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How to hire a fitness assistant

Fitness assistant hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring fitness assistants in the United States:

  • HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
  • It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
  • The median cost to hire a fitness assistant is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per fitness assistant on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • There are currently 38,735 fitness assistants in the US and 6,609 job openings.
  • Arvada, CO, has the highest demand for fitness assistants, with 13 job openings.
  • New Brunswick, NJ has the highest concentration of fitness assistants.

How to hire a fitness assistant, step by step

To hire a fitness assistant, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a fitness assistant:

Here's a step-by-step fitness assistant hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a fitness assistant job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new fitness assistant
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    First, determine the employments status of the fitness assistant you need to hire. Certain fitness assistant roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A fitness assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, fitness assistants from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    This list shows salaries for various types of fitness assistants.

    Type of Fitness AssistantDescriptionHourly rate
    Fitness AssistantFitness trainers and instructors lead, instruct, and motivate individuals or groups in exercise activities, including cardiovascular exercises (exercises for the heart and blood circulation), strength training, and stretching. They work with people of all ages and skill levels.$11-23
    Certified Personal Trainer A Certified Personal Trainer is a person who will guide, help, and motivate you to move forward and become successful. Anyone with a mastery of a specific subject can become a personal trainer; however, certification is given only by accredited organizations that can offer licensure or certification programs... Show more$10-22
    Manager/Personal TrainerA manager/personal trainer performs fitness training, human resource management, and sales in a single job role. First-aid certification is one of the main requirements for the role... Show more$18-48
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • CPR
    • AED
    • Facility Equipment
    • Facility Maintenance
    • Customer Satisfaction
    • Bulletin Boards
    • Fitness Programs
    • Front Desk
    • Equipment Orientations
    • Customer Service
    • Cleanliness
    • Fitness Facility
    • Physical Therapy
    • Fitness Assessments
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Provide market research and generate leads using social media (facebook) in order to target prospective clients.
    • Perform emergency care if need such as CPR
    • Execute first aid or CPR when need.
    • Assist in the cardiac rehabilitation clinic which include implementing progressive rehabilitation methods with education for long term health and wellness.
    • Prepare for health emergencies within facility using cardiopulmonary resuscitation, automate external defibrillator, and train trauma or injury assistance.
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your fitness assistant job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A fitness assistant salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, fitness assistants' average salary in alabama is 53% less than in california.
    • Seniority. Entry-level fitness assistants earn 52% less than senior-level fitness assistants.
    • Certifications. A fitness assistant with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a fitness assistant's salary.

    Average fitness assistant salary

    $16.25hourly

    $33,790 yearly

    Entry-level fitness assistant salary
    $23,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 15, 2025
  4. Writing a fitness assistant job description

    A fitness assistant job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a fitness assistant job description:

    Fitness assistant job description example

    Hours: 3-4 week nights (Monday - Friday evenings): 3:15pm - 8:45pm based on availability



    PEAK Performance Program

    • Our Mission: Our passion and purpose is to strengthen and nurture the health and well-being of our family, friends, neighbors, and communities, through every season of life.
    • Our Vision: Be recognized as Central Minnesota's preferred program, regionally recognized for innovative, cost effective, and high-quality programming while focusing on the health and well-being of those living in the communities we serve.
    • Through a variety of evidence-based methods, we strive to identify and counteract any functional limitations in order to enhance an individuals' ability to maximize their athletic potential and decrease the risk for injury.

    Job Description

    The Fitness Specialist Assistant is responsible for supporting the Fitness Specialist. They will use their exercise physiology knowledge and experience to assist in facilitating sessions to ensure the athletes are performing exercises in a safe and appropriate manner. This position will work as a part of the sports medicine team of Heartland Orthopedic Specialists.


    Essential Responsibilities

    • Responsible for supporting Fitness Specialist in facilitating PEAK Performance sessions.
    • Promote the PEAK program through community connections and involvement in order to ensure the program is a program of choice within the region
    • Ensure the athletes are performing exercises in a safe and appropriate manner at all times.
    • Maintain equipment maintenance and facility’s cleanliness.


    Other Responsibilities

    • Perform other duties as requested.
    • Participate in departmental or organizational meetings and trainings.


    Preferred Qualifications

    • Working towards a degree in Exercise Physiology, Wellness, or Health Fitness preferred
    • Knowledge, Skills, Abilities
    • Strong communication, computer and organizational skills required
    • Applicants must possess the ability to work with all ages and other healthcare professionals


    Benefit Status

    None


    Union Position

    No



    Applicants must be able to meet the physical demands of the position. A Functional Job Description for this position is on file in the Human Resources Office and is available to all applicants for review. All job offers to persons that are not currently employed by Alomere Health will be conditional based on favorable references and successful completion of both a criminal background check and a drug test.

    I certify that the facts set forth in this employment application (and any accompanying resume) are true and complete to the best of my knowledge. I understand that any falsification, omission, misrepresentation, or concealment of information on this application may be sufficient grounds for disqualification from further consideration for hire or immediate discharge

    I authorize Alomere Health to verify the information contained in this employment application and to investigate my personal or employment history. I also authorize any former school, employer, person, firm, corporation, credit agency, or government agency to provide to Alomere Health information they may have about me. In consideration of Alomere Health’s review of this application.

    I further agree that, if employed, I will conform my conduct to Alomere rules and understand that unless otherwise specifically agreed to in writing; my employment can be terminated at any time with or without cause, and with or without notice, at my option or at the option of Alomere Health.

    I understand that no personnel recruiter, interviewer, or other representative of Alomere Health other than the CEO has authority to enter into any agreement for employment for any specified period of time. I also understand that this application and any employment manuals/handbooks that may be distributed to me during the course of my employment shall not be construed as a contract.

    Alomere Health is an EEO employer.

  5. Post your job

    To find the right fitness assistant for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

    • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with fitness assistants they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit fitness assistants who meet your education requirements.
    • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your fitness assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit fitness assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting fitness assistants requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new fitness assistant

    Once you have selected a candidate for the fitness assistant position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

    You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

    To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a fitness assistant?

Recruiting fitness assistants involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

The median annual salary for fitness assistants is $33,790 in the US. However, the cost of fitness assistant hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring a fitness assistant for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $11 and $23 an hour.

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