainer provides you with unlimited control over your own business. 

Glassdoor estimates that the average salary of a self-employed personal trainer is £27,295. 

However, when employed in this position your earnings are uncapped, as you can maximise your profits through working more hours and offering valuable additional services.

Self-employed trainers will also need to factor in expenses that can influence their overall salaries, such as gym rental fees, as well as the cost of equipment and travel.

Location Will Affect Your Personal Training Salary

Location can influence the salary of a personal trainer on both a local and national level. In the table below, you will be able to see how the average wage varies between the 10 largest cities in the UK:

Personal Trainers in London earn a significantly higher wage to offset various factors such as their rent and travel costs, which vastly exceed that of other cities. But that doesn’t guarantee that every trainer in said location will be earning this exact amount.

Within every city, there will be more affluent and deprived areas, and depending on where you’re employed you could be earning more or less than the proposed average above. 

Location can also influence the prices set by self-employed personal trainers who wish to price match their competitors. For example, should you learn that another PT in your local area is charging less, you may adjust your prices accordingly.

Which Gyms Pay Personal Trainers The Most?

It’s important to understand that high-end gyms will pay their personal trainers a greater salary compared to budget-friendly alternatives. 

To understand this, take a look at the following statistics we gathered comparing a personal trainer’s annual salary at 3 different types of gyms:

• Budget Friendly PureGym - Average of £26k per year 
• Mid-Tiered Virgin Active -  Average of £34k per year
• High-End Nuffield Health - Average of £51k per year 

This increased personal training salary is justifiable as the high-end gyms bring in significantly more money than their budget-friendly counterparts.

In addition to this, employers in these high-end facilities will also likely require personal trainers to hold a specialism in areas such as Lower Back Pain Management to offer their clients something they can’t get elsewhere.

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3 Ways to Boost Your Salary as a Personal Trainer 

Tip #1 - Gain Extra Qualifications To Increase Your Personal Trainer Salary

After earning your Personal Training Diploma you can boost your earning potential by completing additional qualifications. PTs pursuing contracted employment will be able to use these certifications to stand out among their competitors, presenting themselves as a candidate with varied skill set.

Whereas self-employed personal trainers will be able to offer additional services to their clients that help to facilitate their training, thus securing an additional source of income.

For example, PTs with a Level 3 Sports Massage Therapy Qualification could cross-refer injured clients to this service, to ensure they don’t lose money during the recovery period. 

Our article discussing 6 Additional Revenue Streams for Personal Trainers highlights how additional qualifications can generate more income in greater detail.

Tip #2  - Attract New Clients Through Marketing Your Business Online

Self-Employed personal trainers can increase their income by marketing their business to attract new clients: 

These personal training marketing strategies include:

• Finding out who your target market is
• Defining your unique selling point 
• Creating a website
• Developing social media accounts for your brand
• Making your brand visible with a Google My Business profile

This outreach will help attract new clients to your business, who would have otherwise been unable to invest due to a lack of visibility online.

Tip #3 - Improve Your Client Retention Strategies 

As well as attracting new clients, your personal training salary is dependent on your ability to retain your existing ones. 

To ensure that your clients remain paying for your services, you should implement retention strategies such as:

• Monthly Payment Packages
• Personal Training Contracts 
• Building a Strong Rapport 
• Creating Reward Schemes / Offering Incentives 

To ensure your personal training salary isn’t affected by poor client retention, watch this in-depth video to learn how you can implement these strategies yourself:

Before You Go!

Now that you have a better understanding of the average personal training salary in the UK, nothing is stopping you from increasing your earning potential!

Remember, earning a Personal Training Diploma can help you earn a lucrative salary. Once qualified you can earn a fixed salary in a contracted position, or become self-employed and set your prices!