Fitness instructor demographics and statistics in the US
Fitness instructor demographics research summary. Zippia estimates fitness instructor demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our fitness instructor estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about fitness instructors after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 63,049 fitness instructors currently employed in the United States.
- 67.8% of all fitness instructors are women, while 32.2% are men.
- The average fitness instructor age is 37 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of fitness instructors is White (71.3%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (10.6%), Black or African American (7.1%) and Unknown (5.4%).
- In 2022, women earned 95% of what men earned.
- 13% of all fitness instructors are LGBT.
- Fitness instructors are 54% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to education companies.
On this page
Fitness instructor demographics by:
Fitness instructor gender statistics
67.8% of fitness instructors are women and 32.2% of fitness instructors are men.
- Female, 67.8%
- Male, 32.2%
Fitness instructor gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 67.8% |
| Male | 32.2% |
Fitness instructor gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$36,027
Female income
$34,291
Fitness instructor gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in fitness instructor positions over time. Currently, 67.8% of fitness instructors are female.
Fitness instructor gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 26.42% | 73.58% |
| 2011 | 26.40% | 73.60% |
| 2012 | 28.43% | 71.57% |
| 2013 | 29.33% | 70.67% |
| 2014 | 28.04% | 71.96% |
| 2015 | 30.17% | 69.83% |
| 2016 | 29.26% | 70.74% |
| 2017 | 30.40% | 69.60% |
| 2018 | 33.06% | 66.94% |
| 2019 | 33.35% | 66.65% |
| 2020 | 28.77% | 71.23% |
| 2021 | 32.24% | 67.76% |
Fitness instructor related jobs gender ratio
We compared fitness instructors with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, camp boss and valet have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Infant Childcare Provider | 3% | 97% |
| Daycare Owner | 4% | 96% |
| Professional Nanny | 5% | 95% |
| Fitness Instructor | 32% | 68% |
| Intramural Director | 82% | 18% |
| Valet | 85% | 15% |
| Camp Boss | 88% | 12% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Fitness instructor demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among fitness instructors is White, which makes up 71.3% of all fitness instructors. Comparatively, 10.6% of fitness instructors are Hispanic or Latino and 7.1% of fitness instructors are Black or African American.
- White, 71.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 10.6%
- Black or African American, 7.1%
- Unknown, 5.4%
- Asian, 5.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
Fitness instructor race
| Fitness instructor race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 71.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.6% |
| Black or African American | 7.1% |
| Unknown | 5.4% |
| Asian | 5.1% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
Fitness instructor race and ethnicity over time
See how fitness instructor racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Fitness instructor race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 77.59% | 8.67% | 2.92% | 7.87% |
| 2011 | 78.42% | 8.96% | 2.75% | 7.27% |
| 2012 | 75.96% | 9.53% | 2.76% | 8.36% |
| 2013 | 75.00% | 9.25% | 3.26% | 9.17% |
| 2014 | 75.48% | 9.18% | 3.14% | 8.69% |
| 2015 | 74.24% | 8.93% | 3.99% | 9.19% |
| 2016 | 74.47% | 8.48% | 3.57% | 9.91% |
| 2017 | 74.90% | 8.06% | 4.13% | 9.19% |
| 2018 | 77.08% | 6.35% | 3.85% | 9.25% |
| 2019 | 77.00% | 5.74% | 4.06% | 10.01% |
| 2020 | 73.94% | 5.79% | 5.33% | 10.62% |
| 2021 | 71.31% | 7.05% | 5.11% | 10.64% |
Fitness instructor wage gap by race
According to our data, white fitness instructors have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american fitness instructors have the lowest average salary at $35,269.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $36,692 |
| White | $37,355 |
| Black or African American | $35,269 |
| Asian | $35,495 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $35,372 |
Average fitness instructor age
See how the average age of fitness instructors varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Fitness instructor age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 31 | 35 |
| White | 33 | 39 |
| Black or African American | 31 | 37 |
| Asian | 28 | 35 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 30 | 31.5 |
Fitness instructor age breakdown
The average age of fitness instructors is 40+ years years old, representing 40% of the fitness instructor population.
Fitness instructor age breakdown
| Fitness Instructor Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 40% |
| 30-40 years | 31% |
| 20-30 years | 27% |
Fitness instructor educational attainment
The most common degree for fitness instructors is bachelor's degree, with 64% of fitness instructors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 8%.
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Associate, 15%
- Master's, 8%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 6%
Fitness instructors by degree level
| Fitness instructor degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 64% |
| Associate | 15% |
| Master's | 8% |
| High School Diploma | 7% |
| Other Degrees | 6% |
Fitness instructor jobs you might like
Fitness instructor wage gap by degree level
According to the data, fitness instructors with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $37,765 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, fitness instructors earn a median annual income of $36,869 compared to $34,622 for fitness instructors with an Associate degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $37,765 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $33,729 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,869 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $34,622 |
Fitness instructor employment statistics
Most fitness instructors work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where fitness instructors work
Below, you can see the size of companies where fitness instructors work.
Fitness instructor jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 18% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 25% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 31% |
| > 10,000 employees | 9% |
Fitness instructor jobs by company type
Employees with the fitness instructor job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most fitness instructors prefer to work at private companies over education companies.
Fitness instructor jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 29% |
| Public | 6% |
| Private | 54% |
| Government | 10% |
Fitness instructor jobs by industry
The most common industries for fitness instructors are health care, education and non profits.
Fitness instructor industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 30% |
| Education | 24% |
| Government | 9% |
| Non Profits | 9% |
| Hospitality | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Professional | 4% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Media | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Fortune 500 | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Technology | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
Fitness instructor turnover and employment statistics
Fitness instructor unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for fitness instructors between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Fitness instructor unemployment rate by year
| Year | Fitness instructor unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 9.55% |
| 2011 | 9.85% |
| 2012 | 9.88% |
| 2013 | 8.42% |
| 2014 | 7.58% |
| 2015 | 6.77% |
| 2016 | 5.26% |
| 2017 | 5.55% |
| 2018 | 2.11% |
| 2019 | 2.25% |
| 2020 | 7.17% |
| 2021 | 7.89% |
Average fitness instructor tenure
The average fitness instructor stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 10,990 fitness instructors resumes in Zippia's database.
Fitness instructor tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 19% |
| 1-2 years | 27% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 19% |
| 8-10 years | 8% |
| 11+ years | 13% |
Fitness instructor LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of fitness instructors that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Infant Childcare Provider | 4.43% | 19,162 |
| Valet | 5.80% | 3,361 |
| Direct Support Professional | 6.73% | 142,034 |
| Parks Recreation Director | 8.12% | 7,782 |
| House Adviser | 12.72% | 33,842 |
| Fitness Instructor | 13.13% | - |
Similar fitness instructor jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Infant Childcare Provider | 4.43% | 19,162 |
| Valet | 5.80% | 3,361 |
| Direct Support Professional | 6.73% | 142,034 |
| Parks Recreation Director | 8.12% | 7,782 |
| House Adviser | 12.72% | 33,842 |
Foreign languages spoken by fitness instructors
The most common foreign language among fitness instructors is Spanish at 55.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 10.0% and Portuguese is the third-most popular at 4.1%.
- Spanish, 55.5%
- French, 10.0%
- Portuguese, 4.1%
- Russian, 3.9%
- German, 3.7%
- Other, 22.8%
Fitness instructor languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 55.5% |
| French | 10.0% |
| Portuguese | 4.1% |
| Russian | 3.9% |
| German | 3.7% |
| Other | 22.8% |
