How to Become a Personal Trainer in 4 Simple Steps

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How to Become a Personal Trainer in 5 Simple Steps

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Have you always wanted to become a personal trainer?

You’re halfway there. But, as with most things in life, wanting is only the first step of the journey.

In order to become a trainer and succeed as one, you need to have the right game plan in place and follow it up with consistent action — just like your workouts. As you’ll see in this guide, there are five simple steps you’ll need to take to become a personal trainer. And we’ll be covering the best ways to tackle each one.

If you are interested in training clients online check out our How to Become an Online Personal Trainer blog.

1. Get Your Prerequisites Completed First

Before you begin with a personal trainer course, you’ll likely need to have a few items checked off before you can get certified. These are:

  1. 18 years or older
  2. High school diploma or GED
  3. CPR/AED certification

Most personal training certification bodies require these items before you sit down for the final exam. Additionally, many companies are requiring the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Certification along with the Emergency Cardiac Care (CPR), but these certifications can usually be packaged together by the same provider.

The American Red Cross is a popular choice for the CPR/AED certification, and you can check out their website to find classes near you.

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2. Nail Down the Best Certified Personal Trainer Course (for you)

What is the best personal trainer certification?

A better question is “what is the best personal trainer certification for me?” The certification body you choose is a highly subjective decision — and often a confusing one — so here are some questions you can ask yourself before committing to one over another:

How do I learn new concepts best?

Do you understand concepts better when they’re presented in-person with a teacher or can you handle learning on your own?

Personal training education isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. You actually have several options, including:

  • Certification via accredited US company (self-study)
  • Vocational college (in-person)
  • University programs with Bachelors or Masters (in-person)
  • Unaccredited online options (self-study)
  • Gym program (in-person)

Learn more about the different personal trainer courses.

How much time do you have?

Are you looking to get certified as soon as possible or would you prefer to get a college degree along with your certification? The self-study options are the quickest approach whereas the vocational college and university programs are obviously more long-term.

As you answer these questions, you should also be thinking about the differences between each personal training program.

Here are some answers to some common FAQs about becoming a trainer that may also help you decide which route you want to go:

 

Do I Need to Go to College to Become a Personal Trainer?

 

If the thought of becoming a full-time student isn’t something that interests you, you’re in luck.

You don’t need to go to college to become a personal trainer.

While a university program will give you the most in-depth learning experience, including learning subjects that aren’t solely personal-training focused, it comes at a price not everyone can afford, both in time and money.

However, if you have your sights set on becoming a personal trainer and you love school or are already working towards earning a Bachelor’s or Master’s, a college degree can strengthen your expertise and build trust with future clients.

This is especially important in the beginning of your personal training career when you’re still building your client base.

So if you don’t need a college degree, the next question is:

 

What Kind of Education Do I Need to Be a Personal Trainer?

 

As we talked about in this guide, there are five education routes you can follow to become a personal trainer:

  1. Certification by a US company
  2. Vocational college
  3. University programs with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree
  4. Unaccredited online options
  5. Internal gym programs

Each option has its own educational program and certification procedures. By completing one of them, you’ll hold a certification from that institute to teach people as a personal trainer.

Keep in mind, only the first three options on that list are accredited.

Let’s go over the difference between an accredited and an unaccredited program so you know which sounds best for you.

Do I Need to Find an Accredited Program?

 

An accredited program, such as Fitness Mentors, NASM or ACE, means that it has been credentialed by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE) or other top accrediting bodies. While there are other personal trainer program credentialing bodies, the NCCA is considered the gold standard.

More importantly perhaps, NCCA-certified personal training programs are generally recognized at most health facilities, meaning if you go with one of these you are almost guaranteed a job at a corporate gym.

Some of the most popular Accredited personal trainer bodies include:

• NASM • ACE

• Fitness Mentors

• NFPT  • ACSM  • NESTA  

• NSCA  • NCSF  • NCCPT

On the other hand, unaccredited courses may not be accepted by corporate gyms and fitness studios.

Unaccredited courses are usually better for someone who already has an established network of clients through their own training methods and has no intentions of working at a corporate facility.

The majority of potential personal trainers will want to find an accredited program.

You’ll receive a more in-depth education and will be better prepared to find a job once you pass your test.

You can opt for an accredited self-study program, such as Fitness Mentors, NASM or ACE, or you can enroll in a vocational college or bachelor’s program at your local college, as mentioned earlier. Vocational schools or colleges will have relationships with accredited certification bodies so you’ll walk away with a degree and your CPT.

Once you select a program, grab a calendar and set your exam date.

3. Choose an Exam Date & Prepare

Picking an exam date is the first major step towards seeing your personal trainer dreams through.

 

Put it off and you may end up backburnering your goal indefinitely.

That’s why certain programs have you set a date right away for this very reason.

Keep in mind, you should be realistic with your date.

Fortunately, this next section can help you understand the real magnitude of the work so you can adjust your timeline and plan accordingly.

 

How Long Does it Take to Become a Personal Trainer?

 

Consider your schedule, current workload, and other obligations before setting a date that’s too close for comfort.

You should give yourself at least three to six months, depending on your certification, to prepare. Plan on committing anywhere from 75-100 hours to doing so.

Here’s a breakdown of the expected study time for each personal training program specifically:

  • NCCPT: 80-100 hours is the recommended study time
  • FITNESS MENTORS: 80 hours is the recommended study time
  • NESTA: You must complete the test within 90 days of requesting the exam voucher so study well before this time
  • ACSM: 3, 6, 12, or 24-month options
  • ACE: Schedule test within 6 months of purchase date, but you can take it before 9 months
  • ISSA: 6 months to complete
  • NASM: Must complete in under 6 months
  • NCSF: Must complete in under 6 months
  • NCSA: 120 days after purchasing exam
  • NFPT: 12 Months after purchasing exam
  • AFAA: N/A

With your target test date in mind, you can then work backwards to plan out how many chapters you’ll need to cover each week and month in order to be best prepared for it.

However, if you want to fast track your certification, without sacrificing how much information you’re learning, use this study schedule to knock it out in just two months:

  • Read one or two hours per day at a minimum
  • Create your own chapter-by-chapter notes from the book/coursework
  • Use study guides to review hand-picked topics for reference
  • Listen to audio lectures to review the information while driving/working out/during down time
  • Take practice tests for each chapter
  • Quiz yourself on 5-10 chapters of the book at a time every few weeks
  • Reread study guides as you build upon new concepts
  • Quiz yourself and document the questions you miss; revisit the sections of the book discussing the topics you didn’t get right
  • Take a quiz every day leading up to the final week of study
  • Sit down for an entire practice exam and write down questions you missed; revisit topics you need a better understanding of
  • Take the official certification exam when you consistently earn at least 85% passing score on practice exams

You can also use study resources to help you work out pre-test jitters while you get a feel for the test’s format.

All this can help ensure you make it to this next (huge) step.

4. Pass Your Exam

There’s nothing better than seeing the words PASS after you submit your personal training certification exam.

But you can only get there if you put in the necessary time reading and studying the material and understanding the concepts.

Practicing test questions and using practice test preps also help increase your chances of passing your exam.

And once you do, you’ll officially be ready to start working as a personal trainer.

5. Land a Job as a Personal Trainer

Before you spend countless hours applying for jobs you may not enjoy, you should take the time to figure out what you really want and think about what gets you excited first.

You’ll save time by only applying to positions that check these boxes. Or, you may decide you don’t want to work for anybody and take a more independent route.

So consider these questions:

  • Do you prefer to work primarily in-person or online?
  • Do you prefer large group training classes or one-on-one sessions?
  • Would you prefer to work for yourself or somebody else?
  • If you prefer to be employed, would you prefer to work in a big box gym, boutique gym, or some other setting?

If you’re looking to gain experience, it can also help to approach the staff where you currently work out to see if there are any openings.

Since you’re already familiar with the place and the staff may be familiar with you, you’ll boost your chances of getting your foot in the door.

The last burning question many soon-to-be trainers have is:

 

How Much Money Can You Make as a Personal Trainer?

personal trainer salary

The good news is personal trainer salaries have an average median of $58,318 and 10% make over $80,000 per year! 

When you do what you love and you truly help people become their healthiest, happiest selves, your salary may not be your top priority in comparison. But, there is no doubt you’ll be compensated well for all your hard work.

Now that you know what it takes to become a personal trainer, and you understand how to ace all five steps to get there, it’s time to start chasing your dream.

