How to hire a personal trainer

How to hire a personal trainer, step by step

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

What does a personal trainer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The personal trainer 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

   Hiring the perfect personal trainer 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 personal trainers.

   Type of Personal Trainer	Description	Hourly rate
   Personal Trainer	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.	$12-25
   Strength And Conditioning Internship	Strength and conditioning interns are students, under an internship scheme, who provide assistance to staff in a comprehensive strength and conditioning programs' teaching and implementation. The programs integrate diverse curriculum focusing on the science and techniques associated with strength and conditioning... Show more	$13-37
   Fitness Attendant	A fitness attendant oversees the daily operations of fitness establishments, ensuring that clients receive optimal services. They are primarily in charge of opening and closing facilities, setting up and sanitizing equipment, monitoring supply inventory, and maintaining the cleanliness of areas... Show more	$10-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CPR
   • Customer Service
   • Resuscitation
   • Fitness Programs
   • NASM
   • Physical Fitness
   • Cleanliness
   • Fitness Equipment
   • Work Ethic
   • Program Design
   • Group Training
   • Fitness Assessments
   • Training Sessions
   • Team Training

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Help clients achieve fitness goals through diet and heavy weight lifting with HIIT cardio.
   • Achieve high customer satisfaction and budget efficiency in the group fitness department and yoga department.
   • Provide market research and generate leads using social media (facebook) in order to target prospective clients.
   • Shape the social media aspect of the facility which include Facebook and Instagram.
   • Ensure trainers and team members are consistent in punctuality, dress code, compliance, and customer service.
   • Follow ACSM guidelines ensuring safe and healthy exercise technique for strength training and cardiovascular activity.

   More personal trainer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your personal trainer job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A personal trainer 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 personal trainer in Georgia may be lower than in California, and an entry-level personal trainer usually earns less than a senior-level personal trainer. Additionally, a personal trainer 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 personal trainer salary

   $37,214yearly

   $17.89 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level personal trainer salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 1, 2026

   Average personal trainer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$50,574	$24
   2	Washington	$48,541	$23
   3	Connecticut	$48,065	$23
   4	Massachusetts	$46,461	$22
   5	Nevada	$46,381	$22
   6	Maryland	$44,906	$22
   7	New Jersey	$42,571	$20
   8	District of Columbia	$42,518	$20
   9	Oregon	$41,775	$20
   10	Maine	$41,423	$20
   11	Colorado	$41,277	$20
   12	New York	$40,778	$20
   13	Arizona	$40,608	$20
   14	Illinois	$40,051	$19
   15	Texas	$40,002	$19
   16	North Carolina	$39,080	$19
   17	Virginia	$38,859	$19
   18	Iowa	$36,594	$18
   19	Florida	$35,669	$17
   20	Pennsylvania	$34,047	$16

   Average personal trainer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	AEA Investors	$115,018	$55.30	168
   2	Massachusetts General Hospital	$62,608	$30.10
   3	Hancock Wellness	$58,830	$28.28	9
   4	City of Lakewood	$53,124	$25.54
   5	Syracuse University	$51,260	$24.64	2
   6	University of California-Berkeley	$50,423	$24.24
   7	Columbia University in the City of New York	$50,269	$24.17	2
   8	Prime Healthcare	$50,065	$24.07	1
   9	PSEA	$47,704	$22.93	5
   10	TPN	$47,187	$22.69
   11	Retail	$46,342	$22.28
   12	Prince William County	$45,448	$21.85
   13	City of Rockville	$43,896	$21.10	2
   14	Liberty University	$43,819	$21.07	4
   15	City of McKinney	$43,756	$21.04
   16	Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center	$43,699	$21.01
   17	University of California	$43,375	$20.85	12
   18	City of Golden	$43,076	$20.71
   19	American University	$42,929	$20.64
   20	Metropolitan State University of Denver	$42,858	$20.60	4

4. Writing a personal trainer job description

   A personal trainer 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. Below, you can find an example of a personal trainer job description:

   Personal trainer job description example

   
   

   Part-time; 5-10 hrs/wk

   
   

   Our Personal Trainers are true professionals. Their sole responsibility is to design customized workout programs and train our members based on their needs. You will be responsible for conducting fitness testing and assessments, advising participants of results, providing one-on-one personal training to members participating in the program, and educating them about the fundamentals of strength and cardiovascular training, as well as the proper and safe use of applicable equipment.

   
   

   What's Needed:

   
   

   + Current Personal Training certification from ACE, ACSM, AFAA, NASM, NCCPT, NETA, or NSCA.

   
   

   + Adult CPR/AED/First Aid certification from American Heart Association, American Red Cross or American Safety & Health Institute required within 30 days of hire.

   
   

   + Customer service orientated.

   
   

   + Flexibility in schedule.

   
   

   + 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.

   
   

   About Us

   
   

   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.

   
   

   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: fitness, training, performance, coach, conditioning, wellness, ergonomic

   
   

   Required SkillsRequired Experience

   
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find personal trainers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any personal trainers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level personal trainers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your personal trainer job on Zippia to find and recruit personal trainer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit personal trainers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up 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

   Once you have selected a candidate for the personal trainer 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 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new personal trainer. 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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