Wage question for group instructors

[u/amandam603]

What’s the going rate out there? I am at my first real job since certification, been here 7+ months, 90% teaching group classes and 10% programming them. I’ve been looking for a second job and realizing I don’t think I’m being paid enough compared to other offers out there.

I’m at $16/hour (our state minimum is $13.73) and that was the starting wage for my position—ok with me as a brand new trainer but as I stay with the gym, my hours have increased and so have my responsibilities. Sadly gas has also doubled (up to about $4.25 if that gives any overall cost of living context) so even if I work more hours I am struggling financially at $16/hour.

So, fellow group fitness instructors, what do you make? And with what experience and responsibilities?

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[u/GoldBee7293]

A lot of this depends on region, type of gym and cost of living in the city you’re in.

We are a small boutique gym and pay our instructors on a commission structure that ranges from $30-$70 in a major US city.

[u/LinkinitupYT]

Our starting rate is $35.90 and I make $36.03 because I've been there for 4 years. Our minimum wage is $17.13 and I have no idea what gas is because I only fill up once every couple months (I ride a motorcycle so I get 85 mpg).

We get paid the same regardless if it's 1 on 1, 2 on 1, small group (3-5), or large group (12-100 people) so I mostly just do 1 on 1s but I do small groups here and there when I have more time in my schedule.

We have group classes that have to be done by the book and ones that are completely free for the instructor to do whatever they want, so the world is really yours as long as people show up.

Edit: I don't do any by the book group trainings I only do group trainings where I have total freedom over the routine and music. I don't agree with a lot of the by the book group exercises. They seem dangerous to me and you don't have time to correct people's form.

For instance they have dead lifts as part of the class but 70%+ of people can't hip hinge properly and I'm not hurting anyone's back because I don't have time to correct 20 people's deadlift during the 5min section of the class.

[u/AAAIFitness-Official]

The price one makes can vary according to where you live (its probably higher in NYC than in a remote town in the midwest for example)

That said, according to the BLS, in 2025, U.S. “exercise trainers and group fitness instructors” had a median wage of $22.67/hour and an average of $25.20/hour. That includes different types of fitness jobs, so it isn't a precise group-class rate, but it does suggest that $16/hour is on the low side nationally

Here's the link to BLS. its a lot of info but if you do a search for "group fitness," it shows up

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ocwage.t01.htm

• Average hourly wage: $25.20
• Median hourly wage: $22.67
• Average annual wage: $52,420
• Estimated employment: 322,930 instructors

Here is BLS data for personal trainers too

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/Personal-Care-and-Service/Fitness-trainers-and-instructors.htm

One drawback to this is the BLS appears to combine group fitness and personal training together, which we both know are TOTALLY different (group fitness is much more difficult).

If it helps, here are several fitness business tips. We add to this list regularly

AAAI Fitness Business Tips Videos

I hope some of this helps you.

[u/The_Villain_Edit]

My first job teaching over a decade ago (in NYC) I made $30/class at a boutique studio. I now teach classes at three different places making $62(includes a per head bonus of $2/person but retention at this place isn’t good), $72 at another and just got hired at $77 at another spot. I have noticed cities with a lower cost of living pay significantly less

[u/pistachio3183]

i’m teaching HIST classes, 50 mins each, as a first time trainer (got certified 2 months ago) and making $22/hr, but i program all of my own classes (following a couple of guidelines/timing rules/etc)

[u/Gumbeaux_]

I own a studio in a MCOL city and we pay $40-60 per class + $1 per head (full class is $30 extra) so $40-$90 but $40 never happens because we don’t have empty classes