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Fitness specialist salary
Average fitness specialist salary
$15.61
Average Fitness Specialist Salary
The average salary for a Fitness Specialist in the U.S. is approximately $32,472 per year or $16 per hour. Salaries can vary based on factors such as location, experience level, and the specific industry of employment. For instance, professionals working in corporate wellness programs may earn more than those in traditional gym settings.
How Much Does a Fitness Specialist Make?
Fitness Specialists typically earn salaries ranging from $25,000 to $45,000, depending on their experience and certifications. Entry-level positions may start at around $25,000, while those with advanced certifications or years of experience can command higher wages.
Where Can a Fitness Specialist Earn More?
Geographic location plays a significant role in salary potential. States like California and New York often offer higher salaries due to a higher demand for fitness professionals. Additionally, urban areas tend to provide more opportunities than rural regions.
Highest Paying Industries for Fitness Specialists
- Corporate wellness programs
- Higher education institutions
- Rehabilitation centers
Choosing to work in these sectors can lead to increased earning potential and career growth.
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Where can a Fitness Specialist earn more?
Fitness specialist salary estimates from across the web
Average fitness specialist salary by state
The average fitness specialist salary in California, Hawaii, and Nevada are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average fitness specialist salary states are Georgia, Arkansas, and Idaho.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for fitness specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $38,264 | $18.40 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $34,673 | $16.67 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $37,684 | $18.12 |
| 4 | California | $42,329 | $20.35 |
| 5 | Oregon | $37,052 | $17.81 |
| 6 | Wyoming | $33,210 | $15.97 |
| 7 | Alaska | $35,812 | $17.22 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $38,700 | $18.61 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $34,516 | $16.59 |
| 10 | Vermont | $35,794 | $17.21 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $33,157 | $15.94 |
| 12 | Maryland | $35,878 | $17.25 |
| 13 | Texas | $33,912 | $16.30 |
| 14 | New York | $35,086 | $16.87 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $34,426 | $16.55 |
| 16 | Illinois | $33,568 | $16.14 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $33,102 | $15.91 |
| 18 | Washington | $36,565 | $17.58 |
| 19 | Arizona | $32,511 | $15.63 |
| 20 | Colorado | $34,768 | $16.72 |
| 21 | Oklahoma | $33,282 | $16.00 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $33,047 | $15.89 |
| 23 | Nebraska | $31,383 | $15.09 |
| 24 | Utah | $32,427 | $15.59 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $32,882 | $15.81 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $30,899 | $14.86 |
| 27 | Delaware | $30,866 | $14.84 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $31,240 | $15.02 |
| 29 | Maine | $32,439 | $15.60 |
| 30 | Kansas | $29,588 | $14.22 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $32,323 | $15.54 |
| 32 | Mississippi | $32,110 | $15.44 |
| 33 | District of Columbia | $34,289 | $16.49 |
| 34 | Florida | $28,954 | $13.92 |
| 35 | Michigan | $29,316 | $14.09 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $28,498 | $13.70 |
| 37 | Virginia | $30,380 | $14.61 |
| 38 | Alabama | $28,971 | $13.93 |
| 39 | Pennsylvania | $27,245 | $13.10 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $27,985 | $13.45 |
| 41 | Montana | $27,805 | $13.37 |
| 42 | Indiana | $25,816 | $12.41 |
| 43 | Iowa | $22,168 | $10.66 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $25,376 | $12.20 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $27,053 | $13.01 |
| 46 | Georgia | $25,670 | $12.34 |
| 47 | Idaho | $24,757 | $11.90 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $25,951 | $12.48 |
| 49 | Missouri | $25,989 | $12.49 |
| 50 | Ohio | $19,875 | $9.56 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $19,914 | $9.57 |
Highest paying cities for fitness specialists
The highest-paying cities for fitness specialists are San Francisco, CA, Manchester, CT, and Bremerton, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $43,087 | $20.71 |
| 2 | Manchester, CT | $37,361 | $17.96 |
| 3 | Bremerton, WA | $36,929 | $17.75 |
| 4 | Bethesda, MD | $35,914 | $17.27 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $35,212 | $16.93 |
| 6 | Colorado Springs, CO | $35,000 | $16.83 |
| 7 | Waltham, MA | $34,470 | $16.57 |
| 8 | Manchester, NH | $34,422 | $16.55 |
| 9 | Washington, DC | $34,338 | $16.51 |
| 10 | Houston, TX | $33,779 | $16.24 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $33,554 | $16.13 |
| 12 | Phoenix, AZ | $32,543 | $15.65 |
| 13 | Minneapolis, MN | $32,365 | $15.56 |
| 14 | Camden, NJ | $31,368 | $15.08 |
| 15 | Charlotte, NC | $30,938 | $14.87 |
| 16 | Winchester, VA | $30,410 | $14.62 |
| 17 | Clearwater, FL | $29,114 | $14.00 |
| 18 | Auburn, AL | $28,915 | $13.90 |
| 19 | Milwaukee, WI | $28,028 | $13.47 |
| 20 | Philadelphia, PA | $27,338 | $13.14 |
Fitness specialist salary details
A fitness specialist's salary ranges from $24,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $42,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a fitness specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
| 75th Percentile | $37,000 | $3,083 | $18 |
| Average | $32,472 | $2,706 | $16 |
| 25th Percentile | $28,000 | $2,333 | $13 |
| 10th Percentile | $24,000 | $2,000 | $12 |
Highest paying fitness specialist jobs
The highest paying types of fitness specialists are manager/personal trainer, specialist, and fitness director.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certified Personal Trainer | $32,039 | $2,670 | $15.40 | 65,615 |
| Manager/Personal Trainer | $63,117 | $5,260 | $30.34 | 32,592 |
| Life Skills Trainer | $30,822 | $2,569 | $14.82 | 39,666 |
| Personal Trainer | $37,214 | $3,101 | $17.89 | 34,023 |
| Yoga Instructor | $45,673 | $3,806 | $21.96 | 25,406 |
| Skills Trainer | $32,779 | $2,732 | $15.76 | 21,389 |
Top companies hiring fitness specialists now:
Which companies pay fitness specialists the most?
