51 Personal Training Statistics

by

These personal training figures cover the measurement periods and populations identified in the available source material. Estimates, surveys and forecasts retain their reported scope.

Key Personal Training Statistics

The main findings are:

  • Fitness-facility membership rose 5.6% in 2024.
  • The BLS counted 388,400 fitness trainers and instructors in its latest Occupational Outlook Handbook quick facts (latest BLS estimate shown on page).
  • The May 2023 mean hourly wage for exercise trainers and group fitness instructors was $24.65.
  • In a nationally representative sample of 1,908 U.S. adults told to lose weight, 68% reported trying to lose weight (survey period reported in article).
  • A six-week study of 19 female personal-training clients found adherence to self-selected daily dietary goals of about 62% (6 weeks; Female personal-training clients at a public university).
  • Fitness-facility membership rose 5.8% in 2023.
  • BLS projects 7% employment growth for fitness trainers and instructors from 2025 to 2035 (2025–2035).
  • The May 2023 mean annual wage was $51,270.
  • Among that sample, 10.9% sought help from any health professional for weight loss (survey period reported in article; United States adults told to lose weight).
  • The personalized-training randomized trial involved 112 sedentary or minimally active participants (5 months; Trial population).
  • 24.9% of Americans aged 6 and older held a fitness-facility membership in 2024.
  • BLS projects about 68,000 openings per year for fitness trainers and instructors over 2025–2035 (annual average, 2025–2035).
  • The 10th-percentile hourly wage was $12.91 in May 2023.
  • 3.0% of that sample sought help from a personal trainer (survey period reported in article; United States adults told to lose weight).
  • Total fitness-facility customer penetration reached 31.0% in 2024 when aggregator, pay-as-you-go, insurance and employer-program users were included.

Contents

HFA facility-membership measure, not personal-training-client growth.

HFA facility-membership measure.

Membership is broader than personal-training use.

Composite customer-penetration definition; not a personal-training rate.

HFA member population; not all U.S. adults.

Small-group training is distinct from one-to-one personal training.

HFA participant estimate; comparison baseline and sampling frame should be retained.

Average among the relevant HFA member measure; not a session count for every member.

Historical HFA comparison; definitions should be checked for exact comparability.

Small-group, not one-to-one personal training.

Personal trainer workforce, employment and job outlook statistics

Occupation includes trainers and instructors, not only personal trainers.

Forecast for the broader occupation; not guaranteed personal-training demand.

Includes replacement openings and the broader occupation.

OEWS occupation is broader than one-to-one personal training and differs from OOH scope/date.

Precision indicator, included to qualify the employment estimate.

State occupation total, not personal-training-only employment.

State occupation total.

Personal trainer wages and industry employment statistics

OEWS wage measure; occupation broader than personal trainers.

OEWS wage measure; annual estimate does not describe every worker’s schedule.

Percentile wage, not a typical session price or take-home income.

Percentile wage.

Median employee wage; not client billing rate.

Industry-specific occupation total, not personal-training-only employment.

Industry-specific occupation total.

Mean occupation wage within industry, not personal-training fee revenue.

Mean occupation wage within industry.

Personal training adoption, motivation and client behavior

Population was adults told to lose weight, not all personal-training clients.

Health-professional help is broader than personal training.

Self-reported national sample; not prevalence among gym members.

Comparator service, not personal training.

Stage movement is not a direct measure of exercise minutes or fitness.

No randomized control group.

Secondary study cited in the article; group size and design should be reported from the original study.

Secondary study cited in the article; not necessarily generalizable to all clients.

Personal training exercise adherence and physical-activity outcomes

  • A six-week study of 19 female personal-training clients found adherence to self-selected daily dietary goals of about 62% (6 weeks; Female personal-training clients at a public university). (The Effects of Autonomous Motivation…)
  • The personalized-training randomized trial involved 112 sedentary or minimally active participants (5 months; Trial population). (Impact of a Self-Autonomous Evaluation…)

Small sample; dietary-goal adherence, not exercise-session adherence.

Personalized algorithmic training is not identical to human one-to-one personal training.

Table of contents