How to hire a health and fitness instructor

How to hire a health and fitness instructor, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a health and fitness instructor, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A health and fitness instructor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, health and 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of health and fitness instructors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Health And Fitness Instructor	Description	Hourly rate
   Health And 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.	$11-23
   Skills Trainer	Skills Trainers are responsible for creating and teaching courses that are specialized for employees of an organization. Their duties include conducting initial analysis through questionnaires, surveys, and focus groups, create program budgeting, design training courses, organize the class schedule, produce study materials, and implement trial run... Show more	$12-20
   Life Skills Trainer	Life skills trainers are personal health professionals who provide training assistance and supervision to patients, such as personal care, financial management, and social integration. These trainers are required to assist their clients with disabilities with daily living activities while documenting their behaviors and personal hygiene... Show more	$10-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CPR
   • Health Fitness
   • Health Education
   • Fitness Assessments
   • Blood Pressure
   • Fitness Equipment
   • Fitness Programs
   • ACSM
   • Yoga
   • Physical Education
   • Strength Training
   • Healthy Lifestyle
   • Health Fairs
   • Group Fitness Classes

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Provide market research and generate leads using social media (facebook) in order to target prospective clients.
   • Instruct mat Pilates, yoga, and boot camp for all fitness levels.
   • Assist in the cardiac rehabilitation clinic which include implementing progressive rehabilitation methods with education for long term health and wellness.
   • Collect BMI & body measurements to track progress of clients.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your health and fitness instructor job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A health and fitness instructor salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, health and fitness instructors' average salary in ohio is 56% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level health and fitness instructors earn 51% less than senior-level health and fitness instructors.
   • Certifications. A health and fitness instructor 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 health and fitness instructor's salary.

   Average health and fitness instructor salary

   $16.76hourly

   $34,866 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level health and fitness instructor salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

4. Writing a health and fitness instructor job description

   A good health and 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 health and fitness instructor job description:

   Health and fitness instructor job description example

   STGi is currently seeking candidates for our to support our Wellness and Health Promotion Services contract with Federal Occupational Health as a casual/PRN Health Fitness Instructor in Washington, DC.
   Job Specific Duties and Responsibilities:
   
   Service Operations
   
   + Instruct regularly scheduled group exercise classes.
   
   + Formats may include
   
   + M ind/body classes (e.g., Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi etc.)
   
   + Specialty classes (e.g., Zumba, Cycle, Les Mills formats etc.)
   
   + General classes (e.g., formats with a focus on strength, cardiovascular, and flexibility )
   
   + Instruct at various intensity levels (low to high) for participants of varying skill levels (beginner to advanced) .
   
   + Support on site programs as requested (ex: fitness assessments)
   
   Administrative
   
   •Start class on time.
   
   •When a sub is needed, notify your Health Fitness or FOH Manager as soon as possible.
   
   •Report attendance numbers as requested.
   
   •Assist with the completion of safety event forms should there be an unusual incident.
   
   Customer Service
   
   •Manage customer/agency complaints professionally.
   
   •Elevate concerns to your Health Fitness or FOH Manager
   
   Required Skills
   
   Required Skills:
   
   Minimum Requirements/Knowledge/Skills:
   
   •Must demonstrate proficiency in group fitness instruction.
   
   •Must possess excellent oral and interpersonal communication skills.
   
   Required Experience
   
   Minimum Education Requirements/Certification/Licensure /Experience :
   
   + Minimum of one (1) national fitness certification in group exercise instruction and certification or additional training in specialty area (i.e. Zumba, Les Mills, Yoga, Pilates etc. and one (1) year of experience in group exercise instruction in specialty area.
   
   + Must possess current CPR/AED certification
   
   STG International, Inc(STGi) is a workforce solutions company providing comprehensive healthcare delivery, Head Start and management consulting services and human capital solutions help our clients. Our services and solutions help our clients sustain and enhance their operations to better accomplish their mission.
   
   STGi offers a competitive benefits package which includes Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k with company match and a generous PTO policy.
   
   STG International, Inc. is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.

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5. Post your job

   To find the right health and fitness instructor 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 health and fitness instructors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit health and fitness instructors 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 health and fitness instructor job on Zippia to find and recruit health and 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 health and 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. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 health and fitness instructor

   Once you've found the health and fitness instructor candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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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