Spin Instructor Salary Explained

Whether you’re a newly qualified fitness instructor or want to start teaching classes, Spin is one of the most popular fitness classes out there. But you may be wondering, ‘how much do Spin instructors make in the UK?’

We’ve answered this and more in this article, covering:

• What is the Average Spin Instructor Salary?
• What is the Difference Between Spin and Indoor Cycling?
• What is the Average Indoor Cycling Instructor Salary?
• How Can I Earn a High Indoor Cycling or Spin Instructor Wage?

Before we get started, start your journey towards teaching Spin by becoming qualified with our industry-leading Personal Trainer Diploma. Enquire today, or download our free course prospectus to browse the full range of courses we offer. 

What is the Average Spin Instructor Salary?

In terms of the average certified Spin instructor salary in the UK, it can be difficult to give an exact figure.

This is because there aren’t many gyms, leisure centres, or fitness studios in the UK offering branded Spin classes. For example, there is only one Spin class located within 20 miles of Liverpool.

This is because ‘Spinning’ is a trademarked company and was originally founded in the USA. It therefore remains more popular over there than in the UK.

Most Spin classes in the UK are located in independent gyms and leisure centres, such as Garston Lifestyles leisure centre shown above. However, Anytime Fitness is a large-scale, commercial gym which offers Spin classes to its members.

As part of the fitness instructor job description for most gyms, you will have to teach a wide range of different fitness classes- including Spin. 

With this in mind, to gauge an idea of the average Spin class instructor salary, we will consider the salary of a group class instructor at Anytime Fitness- who will likely have to teach a Spin class as part of their role. 

For example, a fitness instructor at Anytime Fitness earns £19,883 on average, according to Indeed.

However, this salary is only taking employed roles into account- as a freelancer, you could stand to earn much more.

You can therefore expect to receive this kind of salary as a Spin instructor. 

What is a Typical Spin Instructor Salary Per Class?

Above we have covered the average Spin instructor wage on an annual basis. 

However, you may be wondering, what is the average indoor cycling instructor salary per class?

A typical Spin class is one hour long. So, we can use the average hourly Spin instructor salary to give an indication of how much you can make per class. 

In fact, most fitness instructor roles at Anytime Fitness are advertised at an hourly pay rate- so we can see this as the income per class. 

This is because their roles are mainly freelance, meaning that an instructor's average salary will be determined by how many classes they choose to teach.

Spin instructors can therefore expect to earn approximately £25 per hour, as shown in the job advert below:

However, this figure may vary, depending on several factors which we’ll discuss later in this article.

What is the Difference Between Spin and Indoor Cycling?

Before we go any further, let’s establish the difference between ‘Spin’ and ‘indoor cycling’, as you may see the terms used interchangeably. 

Indoor cycling is a type of exercise class that involves using a stationary exercise bicycle. 

Spin is a name trademarked by Mad Dogg Athletics, and is a type of indoor cycling class. 

There are also other fitness companies who have their version of an indoor cycling class, such as Les Mills’ RPM. 

However, many people use the term ‘spin’ or ‘spinning’ as a generic term for any indoor cycling class.

Since they are slightly different things, you may therefore find slightly different salaries for Spin and indoor cycling instructors. For example, here are some average hourly rates  for different types of indoor cycling instructors:

• Spin instructor - £25 per hour
• Self-employed indoor cycling instructor - £20 - £40 per hour

You should also remember that whilst Spin, RPM, and other branded indoor cycling classes also require different certifications to teach.

For example, you will need an official Spinning certification from Madd Dogg Athletics to teach their trademarked Spin classes. But you will only need a Level 2 Fitness Instructor qualification to lead an indoor cycling class. 

For more information about exactly what Spin is and how to teach it, check out our guide to how to become a Spin instructor here.

What is the Average Indoor Cycling Instructor Salary?

With this in mind, you may now be wondering, so how much do indoor cycling instructors make?

By this, we mean how much generic indoor cycling instructors make- not necessarily the Spin brand specifically. 