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FAQs on How to Become a Personal Trainer

The qualifications most personal training certifications require include: age 18 or older, has a high school diploma or equivalent degree, a CPR/AED certification, and the passing of a certified personal trainer course.

Some personal training certifications, like the Fitness Mentors CPT, can be obtained in a month with rigorous study. Most programs, however, take 3 months or more to complete the coursework, study and pass the final exam.

On average, personal trainers have an average median of almost $60,000 and 10% of trainers make over $80,000 a year.

Becoming a certified personal trainer is not nearly as time-consuming or challenging as other professions. However, a fair amount of studying and dedication are needed to complete a course and grow and build a client base.

A career in personal training typically begins at the gym for most trainers. This is the most ideal place to learn how to train, speak with prospects, and work on your sales technique.

Research suggests one in ten trainers earn six-figure salaries.

Personal trainers can use their skills to perform other jobs such as gym managers, sales managers, fitness writers, workout program developers, and group fitness instructors..

Most gyms require a qualification from a third-party accredited personal training body or their own internal certification for trainers to gain employment.

A personal training certification is not a legal requirement in order to assist others with their fitness goals. However, the safety and wellbeing of clients is a primary concern of the industry as a whole, which is why it is such an important aspect of any certification.

Personal training can be a great part time job. As an independent trainer you are free to charge as much as you’d like, choose your hours, and try to generate as much supplemental income as possible.

 

Become a Personal Trainer Today

With all this information under your training belt, now’s the time to take action.

Start by knocking out your prerequisites.

Then choose an education route you know you’ll stick with. Work through the rest of the tips in this guide and you’ll be one step closer to passing your certification test and achieving your personal training goals.

If you are interested in getting certified with the goal of building a lifelong career, check out the Fitness Mentors certifications.

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Best Personal Trainer Certification

BEST-PERSONALTRAINING-CERTIFICATION

Here are the Best Personal Training Certifications in 2024

The cover of the ISSA CPT, NASM CPT, ACSM CPT, Fitness Mentors CPT and NSCA CPT Personal Trainer Textbook

With multiple certification options available, myself and the team here at Fitness Mentors wanted to clearly state the pros and cons of each certification based on their cost, customer support, curriculum, pass rate, and accreditation.

By the end of this article, you will have learned the main features and benefits of the best personal training certifications and be able to choose and learn how to get the personal training certification that fits your needs. 

If you feel like you need assistance in choosing the best personal training certification for you, launch our quiz below.

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Why I am qualified to recommend top personal trainer certifications

The Best Personal Trainer Certification Programs

Hi, I’m Eddie Lester, the founder and CEO of Fitness Mentors. I’ve been a personal trainer for nearly 20 years and have 10 personal training certifications. In addition, I used to be a personal trainer certification teacher at a vocational college making me highly familiar with the educational materials and learning styles of each major CPT body and prospective students, respectively. 

The contents of this article have also been reviewed by Alex Cartmill and Matt McLeod, both of which are experienced personal trainers holding multiple personal training certifications themselves, as well as having more than 10 years of training experience. 

I am excited to share with you my analysis of the best personal trainer certifications that will specifically cover:

  • Certification cost
  • Exam and curriculum contents
  • Exam pass rates
  • Accreditation status
  • Overall rating

Best Personal Training Certification Reviews

Best overall

International Sports Science Association (ISSA)

The cover of the ISSA CPT Personal Trainer Textbook

COST

★★★★★ 4/5

support

★★★★★ 5/5

CURRICULUM

★★★★★ 5/5

DIFFICULTY

★★★★★ 5/5

OVERALL

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Pros

  • High exam pass rate
  • Highly-rated support
  • Modest CEU requirement

Cons

  • Cost
  • NCCA accredition requires additional exam

Summary: I’ve weighed factors such as accreditation, price, curriculum, CEU requirements and more to provide this review of ISSA. With all of these factors considered (and more weight placed on certain factors such as cost and curriculum), ISSA is our current top pick for the best personal training certification for 2023. 

Their certification provides a job placement guarantee, sets you up to train in-person and in online environments, and is the most highly rated certification as indicated by third-party reviews on this list.

ISSA Most Commonly Considered Factors:

  • Cost: $828 with most popular package at $1199
  • Exam Pass Rate: 72% of students pass on their first attempt (2022 data)
  • Exam Passing Score: 70%
  • Suggested Study Timeline: 3 months
  • Accepted at Gyms: Yes, accepted at all gyms
  • NCCA Accredited: Yes
View on ISSA Website
View on ISSA Website
Starting at $828
Prices listed are non-promotional, full-price, non-member prices.

ISSA stands for The International Sports Sciences Association. Founded in 1988 by a team of fitness experts and exercise scientists, their personal training certification is recognized worldwide.

Once a student takes and passes the ISSA exam, which covers a wide array of fitness topics, you are qualified to offer fitness and personal training services. Exam topics include Anatomy & Physiology, Kinesiology and Biomechanics, Health and Physical Fitness, Nutrition, and General Fitness.

The ISSA CPT is my top pick for a personal trainer certification program compared to other options available for a number of reasons.

First off, the ISSA’s certification program places a strong emphasis on both theoretical and practical knowledge in the personal training field. This includes an extensive curriculum that covers topics such as nutrition, program design, exercise science, and business principles.

Moreover, the ISSA CPT also provides an opportunity to get a certification by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the gold standard in certification bodies. Such an accreditation may lend additional credibility to the certification in the eyes of prospective clients or employers. 

Furthermore, the ISSA provides a range of specialized certifications in areas such as corrective exercise, strength and conditioning, and fitness nutrition. This may appeal to individuals who seek to develop their skills and knowledge in a particular area of personal training.

Finally, my experience with the ISSA staff has be far better than dealing with other certification bodies. This really matters when you begin your studies and are looking for support like I was. Also, the ISSA offers ongoing resources and support to its certified personal trainers, such as access to a network of professionals in the fitness industry and opportunities for continuing education. Such assistance can enable trainers to remain current with the latest trends and research in their field and may contribute to their success as personal trainers.

The initial part of the curriculum focuses learning the sciences necessary to understand the human body. They then shift to focus on teaching you how to help your clients through exercise programming.  You’ll learn all the major muscle groups and unique ways to build workout routines.

Additionally, they help you learn to guide your clients through specific exercises ensuring proper form to minimize the risk of injuries. This content helps to build a valuable foundation for aspiring personal trainers.

ISSA places less emphasis on corrective exercise specialization and screening, but some these topics are addressed in the client screening segment.

When it comes to aerobic training, ISSA equips you with fundamental tools to create training programs based on relative intensities of different client ability levels.

In terms of special populations training, ISSA accels in covering the diverse needs of different client demographics. If you’re employed in health clubs, encountering and training clients that fall into the special populations category is inevitable.

One area where I feel ISSA could improve is in addressing behavioral change, a crucial aspect when working with clients resistant new to forming health and exercise habits. 

In my opinion, the ISSA curriculum provides a great spring board from which to start and build your personal training career. 

Most respected

National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)

The cover of the NASM CPT Personal Trainer Textbook

COST

★★★★★ 3/5

support

★★★★★ 5/5

CURRICULUM

★★★★★ 4/5

DIFFICULTY

★★★★★ 4.5/5

OVERALL

★★★★★ 4/5

Pros

  • NCCA accreditated
  • Most prestigious cert
  • Trainer salaries rank highly

Cons

  • Expensive cert
  • Exam retake fee

Summary: As an aspiring personal trainer, there is a good chance you’ve considered a NASM certification to add to your list of professional accolades.

There’s good reason too, NASM is considered to be a global leader in credentialing fitness professionals, and their wealth of certifications will prepare you for a promising career in personal training or one of their other areas of specializations.

NASM Most Commonly Considered Factors:

  • Cost: $849 (FM Exclusive) with most popular package at $1499
  • Exam Pass Rate: 79% (Proctored), 90% (Non-Proctored) of students pass on their first attempt (January 2024 data)
  • Exam Passing Score: 70%
  • Suggested Study Timeline: 4 months
  • Accepted at Gyms: Yes, accepted at all gyms
  • NCCA Accredited: Yes (Proctored Exam), No (Non-Proctored Exam)
View on NASM Website
View on NASM Website

Starting at $849

Prices listed are non-promotional, full-price, non-member prices.

NASM stands for the National Academy of Sports Medicine, a 30-year old company best-known for their Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) program. Within the last 10 years, NASM has certified and recertified more personal trainers than any other personal training company, helping nearly 200,000 obtain, or maintain, their CPTs all across the globe.

