How To Become A Pilates Instructor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a pilates instructor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A pilates instructor, much as the name suggests, is tasked with teaching groups of people or single individuals in the art of pilates for the purposes of maintaining health, muscles, and other bodily benefits.

Pilates has been around for about a century now and has evolved quite a bit. It's a rather popular form of exercise nowadays, and is most often learned and practiced with the oversight and advice of an instructor, who knows hundreds of different pilates exercises, techniques, and moves, all with different benefits and purposes. Some instructors work with small groups or individuals and adjust the programs as necessary, based on their clients' needs and wants.

More often than not, the pilates instructor can be found at fitness and community centres, health clubs, gyms, and through online platforms centred on health and exercise. A person hoping to work as an instructor must earn certain certifications first which may take upwards of a few hundred hours over several months.

ScorePilates InstructorUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $52,353

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.4

Growth rate 19%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.49%

Asian 5.11%

Black or African American 7.05%

Hispanic or Latino 10.64%

Unknown 5.40%

White 71.31%

Gender

female 90.52%

male 9.48%

Age - 36

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 36

Stress level

4.4

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level

5.5

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a pilates instructor

Explore pilates instructor education requirements

Most common pilates instructor degrees

Bachelor's

70.7 %

Master's

12.0 %

Associate

9.4 %

Start to develop specific pilates instructor skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	48.40%
Yoga	16.90%
Training Programs	11.86%
Group Fitness Classes	7.56%
Body Alignment	3.48%

Complete relevant pilates instructor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New pilates instructors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a pilates instructor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real pilates instructor resumes.

Gain additional pilates instructor certifications

Pilates instructor certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific pilates instructor certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for pilates instructors include Certified Pilates Instructor and Pilates Mat Specialty Certification.

More About Certifications

Research pilates instructor duties and responsibilities

Manage social media accounts while promoting camper interaction and sharing of the UCA brand experience.
Create yoga practices that provide rejuvenation of the mind, body and soul.
Lead group yoga and Pilates classes both at the studio and corporate settings.
Offer a healing space by leading relaxing classes fill with calming music, aromatherapy, reiki and massage.

Prepare your pilates instructor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your pilates instructor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a pilates instructor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable pilates instructor resume templates

Build a professional pilates instructor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your pilates instructor resume.