According to Glassdoor, the average indoor cycling instructor salary per year is £30,819.

However, this figure is based only on the salary of full-time indoor cycling employees and, in reality, average wages are typically higher than this.

This is because sites such as Glassdoor only have access to data from those who are employed full-time. So freelance and self-employed instructor salaries are not included.

We’ll go into more depth on freelance and self-employed instructor salaries later in this article, but it’s important to know that they generally have a larger earning potential than employed instructors.

For example, this freelance role states that their indoor cycling instructor salary per 50 minute class is £25.

Their average salary per year will therefore depend on the number of classes that they choose to teach as a freelance instructor. This means that they have more potential to earn more, as they can choose to teach more classes!

How Can I Earn a High Indoor Cycling or Spin Instructor Wage?

Now that you know the answer to the question ‘how much does a Spin instructor make in the UK?’, you may be wondering how you can maximise your salary and earn more than the average instructor.

Here are some of the factors that may affect your earning potential and can lead to higher wages in this career:

#1- Level of Experience Can Impact a Spin or Indoor Cycling Instructor Salary

The first factor that can impact the average Spin instructor salary in the UK is the level of experience you have.

As with any career in the fitness industry, the more experience you have, the higher you should expect your salary to be.

This is because you will gain more skills and knowledge the more classes that you teach, including how to motivate class members and instruct a good spin class!

You will therefore build up a great reputation as an instructor, so more people will want to attend your classes.

This makes you more valuable to gyms and Spin studios hiring instructors, meaning that they may offer you a higher salary, or you may be able to charge more for each class as a freelance instructor.

Although it is hard to put an exact numerical figure on the difference in salary between an entry-level instructor and one with more experience, here are the salaries that Glassdoor suggests, to give you a better idea:

As you can see, the higher up you get on the instructor career ladder, the higher your salary becomes! 

#2- Where Your Classes Are Located Can Impact a Spin Class Instructor Salary

When wondering “how much does a Spin instructor make?”, one of the biggest factors is where you are based.

As living costs in London are greater than anywhere else in the country, the living wage is higher, meaning that the average salary is higher.

For instance, the average salary for full-time workers in London is estimated to be £41,866, whereas it is only £30,716 for those in the North West.

This is the same when it comes to answering the question ‘how much does an indoor cycling instructor make?

According to Glassdoor, for those instructors working in London, their average salary per year is £39,755.

In contrast, in Liverpool the average salary is much lower, at £23,487 per year.

Being based in a gym or Spin studio in a city centre location is also likely to increase your average salary, particularly if you are a freelance or self-employed instructor.

This is because there is a higher demand for Spin and indoor cycling classes here in comparison to rural areas, meaning that instructors are more in demand too.

However, if you’re working as a Spin instructor in a city, you may need to account for extra costs such as parking or public transport to get there. 

Where you teach your classes also has a link to the type of people you will be teaching. 

For example, if you choose to run classes in a high-end central London studio, you are likely to attract professionals who earn a higher wage than most of the population.

This means that you will be able to set a higher price for your sessions and are also likely to attract more clients as you are situated in a busy central location.

In contrast, if you run classes in a community centre, your clients are likely to be on a lower income. You will therefore need to make your sessions more affordable to make them accessible to a wider audience.

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#3- How You’re Employed Will Affect Your Spin Instructor Salary Per Class

As a Spin or indoor cycling instructor, there are three distinct ways that you can work. These are:

• As a salaried full or part-time employee
• Freelance
• Self-employed

Each of these options can affect the average indoor cycling instructor salary per class. 

In general, freelance instructors work at multiple locations running spin or indoor cycling classes, whereas self-employed instructors typically work in one location.

Those who are employed- either salaried or part-time, will receive a fixed salary which is paid monthly. This is alongside other benefits such as sick pay and holiday pay.

Despite their differences, legally, freelancers and those that are self-employed are the same. For example, they will both be expected to provide their own fitness instructor insurance.

However, as we discussed earlier, freelancers and self-employed workers have a greater earning potential than those in employment.