NASM is also NCCA-accredited, meaning they have the National Commission for Certifying Agencies credentials, the first standards ever developed to ensure a fitness certification body has the essential elements of a high-quality program.

I really stand behind the training model that NASM created called the Optimum Performance Training (OPT™) model. This is a comprehensive training system that is heavily versed in scientific, evidence-based research. According to NASM, the emphasis on science makes OPT ideal for program design and delivering consistent results. I currently use it to program my clients workouts and it works great and really helps me program effectively.

To dive a little deeper into why I use the OPT Model and explain what it is, the OPT Model is a comprehensive training framework designed to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of exercise programs. 

It is structured into three progressive phases: Stabilization, Strength, and Power, which I love as these are the backbone of achieving fitness goals. Here is a bit more about the model:

Stabilization Phase (Phase 1): This initial stage focuses on developing stability and neuromuscular efficiency to address imbalances and improve core function. Exercises emphasize controlled, coordinated movements to enhance joint stability and postural control.

Strength Phase (Phase 2): Building upon the foundation established in the stabilization phase, the strength phase aims to increase muscle strength, endurance, and overall lean body mass. Resistance training is a key component, with an emphasis on multi-joint exercises and progressive overload.

Power Phase (Phase 3): The final phase is dedicated to maximizing power and athletic performance. It integrates the gains from the previous phases into dynamic, explosive movements to enhance speed, agility, and power output.

The above stages help me program my client’s workouts using systematic progression and ensure a safe and effective exercise session. This approach allows for individualized program design based on the client’s goals, fitness level, and any specific needs or limitations. The OPT Model serves as a versatile guide for fitness professionals to tailor programs for clients across various fitness levels and objectives.

The NASM CPT curriculum starts off by discussing the personal training profession including professional development.

It then shifts to teach the necessary skills to help your future clients adhere to exercise behaviors through coaching techniques and exercise psychology. 

NASM leans heavy into the sciences of exercise which can be overwhelming for some. They focus almost two hundred pages of the textbook on the human movement system, the cardiorespiratory system, kinesiology, exercise metabolism, and nutrition. 

They then dive deep into health and exercise assessments followed by teaching you how to perform exercises with proper form and technique. they finish with a strong section on program design, which I really enjoy to teach, that focuses on the OPT model I mentioned in the section above. 

Overall this curriculum is one of the best out there, but can be a bit intimidating as the textbook has over 900 pages! Either way I always recommend NASM as a top option. 

Best for private & online trainers, & lowest cost

Fitness Mentors

The cover of the Fitness Mentors CPT Personal Trainer Textbook

COST

★★★★★ 5/5

support

★★★★★ 5/5

CURRICULUM

★★★★★ 4/5

DIFFICULTY

★★★★★ 5/5

OVERALL

★★★★★ 4.5/5

Pros

  • Best cert for training online
  • Lowest cost cert
  • Best customer support

Cons

  • Not as well known as other certs
  • No in-person exam options

Summary: Originally known as a study guide provider for NASM and ACE, Fitness Mentors decided that it was time to provide better value to the personal trainer of today. This meant creating an original curriculum and certification that catered to private trainers, online trainers and trainers who sought an entrepreneurial route with a focus building a lifelong career. 

With a certification focused on mastering all the roles of a personal trainer – business owner, coach, salesman, and mentor – it is unique in that it is specifically catered towards program design and business success. As the lowest cost personal trainer certification, it is also a viable option for those looking to get started at a lower investment.

Fitness Mentors Most Commonly Considered Factors:

  • Cost: $499 with the most popular package being $729
  • Exam Pass Rate: 92% of students pass on their first attempt (2022 data)
  • Exam Passing Score: 70%
  • Suggested Study Timeline: 2 months
  • Accepted at Gyms: Yes, accepted at most gyms
  • NCCA Accredited: Included with $729 package and above
View on FM Website
View on FM Website
Starting at $499
Prices listed are non-promotional, full-price, non-member prices.

The Fitness Mentors CPT is the new kid on the block in terms of training certifications, giving it an edge in terms of curriculum without the brand recognition of the bigger players.

It is known for being the best value certification around, while boasting the highest exam pass rate due to the company’s background in education. What separates Fitness Mentors’ certified personal trainer certification is their excellent customer service and included lifetime expert guidance as well as business coaching.

It is Fitness Mentors’ view that to be a successful personal trainer today, they need to know program design and fitness fundamentals, but also important business growth and marketing principles. Whereas other programs tend to focus on programs and exercise physiology, Fitness Mentors provides that education and more at an unmatched price and with human support.

The Fitness Mentors CPT curriculum starts off by diving into fitness assessments as a platform for creating a safe and effective exercise program. 

Next they move into the sciences behind exercise and training including anatomy, physiology, kinesiology and exercise science. 

The next chapters focus on creating effective exercise programs for any fitness goal. They utilize the FORM model of training to encourage proper form and technique before adding heavier resistance. 

Fitness Mentors leans heavy into business building elements of the personal training career. They focus almost one hundred pages of the textbook on how to establish your business, market and sell your services, and get paying clients. FM provides the most education on business and how to make money as a personal trainer, something very important to establishing a career in fitness. 

They finish strong with a comprehensive nutrition and supplements section, focusing on helping trainers aid their clients in proper nutrition strategies for weight loss, muscle gain, and athletic performance. 

This curriculum is very thorough but also significantly more to-the-point of personal training and cuts a lot of unnecessary information utilized by other certifications. The emphasis on business and entrepreneurship makes this certification a must for those looking to start their own business online or as a private personal trainer. 

Best for training athletes

National Council on Strength & Fitness

The cover of the NCSF CPT Personal Trainer Textbook

COST

★★★★★ 4/5

support

★★★★★ 5/5

CURRICULUM

★★★★★ 4/5

DIFFICULTY

★★★★★ 3.5/5

OVERALL

★★★★★ 4/5

Pros

  • NCCA accreditated
  • Best education for training athletes
  • Very relaxed continuing education requirements

Cons

  • Challenging exam
  • Second-rate study materials

Summary: The National Council on Strength & Fitness (NCSF) is an NCCA accredited certification from a reputable company known for its focus on exercise prescription and programming considerations. They are middle of the road in terms of cost and amongst the lowest in terms of exam pass rate.

A popular choice amongst those who don’t enjoy continuing education, their 10 hours every two years makes them a strong consideration from a time and investment perspective. 

NCSF Most Commonly Considered Factors:

  • Cost: $799 with most popular package at $1399
  • Exam Pass Rate: 79.76% of students pass on their first attempt (2021 data)
  • Exam Passing Score: 70%
  • Suggested Study Timeline: 3-6 months
  • Accepted at Gyms: Yes, accepted at all gyms
  • NCCA Accredited: Yes
View on NCSF Website
View on NCSF Website
Starting at $699
Prices listed are non-promotional, full-price, non-member prices.

The National Council on Strength & Fitness (NCSF) CPT is a globally recognized certification that is known for its emphasis on training athletes.

With both online and in-person exam options, they boast the industries largest exam network that encompasses over 160 countries. This network is popular amongst trainers outside the United States who want to be sure their credentials are respected wherever they are in the world.

Additionally, NCSF maintains memberships with industry-leading health clubs, facilitating career opportunities for trainers who are focused on gym environments.

I feel NSCF is a great option if you are looking to train athletes as their curriculum and Strength Coach certification has curriculum that specifically focuses on this type of clientele. 

The curriculum begins with an “Introduction to Personal Training,” providing a foundational understanding of the field. It then delves into “Functional Anatomy and Training Instruction,” crucial for trainers to comprehend the mechanics of the human body and how to instruct exercises effectively. “Kinetic Chain Function, Dysfunction, and Corrective Exercise” follows, focusing on identifying and addressing movement imbalances.

Moving deeper, “Human Physiology” explores the physiological mechanisms underlying exercise responses. “Evaluating Health and Physical Fitness” and “Physical Activity and Risk for Disease” emphasize the importance of assessing clients’ health status and mitigating health risks through physical activity.

“Resting and Active Fitness Assessments” provides tools for assessing fitness levels accurately. Understanding the role of “Nutrition” and “Dietary Supplements” is vital for trainers to support clients in achieving their fitness goals.

Chapters on “Body Composition” and “Weight Management” address key aspects of physique and weight control. “Exercise Program Components” and “Anaerobic Resistance Training” detail the components and methodologies of effective exercise routines.

