How to hire a health fitness specialist

How to hire a health fitness specialist, step by step

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

What does a health fitness specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The health fitness specialist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

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   Hiring the perfect health fitness specialist 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 shows salaries for various types of health fitness specialists.

   Type of Health Fitness Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Health Fitness Specialist	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.	$12-23
   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:

   • Customer Service
   • Health Fitness
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Fitness Assessments
   • ACSM
   • Facility Operations
   • Yoga
   • Wellness Programs
   • Specialty Programs
   • Communication Materials
   • Cleanliness
   • Program Offerings
   • Bulletin Boards
   • Fitness Programs

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Provide market research and generate leads using social media (facebook) in order to target prospective clients.
   • Conduct fitness evaluations according to ACSM guidelines.
   • Maintain the facility according to ACSM facility guidelines
   • Assist in the cardiac rehabilitation clinic which include implementing progressive rehabilitation methods with education for long term health and wellness.
   • Utilize vary techniques including TRX, kettlebell training, plyometrics, Tabata and outdoor training.

   More health fitness specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your health fitness specialist job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A health fitness specialist salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a health fitness specialist in Arkansas may be lower than in California, and an entry-level health fitness specialist usually earns less than a senior-level health fitness specialist. Additionally, a health fitness specialist with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average health fitness specialist salary

   $37,089yearly

   $17.83 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level health fitness specialist salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average health fitness specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$47,685	$23
   2	Nevada	$39,848	$19
   3	District of Columbia	$38,899	$19
   4	Massachusetts	$38,547	$19
   5	Utah	$37,725	$18
   6	Maryland	$36,774	$18
   7	Texas	$36,666	$18
   8	New Jersey	$35,464	$17
   9	Virginia	$33,172	$16
   10	Indiana	$33,144	$16
   11	Florida	$31,962	$15
   12	North Carolina	$31,389	$15
   13	New York	$30,405	$15
   14	Louisiana	$29,151	$14
   15	Missouri	$28,467	$14
   16	Michigan	$27,894	$13
   17	Georgia	$27,307	$13
   18	Iowa	$26,745	$13
   19	Ohio	$21,456	$10

   Average health fitness specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	STG International	$43,483	$20.91	6
   2	NIFS	$36,875	$17.73	13
   3	Corporate Fitness Works	$36,758	$17.67
   4	EXOS	$36,236	$17.42	27
   5	Trustmark Insurance Co	$36,172	$17.39	43
   6	HealthFitness	$35,741	$17.18	73
   7	Gap Inc.	$34,668	$16.67
   8	Hebrew SeniorLife	$34,346	$16.51	3
   9	Highgate Hotels	$34,266	$16.47
   10	Medical Company	$34,102	$16.40
   11	The Moses H Cone Memorial Hospital	$33,547	$16.13	2
   12	TriHealth	$32,792	$15.77	5
   13	BAYADA Home Health Care	$30,348	$14.59	124
   14	Ymca Of Greater St. Louis	$29,385	$14.13	3

4. Writing a health fitness specialist job description

   A health fitness specialist 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 health fitness specialist job description:

   Health fitness specialist job description example

   If you have a passion for empowering others in their journey to better health, come join our fantastic team as a part-time
   Health Fitness Professional in The Woodlands, TX! Corporate Fitness - 20 hours per week
   
   Explore what it's like to be a Fitness Professional with HealthFitness:
   
   Health Fitness Professional from HealthFitness on Vimeo.
   
   Who we are:
   
   Come join HealthFitness! Join a team that will not only utilize your current skills but will enhance them as well. HealthFitness, a Trustmark company, is a proven leader in providing fitness solutions that engage and connect people both on-site and online, to create a strong community of health. Our work focuses on creating meaningful connections with each of our participants to help them move forward. We foster each individual's journey by creating communities of health within the organizations we serve - so that everyone is supported. As an employee of HealthFitness you will enjoy a variety of health and financial benefits and receive competitive pay. We provide personal and professional support, training and development and flexible employment opportunities.
   
   Your Impact:
   
   In this role, you will make a direct impact on the health and well-being of our corporate client members through the coordination, implementation, and/or delivery of health and fitness improvement programs and services, fitness center promotions and outreach activities. You will provide individual and group exercise instruction, monitor fitness facility and conduct fitness testing and assessments, advising participants of the results and designing individualized programs to meet the member's interests, abilities and goals. You'll teach group exercise classes and seminars onsite and virtually. Flexible 20 hpw schedule. Ideally working Tuesday-Thursday 9AM-3:30PM onsite as part of a 4-person team adjacent to The Woodlands Mall.
   
   What you'll bring with you:
   
   * Bachelor's degree in a related field (Kinesiology, Exercise Science, etc.) and fitness and wellness industry experience along with fitness industry certification(s) from a HealthFitness approved provider.
   * Adult CPR/AED/First Aid certification from American Heart Association, American Red Cross or American Safety & Health Institute required within 30 days.
   * Industry recognized Group Exercise certification from ACE, AFAA/NASM, ACSM or NETA.
   * Ideal candidates will also have a Personal Training certification from an industry recognized and HealthFitness approved provider.
   * Will be required to follow any current or future site COVID-19 vaccination policies including but not limited to proof of vaccination, weekly testing, etc.
   
   HealthFitness is committed to leveraging the talent of a diverse workforce to create great opportunities for our people and our business. EOE/AA. Race/Color/Gender/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/Religion/National Origin/Age/Disability/Veteran
   
   For the second consecutive year we were selected as a Top Workplace by the Chicago Tribune. The award is based exclusively on Trustmark/HealthFitness associate responses to an anonymous survey. The survey measured 15 key drivers of engaged cultures that are critical to the success of an organization.
   
   Keywords: specialist, BS, gym, health club, assistant, general, operations, entry level, college grad, wellness, public health, physical education, community health, sports management, athletic trainer, CPT, ATC

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right health fitness specialist 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 health fitness specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit health fitness specialist 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 fitness specialists, 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 health fitness specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the health fitness specialist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize 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 health fitness specialist 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.)

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How much does it cost to hire a health fitness specialist?