This is because they can generate more income the more classes that they teach, whereas the number of classes a salaried employee teaches will not impact their salary as agreed in their contract.

For example, you can see from this advert for a self-employed instructor from Energy Fitness that the successful candidate will be paid per class that they teach.

Energy Fitness suggests that the instructor will be paid £20-£40 per hour, which highlights the fact that their salary will be closer to the higher end of this bracket the more classes that they teach.

#4- The Type of Gym You Work At Will Impact Your Average Spin Instructor Salary

If you’re a Spin or indoor cycling instructor employed on a full or part-time basis at a gym, a factor which can impact your salary is the type of gym that you work at.

Instructors working at high-end boutique indoor cycling studios are likely to earn a higher salary than those at a budget gym.

For example, SoulCycle began in the US and has now become a cycling phenomenon in the UK, with two studios in London.

They charge a premium rate of £24 per class, and although the average SoulCycle salary in the UK is not disclosed, it is estimated that instructors in the US can earn up to $150 per class!

In contrast, this role at a leisure centre pays £17.20, which equates to a lower average indoor cycling instructor salary.

#5- Your Reputation Can Impact Your Indoor Cycling Instructor Salary

Particularly if you are a freelance or self-employed Spin instructor, your reputation can impact your Spin instructor wage. 

This is because alongside social media marketing, one of the best ways for self-employed or freelance Spin instructors to build a loyal client base is through recommendations from others.

This could be in the form of client testimonials or positive reviews, such as the ones below for Spin classes at LD Fitness.

Research suggests that 72% of consumers trust businesses more after reading positive reviews and testimonials.

So by building up a positive reputation through providing great Spin classes, instructors are likely to attract more clients to each session.

This means that they will generate a higher income and, in the long run, earn a higher certified Spin instructor salary!

#6- The Number of Classes You Run Can Impact Your Average Indoor Cycling Instructor Salary

As mentioned previously in this article, the average indoor cycling instructor salary can vary based on the number of classes they run.

This is the case particularly for self-employed and freelance instructors, who can generally determine how often they wish to work.

However, the number of classes an instructor runs may also be determined by the gym or studio where they work.

For example, this role at JD Gyms suggests that they run between 200 and 400 classes per month. 

This is therefore a good amount of classes available for you to make money from!

So in general, the more classes you can run, the higher your potential spin instructor salary will be!

#7- How Many People Participate in Each Class Will Affect Your Spin Class Instructor Salary

Along with the number of classes that you run, the number of people that attend can have an impact on the average Spin instructor salary.

For instance, someone that charges £5 per class and has 20 members will earn more on average for each class than an instructor running a class priced at £10 with only 5 attendees.

The number of class members that a self-employed instructor has will depend on a variety of factors, including their reputation and the demand for spin classes within the local area.

Another important factor to consider is pricing structures, which can be chosen by self-employed instructors running their own classes.

If an instructor charges clients for individual classes, they may struggle to retain clients in comparison to someone who designs a monthly pricing package.

For example, an instructor working at Inverness Cycle Studio charges £7.50 per 45-minute class.

However, as shown below, they also have a membership package available for just £38 that clients can purchase to access an unlimited number of classes per month.

This means that they are likely to attract more members per class than if they were to accept payment per individual session, giving them the chance to build up a loyal client base.

Another benefit of this for the instructor is that once purchased, the package renews each month as part of a direct debit. 

Members are less likely to cancel a direct debit once it is set up, so this is an effective strategy for retaining clients in the long run and increasing class numbers!

Check out our guide to creating personal training packages for more tips that you can apply when pricing your Spin class prices! 

Before You Go!

So, we hope that you now have a clear answer to the question, ‘how much do Spin instructors make in the UK?’. 

Feeling inspired? Take the first steps on your journey to becoming a Spin instructor with our Personal Trainer Diploma! Enquire today, or browse the full range of courses by downloading our free course prospectus here. 

Sources:

• Emily Cullinan, ‘How to Use Customer Testimonials to Generate 62% More Revenue from Every Customer, Every Visit’, Big Commerce