“Cardiorespiratory Fitness” and “Flexibility” cover essential elements of overall fitness. “Introduction to Exercise Programming” provides a framework for designing tailored workout plans.

Finally, “Working with Special Populations” addresses considerations for training diverse groups, ensuring inclusivity and effectiveness in personal training practice.

Best holistic approach

American Council on Exercise (ACE)

The cover of the ACE CPT Personal Trainer Textbook

COST

★★★★★ 4/5

support

★★★★★ 5/5

CURRICULUM

★★★★★ 4/5

DIFFICULTY

★★★★★ 4.5/5

OVERALL

★★★★★ 4/5

Pros

  • NCCA accreditated
  • Novel holistic education program
  • Generous study period

Cons

  • One of the most expensive certs
  • Second-rate study materials

Summary: ACE is NCCA accredited, meaning the National Commission for Certifying Agencies has identified its coursework as reputable and meets the criteria for what is considered a high-quality program within the personal training industry.

This also means that this CPT gives you a high likelihood of getting you a job within a gym.

ACE Most Commonly Considered Factors:

  • Cost: $675 with most popular package at $745
  • Exam Pass Rate: 72% of students pass on their first attempt (2022 data)
  • Exam Passing Score: 70%
  • Suggested Study Timeline: 4-6 months
  • Accepted at Gyms: Yes, accepted at all gyms
  • NCCA Accredited: Yes
View on ACE Website
View on ACE Website

Starting at $675

Prices listed are non-promotional, full-price, non-member prices.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) CPT is one of the most popular of the personal trainer certifications, with our research indicating that there are over 13,100 tests taken each year.

The cost of ACE’s study materials and test fall more in the moderate range, which in my opinion provides good value.

While slightly more expensive up front, ACE looks to be a good investment as the average income of an ACE personal trainer is amongst the best in the industry, which you’ll see in my analysis further down this page.

ACE also has modest continuing education (CEU) requirements. Trainers are required to take 20 hours of CEUs and the current cost is $129 to recertify every 2 years.

The ACE curriculum begins with an exploration of the “Role and Scope of Practice for Personal Trainers,” establishing professional standards and responsibilities. It then introduces the “ACE Integrated Fitness Training Model,” a comprehensive approach to designing fitness programs.

“Basics of Behavior Change” and “Effective Communication, Goal Setting, and Teaching Techniques” equip trainers with skills to motivate and guide clients effectively. “Preparticipation Health Screening” ensures safety by assessing clients’ health status before exercise.

Nutrition’s role in “Health and Fitness” is covered extensively, followed by “Resting Assessments and Anthropometric Measurements” to gauge baseline fitness levels accurately.

Chapters on “Cardiorespiratory Training” and “Muscular Training” delve into the physiology, assessments, and programming techniques for these fundamental aspects of fitness. Integrated exercise programming, evidence-based practice, and considerations for diverse populations, including those with obesity, chronic diseases, and musculoskeletal issues, are thoroughly addressed.

“Legal Guidelines and Business Considerations” conclude the curriculum, educating trainers on legal and business aspects of personal training practice, ensuring they operate ethically and effectively in their profession.

What to look for when choosing a personal trainer certification

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Watch Our Video: Best Personal Trainer Certification

Want to know which certification is right for you? Take our Quiz by clicking here. We put together the following factors based on feedback from existing personal trainers and found as much data as possible so we could quantify our research:
  • Accreditation: most gyms only accept personal training certifications that are NCCA, NBFE or DEAC – recognized so this is an important factor for aspiring trainers. These certifying bodies are considered the gold standard for fitness certifications.
  • Price: includes the cost of the test and the cheapest study materials.
  • Pass Rate: the total test takers divided by the passers.
  • Expected Study Time: this is the time you have to take the exam from the time you purchase the study materials.
  • Number of Test Questions: all tests are multiple choice, and we report on the amount of test questions for each exam. We also cover the total time allotted as well as the minimum passing score.
  • CEU Requirements: amount of Continuing Education Units required to maintain certification.
  • Popularity of Certification: indication of the amount of people who have a cert and take the test every year.
  • Primary Focus of Education: while this topic may surprise some, each program varies slightly in what their education process concentrates on teaching you. This information is pulled straight off their catalogs.
  • Average Income: average annual income from reputable sources.
  • Retake Fee: if you fail the exam the first time, the price to retake the exam again.
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Want to know which certification is right for you? Take our Quiz by clicking here.

Check out our infographic that covers the objective items mentioned above. Below the image is a list of all the items with a breakdown.

Best-Personal-Training-Certification-Infographic-12-20-22-UPDATED-01
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Best Personal Training Certification: An Objective Look into 10 Key Criteria

Below we summarize the data contained in the infographic, diving into highlights from each section, explaining why some companies vary so much, and giving an honest assessment of why each of the companies ranks where it does.

We also include a “Personal Trainer Takeaway,” from me, a longtime personal trainer who has worked in almost every facet of the business (big box gym, one-on-one, group fitness, business owner, etc.). This section is a bit more subjective, but will help you consider some things that a purely objective analysis might not.

In some instances, we were not able to find data for each of the certifying bodies and we made estimates. This estimated data is not presented in the infographic but we make mention of it here.

Accreditation

Accreditation standards are developed by several third-party credentialing organizations to maintain a level of professionalism within the fitness industry. These designations showcase that a certification body has created a high-quality program that ensures the safety and wellbeing of the public. Fitness certifications that wish to be accredited have to submit their programs and final exam to be evaluated on an individual basis. This ensures that they meet the highest standard and validates that the aspiring trainer has the competency for entry level employment.

With the exception of AFAA, every personal training certification body on this list has the option for a National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) accredited exam, which is the gold standard for fitness certifications. This is important to trainers because most gyms will only accept personal trainer certifications that are accepted by an NCCA-accredited body. So, if you are like many trainers who want to jumpstart their career by working in a gym, you may want to avoid a cert that is not NCCA-accredited.

If you are looking for a more entrepreneurial route other than working in a gym, the FM-CPT is known for having the most business emphasis in their education. ISSA does have additional accreditation with Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) and National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE), and is accepted at most gym chains.

Personal Trainer Certifications with the option for NCCA Accreditation:

Personal Trainer Certifications with National Board of Fitness Examiners (NBFE) Affiliation

Personal Trainer Certification with DEAC Accreditation:

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Personal Trainer Takeaway:

Be sure to check with your top employment options to find out which certifications they accept, as that may limit your certification choices. For example, if you have a friend that works at 24-Hour Fitness and says he can get you a job if you get certified, get a list of the certifications they honor so you know you’ll be a shoe-in.

Similarly, if you plan on working at a smaller shop with other personal trainers, inquire with them first if they will accept the personal training certification you are leaning towards. Bottom line, determine where you want to work, then see if those places have requirements on the types of PT certs they accept for employees.

Price

Most of the personal trainer certification bodies prices start between $500 to $850 for the exam and the study materials. Many of these companies offer periodic discounts, and some offer membership pricing.

For the least expensive yet highly reputable option, the Fitness Mentors CPT at $499 is a popular option. The only other sub-$500 option is NCSF as they sometimes offer large discounts.

NASM is an expensive option, but frequently goes on sale. ACE is also on the upper end of the pricing spectrum, but they too offer frequent promotions.

A great tool I have used is to utilize a 12 month payment option as it spreads the price out over a longer period of time. 

Prices listed are non-promotional, full-price, non-member prices.

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Personal Trainer Takeaway:

You should determine what matters most to you: prestige or cost? If you want to go with a more recognized name in the industry (NASM, ACE) it will cost more. If you only need an inexpensive, accredited certification for quick employment or for the entrepreneurial route, look toward the less expensive certifications (Fitness Mentors, AFAA).

However, also consider CEU requirements, income, as well as the above accreditation factors before you pull the trigger. While price may be the most important factor to you, all the factors on this page may influence your final decision beyond your initial investment.

Pass Rate

The cert with the best pass rate is Fitness Mentors at 92%, while ACSM, at 55%, sits on the bottom end. 

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Personal Trainer Takeaway:

Some tests are much harder than others. If we use pass rate as our main reference point, it would appear that ACSM, NSCA, and NCSF have the most difficult tests. This can mean these tests are the hardest to pass or the educational experience provided is not sufficient in preparing students for the subject matter on the test.

Or, it could mean these tests tend to focus on more difficult subjects like anatomy, physiology and biomechanics. The study experience — books, study guides, practice exams, access to instructors, etc. — from fitness organizations can vary widely. The feedback from students is that some study curriculum does not fully prepare a student for a final exam as well as it could, while others find that the preparation materials provided fully prepare them for the final exam. This is why students often use third-party educators like Fitness Mentors to provide education for multiple certification exams like NASM and ACE.

