How to hire a personal trainer and group fitness instructor

How to hire a personal trainer and group fitness instructor, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The personal trainer and group fitness instructor 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

   No

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

   Type of Personal Trainer And Group Fitness Instructor	Description	Hourly rate
   Personal Trainer And Group 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.	$9-20
   Trainer	A trainer is responsible for instilling knowledge and process techniques for a specific business role. Duties of a trainer include facilitating engaging classes, identifying areas of improvement and opportunities for the learner, evaluating skills and attending to the learner's challenges, organizing training materials and scheduling training sessions, and submitting timely reports to the management on progress... Show more	$14-35
   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

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Group Training
   • Course Curriculum
   • Group Fitness Classes
   • ACE
   • Motivational
   • Training Programs
   • NASM
   • Circuit Training
   • Training Sessions
   • Cardio
   • Program Design
   • Bootcamp

   Responsibilities:

   • Attain certifications in aerobics, fitness and aquatic exercise, CPR and a.
   • Provide comprehensive, results driven, outdoor bootcamp in a group environment.
   • Work in a thriving fitness facility as the group instructor for a cardio strength and conditioning class.
   • Provide professional personal training and group exercise instruction services for individuals of all ages and ability levels, including rehabilitation phases.
   • Train clients using dumbbells, boxing bags, nautilus equipment, operate and adjust all equipment according to client's needs.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, personal trainer and group fitness instructors' average salary in ohio is 58% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level personal trainer and group fitness instructors earn 53% less than senior-level personal trainer and group fitness instructors.
   • Certifications. A personal trainer and group 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 personal trainer and group fitness instructor's salary.

   Average personal trainer and group fitness instructor salary

   $14.46hourly

   $30,087 yearly

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   Entry-level personal trainer and group fitness instructor salary

   $20,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

4. Writing a personal trainer and group fitness instructor job description

   A job description for a personal trainer and group fitness instructor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a personal trainer and group fitness instructor job description:

   Personal trainer and group fitness instructor job description example

   HOW ARE WE DIFFERENT?

   • Flexible schedule
   • Workout for free
   • Fitness casual dress - F45 uniform provided
   • Passionate, fun, and collaborative work environment

   We're looking for energetic group trainers with GREAT character and a thirst for learning to join our super fun team and potentially fast track to a leadership role. If this is your passion, then read on... THE POSITION We're looking for high-quality fitness trainers to deliver team-based, high-intensity training and nail the execution at our studio. The people we're looking for:

   • Have a growth mindset and wants to be part of a high performing and understanding team
   • Is a positive spark, doesn't take things too seriously, but is still professional and values personal connections
   • Up for a challenge, you thrive in a fast-paced, ever-evolving environment and like the idea of meeting lots of people and keeping our members happy

   RESPONSIBILITIES

   • Coaching and motivating members of the studio while leading them through predetermined workouts
   • Conduct in person, goal-oriented consultations with all trial members
   • Have the knowledge and ability to correct exercise form to prevent injuries
   • Promote and sell only F45 services in studio, assist in membership growth and retention
   • Light service desk responsibilities
   • Demonstrate and complete every exercise in the workouts with perfect form
   • Able to give regressions and progressions for all exercises
   • Set up, break down, clean and store away equipment around studio floor before and/ or after classes

   QUALIFICATIONS

   • Preferably with experience working, or training, in an F45 environment.
   • Must have group training experience (or show us you can be great at it)
   • 1-year minimum experience as a personal fitness trainer
   • Plenty of hours on offer must be available on weekends
   • Character, care, and communication skills
   • Energetic and attentive
   • Must understand functional movement, HIIT, and heart rate focused training programs and the science that supports the F45 workouts
   • Excellent communication and customer service skills. Must be clear, comfortable with public speaking
   • Demonstrate knowledge and usage of social media such as Instagram and Facebook
   • Required to be on their feet and constantly moving while leading and instructing members for the entirety of the workout

   CERTIFICATIONS

   • Nationally accredited current fitness certification - certifications: NSA, ACE, ACSM, PTA Global, NASM, AFAA
   • Must hold and maintain a current CPR/First Aid/AED certification
   • Must be group training certified

   This franchise is independently owned and operated by a franchisee. Your application will go directly to the franchisee, and all hiring decisions will be made by the management of this franchisee. All inquiries about employment at this franchisee should be made directly to the franchise location, and not to F45 Corporate.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right personal trainer and group 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 personal trainer and group fitness instructors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit personal trainer and group 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 personal trainer and group fitness instructor job on Zippia to find and recruit personal trainer and group fitness instructor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with personal trainer and group fitness instructor candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   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 personal trainer and group fitness instructor

   Once you've selected the best personal trainer and group 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new personal trainer and group fitness instructor. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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