Fitness specialist salaries at University Settlement and Erickson Senior Living are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average fitness specialist salary at companies like Dana Incorporated and East Alabama Health are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University Settlement | $40,416 | $19.43 |
| 2 | Erickson Senior Living | $35,938 | $17.28 |
| 3 | Dana Incorporated | $35,820 | $17.22 |
| 4 | East Alabama Health | $34,985 | $16.82 |
| 5 | Transforming Age | $34,874 | $16.77 |
| 6 | Indian Health Service | $34,828 | $16.74 |
| 7 | WakeMed | $34,721 | $16.69 |
| 8 | Cenergy International Services | $34,526 | $16.60 |
| 9 | Approved Cash | $34,432 | $16.55 |
| 10 | Xponential Fitness | $34,401 | $16.54 |
| 11 | A Snail’s Pace Running Shop | $34,357 | $16.52 |
| 12 | Corporate Fitness Works | $34,269 | $16.48 |
| 13 | Senior Living Communities | $34,110 | $16.40 |
| 14 | Evergreen Woods | $34,063 | $16.38 |
| 15 | Beacon Health Options | $33,959 | $16.33 |
| 16 | Chesapeake Regional Healthcare | $33,892 | $16.29 |
| 17 | Dover | $33,431 | $16.07 |
| 18 | Pacer | $33,381 | $16.05 |
| 19 | Stars and Stripes | $33,196 | $15.96 |
| 20 | Simplex Healthcare | $33,118 | $15.92 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Fitness Specialist salary by industry
The average fitness specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average fitness specialist salary in the education industry is $34,687, the highest of any industry.
- The average fitness specialist salary in the finance industry is $33,898.
- Fitness specialists in the hospitality industry earn an average salary of $31,774, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for fitness specialists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Education | $34,687 | $16.68 |
| 2 | Government | $33,898 | $16.30 |
| 3 | Health Care | $32,300 | $15.53 |
| 4 | Retail | $31,949 | $15.36 |
| 5 | Hospitality | $31,774 | $15.28 |
High paying fitness specialist jobs
Fitness specialist salary trends
The average fitness specialist salary has risen by $7,599 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average fitness specialist earned $24,873 annually, but today, they earn $32,472 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for fitness specialists over the last decade.
Compare fitness specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average fitness specialist salary over time
Compare fitness specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Fitness specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $32,500 | $15.61 | +0.3% |
| 2024 | $32,400 | $15.57 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $31,900 | $15.35 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $31,400 | $15.11 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $30,600 | $14.71 | +5.2% |
Recently added fitness specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Rehabilitation | Fitness Specialist | Jersey City, NJ | 06/29/2025 | $43,827 |
| Fox Rehabilitation | Fitness Specialist | Maryland City, MD | 06/29/2025 | $43,827 |
| Breakthrough | Sports & Fitness Specialist | Chicago, IL | 06/28/2025 | $41,740 |
| Windom Area Health | Fitness Specialist | Windom, MN | 06/28/2025 | $35,646 |
| Duke University | Group Fitness Specialist | Durham, NC | 06/27/2025 | $37,566 |
| Scheels Sports | Fitting Room Specialist | Springfield, IL | 06/27/2025 | $35,479 |
| Fox Rehabilitation | Fitness Specialist | Noank, CT | 06/25/2025 | $44,871 |
| Fox Rehabilitation | Fitness Specialist | Ohio City, OH | 06/24/2025 | $41,218 |
| Fox Rehabilitation | Fitness Specialist | New York, NY | 06/24/2025 | $40,175 |
| Fox Rehabilitation | Fitness Specialist | Nevada | 06/24/2025 | $44,871 |
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