Expected Study Time

The expected study time is inferred from the time the certification bodies give you when you buy the study materials until the time you have to take the exam.

Fitness Mentors: 6 Months with 80 hours of recommended study time.

NESTA: Study as long as you need but must complete the test within 90 days of requesting the exam voucher.

ACSM: 3, 6, 12, or 24 month options.

ACE: Schedule test before 6 months of purchase ends but can take it before 9 months.

ISSA: 6 months to complete.

NASM: Must complete in under 6 months.

NCSF: Must complete in under 6 months.

NCSA: 120 days after purchasing exam.

NFPT: 12 Months after purchasing exam.

Personal Trainer Takeaway:

The timeline you have to complete the test matters depending on your situation. Are you currently unemployed and need a training job as soon as possible? You would then want the shortest study time and easiest test. Are you looking to become certified without the need for immediate employment? Maybe a longer study time would be needed since you are less motivated for immediate results. Also, keep in mind how much time you have to put toward your studies? If you only have two hours a week, you may not be able to complete your studies in the allotted time.

The main takeaway here is to not just look at the exam with the least amount of study time and say, ‘that’s for me!’ Instead, take an honest assessment of your current financial situation and the certification you really want and make the best decision for your future.

Number of Test Questions

Below: Number of test questions / total test time / minimum passing score

Fitness Mentors: 100 questions / 120 minutes / 70% or higher is passing

NASM: 120 questions (100 count towards your score) / 120 minutes/ 70% or higher is passing. NASM now also offers a 100 question non-accredited test with a 3 hour timelimit.

ACSM: 120 questions / 120 minutes / 68.75% or higher is passing. 800 points available based on scaled questions, 550 points needed to pass

AFAA: 120 questions online exam / 120 minutes / 70% or higher is passing

NFPT: 120 questions online exam / 120 minutes / 70% or higher is passing

NESTA: 125 Questions / 120 minutes / 69% or higher is passing

NCSF: 150 questions / 180 minutes / 62% or higher is passing

ACE: 150 questions / 180 minutes / 62.5% or higher is passing. 800 points available based on scaled questions 500 points needed to pass

NSCA: 155 questions / 180 minutes / 70% or higher is passing

ISSA: 120 questions / unlimited time / 70% or better is passing

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Personal Trainer Takeaway:

What type of test taker are you? A confident test taker will not need to worry about the length of test or number of questions. Someone whose mind goes blank because of testing anxiety may want to consider the shorter test like Fitness Mentors, NASM or ACSM. Or, if you have an extreme fear of tests consider Fitness Mentors or ISSA as the tests are open book. Just make sure your potential employer approves this certification.

CEU Requirement

The NCSF has by far the least amount of CEUs required at 10 credit hours. At the other end, NSCA trainers are required to obtain 60 CEUs. However, these numbers alone don’t tell the whole story, you should also consider the time periods in which these hours are required, as well as the costs to recertify.

Fitness Mentors: 20 hours of CEUs and $99 to recertify every 2 years

NCSF: 10 hours of CEUs and $50 to recertify every 2 years

AFAA: 15 Hours of CEUs and $99 to recertify every 2 years

NASM: 20 hours of CEUs and $99 to recertify every 2 years

ACE: 20 hours of CEUs and $129 to recertify every 2 years

ISSA: 20 hours of CEUs and $99 to recertify every 2 years

NESTA: 40 hours of CEUs and $149 to recertify every 4 years

ACSM: 45 hours of CEUs and $30 to recertify every 3 years

NFPT: 10 hours of CEUs and $50 to recertify every year

NSCA: 60 hours of CEUs and $50 to recertify every 3 years

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Personal Trainer Takeaway:

Recertification is required by all certifying bodies. The process of recertification varies slightly, but one common ground is that they require you to continue your education and show proof of this newly obtained knowledge via CEUs or Continuing Education Units.

Also, there are typically 1,000s of courses to choose from to continue your education and we have compiled a list of our favorites here. Another consideration is that the more CEUs that are required by a provider the more money you will spend on recertifying (roughly $20 per contact hour) which makes NSCA (60 hours) and ACSM (45 hours) less appealing financially. Hopefully, this will not matter if you are successful in your personal training career. To ensure that you are successful check out this highly recommended business and sales course for personal trainers.

Popularity of Certification

The popularity of a certification is based on the number of trainers with a specific cert in the field as well as the number of test takers per year. Not reported in the graph is the number of tests taken per year.

The number of tests taken per year is provided below:

NASM: 31,385 (2021 data)

ACE: 11,835 attempts per year (2022 data)

ISSA: 10,696 attempts per year

NFPT: 2,684 attempts per year

NCSF: 1,723 attempts per year

NSCA: 1,529 attempts per year

NESTA: 1,515 attempts per year

ACSM: 1,386 attempts per year (2022 data)

Fitness Mentors: 636 attempts per year

Personal Trainer Takeaway:

The way that we look at this statistic is mainly by determining the recognition for each certification body. It is assumed that the more people that take a certification the more well-known that certification is. Popularity can be seen as a reputation builder meaning that more people trust that company, but it also can be determined by the volume of marketing and advertising a company puts in.

To give a brief example of this, NASM advertises on TV and radio in our local area. This leads to more people in general recognizing the NASM brand and name. When trainers say they are NASM-certified, their clients typically recognize the brand name because of the abundant advertising and that makes the trainer more reputable, even though the client knows nothing about the quality of education NASM provides.

On the other hand, some progressive companies, like Fitness Mentors, have introduced a relatively new certification. For this reason, they don’t yet have the same number of tests taken as organizations that have been around for dozens of years. The benefit of some of the newer certifications, however, is that they are able to fill voids where some of the older organizations lag. Fitness Mentors is 100% online, boasts more study materials than many of the other certifications, offers personal mentorships, and provides access to instructors. ISSA is also a 100% online option, rounding out the more progressive companies that are keeping up with modern demands of trainers who capitalize on online learning and test-taking.

The question you must ask is ‘do I care if my clients recognize the name of my certification?’ If so, choose a certification with more popularity. Just keep in mind that most clients don’t know and don’t care what certification you have, but employers do so make sure your chosen employer accepts the cert.

Primary Focus of Education

This information was taken straight off the catalogs of the certification bodies.

Fitness Mentors: Fitness Program Design and Business Success

ISSA: Fitness Program Design

NASM:  Rapport & Client Relationship Building, Exercise Technique & Instruction

ACE: Behavioral Modification for Fitness Goals

NSCA: Techniques of Exercise

ACSM: Exercise Leadership and Client Education

NESTA: Business Applications

NCSF: Exercise Prescription and Programming Considerations

NFPT: Goal-oriented Program Design in User-friendly Format

Personal Trainer Takeaway:

Most of the certifying bodies will be very similar in their balance of educational topics, due to the NCCA regulation that forces companies to do a Job Task Analysis. This Job Task Analysis determines the most important knowledge to have to be successful in the field and is typically the same across the board. Therefore, each company is required to have the same topics of education. 

Average Income

Previously, we reported average income by certification. However, we find this information to be highly inconsistent across salary websites, certification body websites, and other sources. Here are some sources just so you can see what we mean: The average personal trainer salary according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is $40,700. According to Salary.com, it’s $65,033, and according to Zip Recruiter , it’s $51,140. Related: Personal Trainer Salary: Which Gyms Pay the Most? How Much do Private and Online Trainers Make? If there is one thing that you can takeaway from personal training certifications and income, it’s that you need a reputable one. Whether you want to be an independent personal trainer or get your foot in the door at a big box gym, a certification is your meal ticket. However, a CPT isn’t the only threshold to make a good living. According to insights from Club Industry, certifications are what set trainers apart from what is becoming an increasingly competitive industry. Not only that, but furthering your education beyond your CPT and into other areas of expertise – online training, group fitness, nutrition, health coaching, etc. – is what can allow you to make more money, but also safeguard yourself from legal and medical safeguards that are becoming more important than ever.  Our advice? Your education is your competitive advantage, which is why you should consider getting a bundle to expand your knowledge and expertise so you are better equipped to work with clients or get hired.

Personal Trainer Takeaway:

We know trainers that make $200,000 per year as well as $20,000 per year all of which have the same and/or different certifications. Your success as a business person is determined by your drive, knowledge of key business and sales techniques, location and various other things. To find out how to optimize your success we recommend this online course.

