How to hire a fitness manager

How to hire a fitness manager, step by step

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

What does a fitness manager do?

Post a fitness manager job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

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

   Hiring the perfect fitness manager also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list presents fitness manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Fitness Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Fitness Manager		$14-31
   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
   Program/Project Manager	The program manager and project manager are two important positions within a company that are thought to be similar. However, program managers direct diverse projects and programs while project managers head the team who is responsible for ensuring a project is completed on time and within budget... Show more	$35-66

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CPR
   • Cleanliness
   • Program Design
   • Fitness Programs
   • Direct Reports
   • Punctuality
   • Strong Customer Service
   • Training Sessions
   • Kids
   • Payroll
   • Fitness Equipment
   • Member Retention
   • Front Desk
   • HR

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Supervise hiring and managing of personal trainers and group exercise instructors, including payroll information.
   • Establish a CPR and AFAA Pre-Training for instructors to comply with industry standards.
   • Individualize exercise prescription plan development and implementation, facility maintenance, payroll management, sales, recreation programming
   • Answer phones, handle any complaints and make sure everything run smoothly in the gym.

   More fitness manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your fitness manager job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A fitness manager can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, fitness managers' average salary in indiana is 33% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level fitness managers 54% less than senior-level fitness managers.
   • Certifications. A fitness manager with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a fitness manager's salary.

   Average fitness manager salary

   $44,522yearly

   $21.40 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level fitness manager salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average fitness manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Connecticut	$54,171	$26
   2	New York	$49,784	$24
   3	California	$49,075	$24
   4	North Carolina	$48,149	$23
   5	Oregon	$48,080	$23
   6	District of Columbia	$47,118	$23
   7	Texas	$46,947	$23
   8	Washington	$46,671	$22
   9	Massachusetts	$46,253	$22
   10	Colorado	$43,557	$21
   11	Illinois	$43,172	$21
   12	Virginia	$42,825	$21
   13	Wisconsin	$42,392	$20
   14	Nevada	$41,114	$20
   15	Missouri	$39,757	$19
   16	Arkansas	$39,716	$19
   17	Florida	$39,148	$19
   18	Utah	$38,929	$19
   19	Arizona	$38,634	$19

   Average fitness manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	AEA Investors	$68,944	$33.15	138
   2	STG International	$62,827	$30.21	3
   3	University of the Sciences	$53,377	$25.66
   4	Erickson Senior Living	$51,246	$24.64	3
   5	Active Wellness	$50,699	$24.37	9
   6	Shalom Austin JCC	$48,182	$23.16
   7	Texas Family Fitness	$47,774	$22.97
   8	Self Esteem Brands	$47,736	$22.95
   9	Xponential Fitness	$47,374	$22.78	4
   10	THE MAX Challenge	$46,660	$22.43
   11	EXOS	$45,544	$21.90	5
   12	Healthtrax	$45,473	$21.86	40
   13	Brick Bodies Fitness Services	$43,833	$21.07	2
   14	WTS International	$42,884	$20.62
   15	Ardent Health Services	$42,001	$20.19	2
   16	American Family Fitness	$39,544	$19.01	12
   17	Highgate Hotels	$35,848	$17.23
   18	Walmart	$35,837	$17.23	17
   19	Anytime Fitness	$28,208	$13.56	290
   20	Planet Fitness	$26,797	$12.88	822

4. Writing a fitness manager job description

   A fitness manager 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 manager job description:

   Fitness manager job description example

   Highland Springs is a beautiful 89-acre continuing care retirement community in North Dallas, Texas. We're part of a growing network of communities developed and managed by Erickson Senior Living, a national provider of senior living and health care with campuses in 11 states-and growing.
   
   We are hiring a Fitness Manager to join our award-winning community who is responsible for managing daily operations of all resident and employee Fitness programs. Programs include the Fitness Health Club, Aquatic Center, and educational programs and services throughout the community.
   How you will make an impact:
   Support residents and employees physical, spiritual, and emotionally by supervising and attending to their fitness needs in a friendly, polite, and professional manner Evaluate, correct and instruct residents on proper exercise techniques Prescribe flexibility, cardiovascular, and strength training exercises.Develops and manages department budget Coordinate and maintain membership information, inventories, purchasing, scheduling, timesheets, safety inspections, and other administrative matters.Maintain records and statistics regarding all residents and employees involved in fitness programs and promotes retention.
   
   What we offer:
   Competitive benefits packages including medical, dental, vision, and PTO401k for all employees 18 and over. Company contribution up to 3% once eligible.Education assistance, certification reimbursement, and student loan refinancing partnership programs are available.Onsite medical centers, providing wellness visits and sick care for all employees over 18 years of age.A "career for life" approach to professional and personal development for our greatest asset; our employees. Free onsite parking at all of our communities and corporate officesA culture of diversity and inclusion, which builds on our values, vision, and mission.Gated community with 24/7 security.
   
   Compensation:
   Commensurate with experience starting at $55000 / Annual
   
   What you will need:
   Bachelor's degree is required.Masters preferred Minimum of 3 years experience is required.Current certification and membership of at least one nationally recognized organization (i.e. ACSM, ACE, IDEA, SFA) are strongly preferred.
   
   Erickson Senior Living, its affiliates, and managed communities are Equal Opportunity Employers and are committed to providing a workplace free of unlawful discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, veteran status, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information or any other category protected by federal, state or local law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right fitness manager 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 manager job on Zippia to find and recruit fitness manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting fitness managers 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 manager

   Once you've decided on a perfect fitness manager candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new fitness manager first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a fitness manager?