How to hire a fitness instructor

How to hire a fitness instructor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step fitness instructor 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 instructor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new fitness instructor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a fitness instructor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the fitness instructor you need to hire. Certain fitness instructor 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?

   Yes

   No

   A fitness instructor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, fitness instructors 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 presents fitness instructor salaries for various positions.

   Type of Fitness Instructor	Description	Hourly rate
   Fitness Instructor	Fitness 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.	$11-25
   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 Trainer	A 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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CPR
   • Customer Service
   • Work Ethic
   • Front Desk
   • Yoga
   • Cleanliness
   • Cardio
   • Group Fitness Classes
   • Safety Rules
   • Strength Training
   • Fitness Programs
   • AFAA
   • Fitness Equipment
   • Water Aerobics

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Provide market research and generate leads using social media (facebook) in order to target prospective clients.
   • Train in community water safety as well as deep water aerobics, first aid, life-guard assistance, and CPR.
   • Teach adult swimming lessons; staff lifeguard; implement department staff training
   • Step aerobic instructor, lifeguard and swim instructor, swim team coach.
   • Engage kids with a learning activity, and communicate achievements and behaviors to parents
   • Host and participate in company workshops, health fairs, and kids' day events.

   More fitness instructor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the fitness instructor job description is a good way to get more applicants. A fitness instructor salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a fitness instructor in Missouri may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level fitness instructor. Additionally, a fitness instructor with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average fitness instructor salary

   $35,495yearly

   $17.06 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level fitness instructor salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average fitness instructor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$51,740	$25
   2	Texas	$41,027	$20
   3	Oregon	$39,867	$19
   4	Arizona	$39,384	$19
   5	Colorado	$39,276	$19
   6	Washington	$37,017	$18
   7	Minnesota	$36,492	$18
   8	Virginia	$34,368	$17
   9	Massachusetts	$34,349	$17
   10	Delaware	$34,009	$16
   11	New York	$33,403	$16
   12	Florida	$31,432	$15
   13	New Jersey	$31,305	$15
   14	Illinois	$31,249	$15
   15	North Carolina	$30,310	$15
   16	Pennsylvania	$27,963	$13
   17	Missouri	$26,663	$13
   18	Wisconsin	$24,591	$12
   19	Iowa	$22,468	$11

   Average fitness instructor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Massachusetts General Hospital	$56,922	$27.37
   2	STG International	$50,982	$24.51	3
   3	University of California-Berkeley	$49,176	$23.64
   4	City of Roseville Michigan	$48,939	$23.53
   5	City and County of Denver Government	$48,432	$23.28	2
   6	Delta State University	$48,302	$23.22	4
   7	PSEA	$45,832	$22.03	37
   8	University of California	$44,967	$21.62	16
   9	City of Lakewood	$44,597	$21.44
   10	Lexington Medical Center	$41,812	$20.10
   11	City of Boise	$41,784	$20.09	3
   12	Retail	$41,215	$19.81
   13	Oregon Health & Science University	$40,779	$19.61	1
   14	Educational Alliance	$40,372	$19.41	2
   15	City of Portland	$40,223	$19.34
   16	EXOS	$39,842	$19.15	49
   17	Apollo Professional Solutions	$39,644	$19.06
   18	Hyatt Hotels	$39,585	$19.03	5
   19	City of Aurora	$39,315	$18.90
   20	City of Durham	$39,303	$18.90	2

4. Writing a fitness instructor job description

   A good fitness instructor job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a fitness instructor job description:

   Fitness instructor job description example

   Overview: RiverWoods Durham is currently hiring for a Contract Zumba instructor to come join our team! Under the supervision of the RiverWoods Director of Fitness, the primary role of the Fitness Instructor is to provide Fitness services for Residents. This is a contract position to work on an as needed basis but will have the ability to establish personal training schedules with clients. The ideal candidate would be available to teach two 30 minutes classes a day in the afternoons either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday back to back offering a gentle class and a more dynamic class. Within established company and departmental policies and procedures, the RiverWoods Fitness Associate performs the following functions: Responsibilities:
   ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
   Teaches group fitness classes for staff and residents with a positive attitude and a commitment to safe and effective performance of various kinds of physical exercise. Teaches a variety of fitness classes for residents. Contributes to an active, healthy culture for all RiverWoods residents and staff. Provides quality customer service with a positive attitude and commitment to teamwork. Maintain clean, organized work spaces for Fitness (classroom, gym, storage areas at all campuses). Maintain a high degree of confidentiality within the department and RiverWoods. Abides by the RiverWoods Code of Conduct at all times. Qualifications:
   WORK SCHEDULE: Two 30 minutes classes a day in the afternoons either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday
   
   EXPERIENCE: Three-year experience teaching group exercise instruction; experience working with a geriatric population is preferred.
   
   SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS: Knowledge and training to provide services to geriatric residents. Good time management and organizations skills. Ability to work independently.
   
   RiverWoods is committed to providing the highest level of service and care to our residents and team members.
   
   In an effort to do this all employees would be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right fitness instructor for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your fitness instructor job on Zippia to find and recruit fitness instructor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit fitness instructors, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to 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 instructor

   Once you've selected the best fitness instructor candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   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 instructor?