Also recently Online Personal Training has lead to a larger population of trainers making $100,000 or more. To become certified to train online and learn how to make six-figures we recommend this certification.

Retake Fee

Should you fail the exam the first time around, most certifications bodies charge to retake it. NSCA, the provider with the most expensive retake fee ($435), charges almost eight times more than the cheapest provider Fitness Mentors ($50), while the bulk of the other providers are in the $100 to $200 range. UPDATE: ISSA does offer a free retest with their packages.

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Personal Trainer Takeaway:

The takeaway here is to prepare for whatever test you take, and make sure you pass the first time around!

Who to Pick for the Best Personal Training Certification

The Best Personal Trainer Certification Programs with Textbook

Again, choosing a personal training certification is a very subjective decision and certain factors may weigh more heavily with specific individuals. For example, if price is a factor, then NASM may not be the best option for you. However, when you look at income, ISSA and NASM personal trainers tend to make the most, showing that this is likely the best investment in your future.

If you are a terrible test taker, the Fitness Mentors CPT exam may be appealing to you as it is open book and has a nearly 80% pass rate.

The amount of CEUs required, as well as the recertification fee, are also an important consideration as this is required by all the certification bodies.

The point is you should be objective in your selection and determine what factors are most important to you. Talk to some other trainers and ask them what cert they have, if they like it, and if they’d recommend it to you. But remember, any trainer you ask advice for will likely be partial to whatever certification they have.

If you are interested in two personal training certifications for the cost of one, the NFPT and Fitness Mentors have partnered to provide the best education experience in the industry with the power of earning two CPT Certifications at once.

The Fitness Mentors CPT Certification is also recommended by Personal Trainer Pioneer, one of the best review sites for personal training certifications. Learn more about their recommended packages here. 

I hope that this post has helped you make the decision to choosing the best personal training certification for you that much easier. If you have any questions, or would like to see anything else added to this list, please contact us today.

FAQs

To be eligible for most certified personal trainer exams, you typically need to meet the following criteria:

  1. Be 18 years old
  2. Have a high school diploma or equivalent certification
  3. Have a Emergency Cardiac Care (CPR) or Automated External Defibrillator (AED) certification

These requirements may vary from certification to certification, but these are the basic guidelines for a CPT. From there, you simply register for an exam, study, pass, and begin your career.

You can figure it will cost you between $500 to $1,000 to get certified as a personal trainer for most certification bodies.We cover the specifics of how much each certification body charges for the exam and study materials in our guide.

The personal trainer certification length is good for life provided you keep up with continuing education requirements of your certification. Another way of explaining this is that you’ll have to understand that each personal trainer certification company has different requirements for their trainers to maintain their certifications. The general rule of thumb is a certification must be renewed every two years and is done so by taking continuing education courses. See our chart and description below to learn more about each certification.

The Fitness Mentors Personal Trainer Certification is the cheapest personal training certification at $499 including the digital textbook, 8 types of study materials, and the exam. This option is completely online and therefore does not have some of the unnecessary costs associated with the others.

Based on the exam pass rate of 89%, Fitness Mentors boasts the highest likelihood of a student passing. This may be due in part to an at home exam and/or a higher quality of study materials, along with direct guidance from their mentors. Join their discord here to see their mentors in action. 

The personal trainer certifications with an option for NCCA accreditation are the most respected in the industry. The NCCA is the gold standard for third-party personal training certifications. Some of these certs include, NASM, ACE, Fitness Mentors, and ISSA.

The investment in a personal trainer certification is worth it no matter which way you look at it. Most CPTs are $400 to $800 and full time trainers can expect to make this money back their first month. The education you get will also ensure a healthy knowledge for personal gains as well.

Personal trainers will be expected to be fit enough to demonstrate the exercises they are recommending to clients. While there is no fitness test to become a personal trainer, being in-shape would certainly help you attract clients.

Gyms tend to accept personal trainer certifications that are NCCA Accredited (like NASM or ACE), those that are accredited by the National Board of Fitness Examiners (like Fitness Mentors or NESTA), or those with a DEAC Accreditation (like ISSA).

  1. https://acewebcontent.azureedge.net/assets/certification/pdfs/Certification-Exam-Candidate-Handbook.pdf
  2. https://www.acefitness.org/fitness-certifications/personal-trainer-certification/
  3. https://www.ncsf.org/pdf/NCSF_2021_Annual_Exam_Report.pdf
  4. https://www.nsca.com/globalassets/certification/certification-pdfs/nsca-certification-handbook.pdf
  5. https://www.nasm.org/docs/pdf/cpt7-nasm-candidate-handbook.pdf?sfvrsn=2fcc6057_24
  6. https://www.nccpt.com/data/pdf/nccpt-candidate-handbook.pdf
  7. McClaran SR. The effectiveness of personal training on changing attitudes towards physical activity. J Sports Sci Med. 2003;2(1):10-14. Published 2003 Mar 
  8. https://www.acsm.org/acsm-membership/about-us. 
  9. https://www.acsm.org/read-research/journals-bulletins. 
  10. https://www.nasm.org/certified-personal-trainer/the-opt-model. 
  11. https://www.acefitness.org/fitness-certifications/personal-trainer-certification/ace-ift-model.aspx. 
  12. https://www.issaonline.edu/company/.  
  13. https://www.nsca.com/certification/cscs/. 
  14. https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Certification=Personal_Trainer_(CPT)_(NASM)/Salary. 
  15. https://www.nsca.com/certification/recertification/. 
  16. https://pft.nestacertified.com/about-nesta-mission-statement/. 
Eddie

Instructor

Eddie Lester

CEO of fitnessmentors.com – Teaching 30,000+ students how to become CPT’s

  • 4.8 Star Rating
  • 300+ Reviews
  • 30,000+ Students
  • 16 Courses

BS Kinesiology, NASM-CPT, CES, PES FNS, MMAS, WLS, FM-CPT, ACE-CPT, Master Personal Trainer

Eddie Lester is the founder and CEO of Fitness Mentors. With more that 17 years experience in the health, fitness and athletics field, he has helped tens of thousands of personal trainers transform their careers and reach their business goals. With a background in Kinesiology and Exercise Physiology Eddie has assisted in research that is spearheading the exercise science field.

His in-depth knowledge of the Health, Wellness and Fitness industry has earned him a place as a regular contributor on high profile sites such as the Personal Trainer Development Center, (Dan to list top sites) online where he writes about nutrition and personal training.

His contributions to help personal trainers include a weekly blog, podcast, youtube channel and multiple books including: Business and Sales: the Guide to Success as a Personal Trainer.

Eddie’s Philosophy often times includes focusing on the bigger picture in which daily positive contributions lead to a major impact on himself, his family, his community and the world.

Eddie is commonly found at the beaches of Southern California with his wife Courtney and five kids.

References: 

Personal Trainer Salary: Which Gyms Pay the Most?

Personal Trainer Salary Which Gyms Pay the Most

There are numerous ways to make money as a personal trainer, but unquestionably the most common way is to start working at a gym.

If you are looking to get certified as a personal trainer, check out our blog on the best personal training certification.

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What Cert is Best for You?

We designed this quiz to help you choose the perfect certification based on your learning style and goals.

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If the most common question I get asked about personal training is what certification to get, the second most common question has to be “how much can I make as a personal trainer?”

There are numerous ways to make money as a personal trainer, but unquestionably the most common way is to start working at a gym. I started my career as a personal trainer by working at Equinox and 24-Hour Fitness. 

Also be sure to join the conversation with hundreds of fitness pro’s, six-figure personal trainers, fitness mentors and coaches on our discord here:

When people first consider becoming a trainer they begin to think about the major gyms and how much they pay. And as much as certification bodies like NASM want to tell you that their average trainers make $42k a year, the reality of a personal trainer salary ultimately lies in what the gyms will pay as this is the most common career route.

However, the gym route is not the only one and many existing or aspiring trainers want to venture into the more entrepreneurial routes of private, or online personal training, as higher income levels are more easily achieved.

So, to help trainers understand what popular gyms pay their trainers and to showcase some insider knowledge on what private and online trainers can make, I’ve put together this post that outlines personal trainer salaries as well as what trainers at the most recognizable gym brands around the country get paid, and how they set up their payment structure.

I’ll also discuss the three pay structures that are common to trainers and provide you with next steps from a seasoned personal trainer who has gone through the experience of getting a gym job first-hand as well as utilized the private and online routes.

Before You Get Paid, You Have to Get Certified

First things first, if you want to work in personal training or at a big box gym like 24-Hour Fitness, Equinox, LA Fitness, or the like, you’ll need a personal training certification from a credentialed fitness organization.

Gyms want their trainers to get, or have, certifications, because they provide a baseline for credibility.

We have written a very comprehensive blog on the best personal trainer certifications where you can take a look at our side-by-side analysis of 10 different, popular personal training certification organizations. If you are unsure the exact steps to become a trainer and the prerequisites — education, age requirements, CPR/AED certifications — then check out this post on the topic.

Keep in mind that many gyms may hire you before you get a certification, and some will even have you go through their internal certification, so if you have a gym in mind for your place of employment it doesn’t hurt to ask what their requirements are first. Note that a true personal training certification will allow for a job at a much wider range of locations than just that one gym, something you’ll want to consider as your career evolves.

But before you enter the personal training employee marketplace, it pays to know some of the various pay structures that are common within the personal training industry so you know what to expect going in.

3 Types of Gym Pay Structures Common to Personal Trainers

When you begin your search for gyms that will provide you gainful employment, you can expect the pay structures to fall into one of these three categories:

1. Commercial gym
2. Independent personal trainer
3. 1099 personal trainer

1. Commercial Gym Pay Structure

In the gym world, the gyms who make you get clients and don’t feed them to you will generally pay the most. The opposite is true too; the gyms that feed you clients will generally pay you the least.

Commercial gyms will typically pay you minimum wage to “work the floor” and try to drum up new clients. Once you are actually training clients, you’ll get a bit more per hour as you are increasing the gyms revenue by performing a training session. If you sell a large personal training package, commercial gyms will often give you a commission.

2. Independent Personal Trainer Gym Pay Structure

Independent pay structures, or those that pertain to the self-employed personal trainer, are much more favorable to the trainer, but the negative is that they are obviously not as exposed to as many potential clients as they would be on the floor of a major gym, and are only getting paid when they train.

When you are self-employed, or an independent personal trainer not on a gym’s payroll, you may be able to develop relationships with smaller, privately-owned gyms that will allow you to bring in your own clients.

The catch is that you have to pay the gym a fee when you use their gym to train your client. For example, I used to pay a privately-owned, non-chain gym $15 a session to bring my client in and train them.

I could ultimately charge my client whatever I wanted, and had no pressure from any boss to sell more training sessions as it was entirely up to me.

Keep in mind that with this independent structure, you are running your own business, which means you are responsible for additional tasks like accounting, taxes, marketing, advertising, sales and lead generation.

Related: How to Set a Pricing Structure for Your Personal Training Business

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3. 1099 by a Gym Pay Structure

The 1099 model is similar to the self-employed trainer model except the gym has a relationship with the clients. A 1099 is a tax form given to an independent contractor as opposed to a W2 which is given to employees.

In this pay structure, the gym does not actually employ you as a personal trainer, but they contract with you so that they can make money on personal training and alleviate themselves from the costs of having an employee.

The 1099 model is like when you hire a plumber to come fix your broken toilet; they are getting paid for their service but they are not your employee.

In the contractor payment style, the personal trainer and the gym typically get a split, like 50/50, on whatever the gym charges. So, if the gym charges $60 for an hour long session, they’d keep $30 and you’d get paid $30. The gym collects the money from the client and then will pay you, the trainer, for the session performed.

With this type of structure the personal trainer will be responsible for claiming taxes on the money they make, as the gym does not set aside any income since the trainer is not an employee.

Now, you may be asking yourself, “how do I know what kind of payment structure the gym I want to work at has?” Excellent question, let’s address that below.

How Popular Brand Name Gyms Pay Their Personal Trainers

While I could have left you hanging with the above information on the three various pay structures that are common for trainers who work at/with gyms, I wanted to do a deeper dive and get some answers from real trainers who work, or have worked, at some popular gym chains.

The Fitness Mentors team reached out to several gyms chains and their current employees, as well as conducted a survey with our current and previous students on Facebook, to get currently used payment structures and insight on how various gyms pay their trainers. We have provided that information below.

If you have any experience with these gyms or would like to comment on something different, please feel free to let us know in the comments so we can update this post. 

  • Equinox
  • 24-Hour Fitness
  • La Fitness
  • Anytime Fitness
  • Crunch Fitness
  • YMCA
  • Planet Fitness
Equinox logo

Equinox Personal Trainer Salary

Non-training payment:

Floor hours at minimum wage – typically 20 hours a week until your client base grows.

Payment structure:

Less than 42 sessions per pay period (2 week pay period):

  • Tier 1: $26 per one hour session
  • Tier 2: $30.50 per one hour session
  • Tier 3: $36.50 per one hour session
  • Tier 3+: $45.50 per one hour session
  • Tier X: $64 per one hour session

More than 42 sessions per pay period (2 week pay period):

  • Tier 1: $31 per one hour session
  • Tier 2: $42.50 per one hour session
  • Tier 3: $53 per one hour session
  • Tier 3+: $61 per one hour session
  • Tier X: $74.50 per one hour session

The average full-time trainer at Equinox performs 25-30 training sessions per week.

Equinox Income Potential

Equinox Income Potential
24 Hour Fitnesss Logo

24-Hour Personal Trainer Salary

Non-training payment: 

Minimum wage for non-training hours.

Payment structure:

  • 20% Commission on all individual personal training package sales paid up front.
  • 10% Commission on all TC24 group training package sales.

Also, a 5% bonus commission is added to total salary when 60 training sessions or more are performed in one pay period.

24-Hour Personal Trainer Salary 24-Hour PT Tier Structure and Associated Pay per Session:

24 Hour PT Tier Structure and Associated Pay per Session

24-Hour Bonus Structure per Training Session:

24 1

24-Hour Fitness Commission for Package Sales:

24 2

24-Hour Fitness Tiers:

24 3

24-Hour Fitness Salary Example for Entry-level Personal Trainer

An example monthly salary of a new PT 1 trainer that is building up their business at 24-Hour Fitness is shown below:
  • Example minimum wage is $10/hour
  • 120 hours worked in the month at $10/hour = $1,200
  • 60 training sessions performed in the month x $7 = $420
  • $2,500 in training package sales x 20% commission = $500
  • Total Monthly Salary = $2120

24-Hour Fitness Salary Example of a Master Trainer

An example monthly salary of a full-time Master Trainer:
  • Example minimum wage is $10/hour.
  • 160 hours worked in the month at $10/hour = $1,600
  • 120 training sessions performed in the month x $17 = 2,040
  • $5000 in Training package sales x 20% commission = $1,000
  • Monthly Salary = $4,640
  • 5% commission added to the monthly salary of $4,640 since more than 60 sessions per pay period were performed = $232
  • Total Monthly Salary after 5% bonus commission= $4,872
la fitness logo png 3 1

LA Fitness Personal Trainer Salary

Non-training payment: 

Minimum wage for non-training hours.

Payment structure:
$6 – $7.50 per 30 minute session
$12 – $15 per 1 hour session

$7.50 – $15 is for larger cities with higher cost of living like in Los Angeles.
$6 – $12 is for less populated, lower cost of living areas like Arizona.

Other findings:

No findable bonus structure. Trainer turnover is very high.

Every person in the Facebook group concurred that LA Fitness is a less than ideal place to work as a trainer, but a few people mentioned they pay their group exercise instructors significantly better.

anytime fitness

Anytime Fitness Personal Trainer Salary

Non-training payment: 

Varies

Payment structure:

Varies, these are franchised gyms and each one has a different pay structure. 

Answers varied on payment structure for the trainers we surveyed:

  • 50/50 split 
  • Minimum wage plus bonuses to sign people on to monthly training packages 
  • Trainers can increase income by teaching group exercise classes

Other findings:

Collective agreement that Anytime Fitness is an enjoyable place to work. They are 3,000-5,000 sq ft gyms with only 5-10 trainers per location.

crunch fitness

Crunch Fitness Personal Trainer Salary

Non-training payment:

None
 

Payment structure:

These are franchised gyms and each location may have a different pay structure.

Here are some quotes from Crunch Fitness trainers concerning their salary. Answers varied on payment structure:

I’m only paid for hours trained and commission on sales. I’m not paid while trying to get clients.”

“I work at Crunch. Mine is a level 3 gym but because I just started I’m at level 2 for a few months. If I charge a la carte the client pays $80/hour or $50/30 minute session. Depending on my sales volume I can make between 40% and 65% of what I sell. I’m given “potential clients” but I have to sell them the personal training sessions. There’s not a sales force like at LA Fitness but the income potential is much better. I set my own hours and can work whenever I like. They encourage me to sell package deals which requires a 3 month commitment from the client. They are not allowed to cancel. Money is debited from their account either monthly or biweekly. They can also get a discount if they pay in full. For level 2, if you wanted to be trained 2x week, it would cost $504. For 3x week $697. Those are monthly rates for hour long sessions. Level 3, of course, is higher and most of the trainers at my gym are level 3. We have about 17 trainers. It’s a great place to work! Just takes time to build your clientele.” 

ymca 3 logo png transparent

YMCA Personal Trainer Salary

Non-training payment:

Minimum wage is paid when not training. 

 

Payment structure:

Basically, YMCA trainers make $15 – $28 per session/hour depending on their tier. 

We were able to find some training salary data for YMCA but it is just for the Charlotte, NC area. I assume that cities with higher costs of living would be accounted for in pay (and vice versa for smaller cities), but we were unable to find any other data on that.

The information for YMCA trainers and their tiers can be found below, respectively:

  • Tier 1 Trainer– Pay Rate: $15.89 – $19.86; Responsible for training a minimum of 2 sessions per week; Responsible for working the fitness floor 4-8 hours per week for initial 3 months
  • Tier 2 Trainer– Pay Rate: $17.48 – $21.85; Responsible for training a minimum of 5 sessions per week; Responsible for working the fitness floor 4-8 hours per week for initial 3 months
  • Tier 3 Trainer– Pay Rate: $21.00 – $26.24; Responsible for training a minimum of 10 sessions per week; Responsible for working the fitness floor 4-8 hours per week for initial 3 months
  • Tier 4 Trainer– Pay rate: $22.89 – $28.61; Responsible for training a minimum of 20 sessions per week; Responsible for working the fitness floor 4-8 hours per week for initial 3 months; Serve as a Continuing Education Provider for YMCA of Greater Charlotte teaching at least 1 workshop per year; Serve as a mentor to Tier 1-3 trainers

Other benefits include:

  • YMCA pays for all the trainers CEUs

  • The “Y” also pays the trainers’ recertification fee – approximately $100 every two years
539119d901c6b76668f4227f51378a6a

Planet Fitness Personal Trainer Salary

Non-training payment: 

Full-time minimum wage positions. 

Payment structure:

Typically no higher pay for trainers, but it is an easy job that requires no sales and just training. Decent for beginners looking to gain training experience but not really career-worthy. No commissions. No bonuses. 

Personal Trainer Salary FAQ

Yes, making good money as a personal trainer is very viable. Even entry-level personal trainers can make upwards of $25 an hour, and easily up to $100 an hour if they are experienced.
Our research indicates that personal trainers make anywhere from minimum wage up to $75 an hour, at more prestigious gyms. Private personal trainers can make even more per hour, charging up top $100 an hour.
The typical beginner personal trainer starts off their career in a gym as opposed to training private clients. On average, personal trainers make around $42,000 per year but the salary can vary by city, with more urban areas commanding higher salaries.
Personal training is a great career choice because it is constantly ranked highly for providing an excellent quality of life, flexible work hours, and a solid work-life balance.
Yes, many trainers that put in hard work can make $100,000 or more a year as a personal trainer. Personal trainers that take their businesses online also benefit from higher incomes as they can sell services while they sleep and are not limited to the available hours in a day as are in-person trainers.
No, it is not difficult to get a personal training job once you have a personal trainer certification. Many gyms are actively hiring personal trainers and the health and wellness industry as a whole is forecasted to continue its growth trend.

Private Personal Trainer Salary

It is a well known fact that private personal trainers have the potential to make far more than gym trainers.

Why? Because private personal trainers can set their own rates.

There is a catch for private personal trainers, however, and that is that they have to drum up enough business to write their own paycheck. But before we get into a sample private personal trainer salary let’s define exactly what a private personal trainer is.

A private personal trainer is a trainer that is self-employed, creates their own work schedule, and is free to choose the clients that they work with. For many personal trainers, this is the end goal of their personal training careers and is what sees some trainers working with celebrities and making big bucks.

Unlike gym trainers, private personal trainers don’t get help from the gym or get funneled clients from fitness organizations. They utilize their own networking, sales, and marketing skill sets to drive leads and ultimately generate new clients.

For that reason, many private personal trainers struggle to make a decent income. You can’t simply get a personal trainer certification and expect leads to come your way. (Check out this course to learn how to build your business and get clients). This is also why so many trainers start out in the gym, get experience, make relationships, begin taking on private clients on the side, and eventually leave the corporate gym environment behind.

 

How Much Do Private Personal Trainers Make?

A respectable private personal trainer can make upwards of $70,000 per year.

Compare this to the full time salary of a respectable personal trainer at 24-Hour Fitness which would likely fall in the low $40,000 range. And by respectable I mean one with a couple thousand hours of sessions under their belt and training 20-30 sessions per week. This low $40,000 range is also commensurate with what NASM says their average trainer makes.

For example, a 24-Hour Fitness trainer in their middle tier (PT3) makes $13 an hour when training. If you compare a potential salary of an entry-level trainer at 24-Hour Fitness, $22,440/year, to that of a Master Trainer at 24-Hour Fitness, $58,464, and split it down the middle (which is more or less where a PT3 would be), you’d get $40,452.

Now, let’s compare the above salary of a gym trainer to that of a private personal trainer.

The average private personal trainer in the U.S. charges around $50 session. Let’s say this trainer works a total of 30 hours per week and making $1,500 in that time. Multiple this time the weeks in a year, 52, and you have a respectable private trainer who is making $78,000 a year.

Potential Salary of Private Personal Trainer

  • Charges $50/session
  • Works 30 hours per week (sessions)
  • Makes $1,500/week
  • Makes $78,000/year

That same trainer can charge $100 a session, work 15 hours a week, and make the same salary.

Gym trainers typically have to work a lot more hours than private personal trainers for a fraction of the salary which is why private training is often the more desirable route. But as we’ll learn, private personal training is not the only way to make money as a trainer outside the gym.

Interested in getting a CPT with an emphasis on entrepreneurship and business development? Check out the FM-CPT for more info.

Next Steps for Aspiring Personal Trainers

Now you know what you can potentially make when you become a personal trainer at a gym. With this information, you may understand the gyms you want to work at and those you potentially want to stay away from.

One thing that should be clear with this information is that personal growth equates to more money as revealed by the tier systems many of these gyms have. The goal of continually developing yourself as a personal trainer is so you can build your book of business and generate a better income for yourself.

If you are interested in becoming an all-around better personal trainer and business-savvy individual, check out my book and online course I’ve made specifically for hungry self-starters looking to earn the income they deserve: Business and Sales: The Guide to Success as a Personal Trainer.

In addition to understanding which gym to kickstart your career, you’ll still want to have an understanding of which personal trainer certification is right for you. Amongst the three most popular certifications are Fitness Mentors, NASM and ACE, of which we cover side-by-side in this in-depth blog post. 

If you liked this post or want us to try and find additional information, please let me know in the comments. If you have experience at other big brand gyms and want to share the salary information, please help us educate other personal trainers by sharing your thoughts below.

Eddie

Instructor

Eddie Lester

CEO of fitnessmentors.com – Teaching 30,000+ students how to become CPT’s

  • 4.8 Star Rating
  • 300+ Reviews
  • 30,000+ Students
  • 16 Courses

BS Kinesiology, NASM-CPT, CES, PES FNS, MMAS, WLS, FM-CPT, ACE-CPT, Master Personal Trainer

Eddie Lester is the founder and CEO of Fitness Mentors. With more that 17 years experience in the health, fitness and athletics field, he has helped tens of thousands of personal trainers transform their careers and reach their business goals. With a background in Kinesiology and Exercise Physiology Eddie has assisted in research that is spearheading the exercise science field.

His in-depth knowledge of the Health, Wellness and Fitness industry has earned him a place as a regular contributor on high profile sites such as the Personal Trainer Development Center, (Dan to list top sites) online where he writes about nutrition and personal training.

His contributions to help personal trainers include a weekly blog, podcast, youtube channel and multiple books including: Business and Sales: the Guide to Success as a Personal Trainer.

Eddie’s Philosophy often times includes focusing on the bigger picture in which daily positive contributions lead to a major impact on himself, his family, his community and the world.

Eddie is commonly found at the beaches of Southern California with his wife Courtney and five kids.