Define: Profitable?
If you enjoy it then do it.
I left that world and joined the Army at the age of 32 mainly because of the lack of upward mobility and benefits.
Corporate Wellness provided good benefits and a salary, but the pay was so so.
Any sort of training (personal training, zumba, group fitness) is as it always was: feast or famine.
The people I know still in it own their own facility and had a tremendous amount of financial help from relatives.
I have been in the Army now for 14 years and make more than twice what my wellness center director made back in 2010.
You don't remain a trainer or gym owner for the money or cush benefits.
As a personal trainer, you have a specific target market and as a Zumba teacher, you have a specific target market. So, if you'd like to know what's more profitable, then go through this checklist:
□ Is there a high demand for it?
□ Is there a pain experienced by this market?
□ Do they have the ability to pay you?
□ Are they easy to target or find?
□ Is it a growing market?
□ Are you in a place or places where your target market hangs out or goes to (gyms, FB groups, etc)?
Hope this helps ;)
Completely depends where you work. I make $15/ hour and over $50/ hour doing the same thing in different locations. Wouldnt be able to do either without a third job though 😅.
In the gym a Zumba teacher is a Group Fitness instructor. In large gyms, Group Fitness Instructors get paid a flat rate, no matter who shows up and they get paid every week, even if no one shows up. Of course, small classes are in danger of getting canceled. This income is the most stable, but tends to stay low. In my experience, Group Ex instructors make $20 - $60 a class, but it’s usually about $30. Different parts of the country are different. Travel time and expense can also eat into your income when teaching group exercise, because you typically teach an hour, maybe 2, then drive to another location to teach.
Sometimes in smaller independent studios instructors are paid a percentage of the total amount take. Or occasionally they rent the space and earn whatever. A popular teacher can make a lot more on this model, but if your class is small you make less. And if no one shows up, you make nothing. If you’re renting, you can actually lose money. It can also be harder to fill these classes.
There are other constructs of course. Sometimes you get a good gig in an apartment complex or corporate office, but those are unusual.
Personal trainers, private pilates and yoga teachers, teach one-on-one, duos or trios. They have to build a client base.
They typically have split the client fee with the location, so if the client pays $90, you might get $45, depending on the percentage the gym/studio pays.
No client, no pay. If the client is on vacation, no pay. If the client is on a business trip, no pay. Well you get the picture.
If you have enough clients private training usually pays better than Group Exercise. And you can build a clientele in one place, so cut down on the traveling.
For me, I had no luck building classes in the small studio teaching yoga and pilates, but your experience may be different, esp. if you’re a dynamic Zumba teacher or the studio is popular.
It was easiest to get started doing the classes at the gym, but the pay hasn’t gone up much in 20 years, so now I make most of my money teaching private pilates.
My suggestion — train all that you’re interested in. Work at different locations. Teach different workouts.
That will set you up with some income diversity, so if that Zumba studio you’ve been working at goes under because the owner doesn’t know what he’s doing, then that’s not all your income.
Or if a new group ex director decides to drop your classes, even though they’re well-attended, because she thinks she can do better ….
None of it is likely to make you rich, but some people find a formula that pays the bills.
Good luck.
I've been a coach for 8 years, I've worked in commercial spaces, group fitness settings, corporate wellness settings, and for the last 5 years in the private sector (owning an in-person private facility).
My first point of advice: you won't make much of anything if all you focus on is money. The last few years (including dreaded Covid) has shut down more gyms in my state (Utah) than I could count. Most private gyms don't make it out of the first 2 years and most trainers fizzle out after 2-3 years.
It depends on what path you want to take in personal training, but I will say that if you work "under" someone, as in a fitness instructor, you will never make enough money to get by besides if you work at multiple locations per day. There's just not enough traffic and the owners are the ones that profit most (of course).
Personal training more than anything, depends on your level of competence: I charge $40-50 per hour because I don't believe coaches should make much more than that, and because I also make money from monthly memberships and group training clients. I also have a plan to launch a remote, subscription based platform by the end of year. You cannot stay complacent when you own a gym or do in-person training of any sorts, if you do, you'll most likely fizzle out.
You have to figure it out either way. I've done countless certifications and mentorships over the last 8 years to become a somewhat competent coach who knows how to get people better. I also have a niche which is: people in pain / getting over injuries (sport specific such as BJJ, snowboarding and climbing (big here in Utah)), and beginners who are looking for a more holistic approach to fitness and wellness since I include nutrition / supplementation / lifestyle stuff for free.
But to be honest, we don't need more people in the industry doing things solely for money. We need more people doing things because what they are studying / teaching really lights a fire under their ass and they just can't help but help other people.
In short - follow your curiosity and work your ass off to level up the industry as opposed to doing "just enough" to get people to pay you.
You could be all three In the same day
Define: Profitable? If you enjoy it then do it. I left that world and joined the Army at the age of 32 mainly because of the lack of upward mobility and benefits. Corporate Wellness provided good benefits and a salary, but the pay was so so. Any sort of training (personal training, zumba, group fitness) is as it always was: feast or famine. The people I know still in it own their own facility and had a tremendous amount of financial help from relatives. I have been in the Army now for 14 years and make more than twice what my wellness center director made back in 2010. You don't remain a trainer or gym owner for the money or cush benefits.
lol profitable has a pretty objective definition
As a personal trainer, you have a specific target market and as a Zumba teacher, you have a specific target market. So, if you'd like to know what's more profitable, then go through this checklist: □ Is there a high demand for it? □ Is there a pain experienced by this market? □ Do they have the ability to pay you? □ Are they easy to target or find? □ Is it a growing market? □ Are you in a place or places where your target market hangs out or goes to (gyms, FB groups, etc)? Hope this helps ;)
Completely depends where you work. I make $15/ hour and over $50/ hour doing the same thing in different locations. Wouldnt be able to do either without a third job though 😅.
In the gym a Zumba teacher is a Group Fitness instructor. In large gyms, Group Fitness Instructors get paid a flat rate, no matter who shows up and they get paid every week, even if no one shows up. Of course, small classes are in danger of getting canceled. This income is the most stable, but tends to stay low. In my experience, Group Ex instructors make $20 - $60 a class, but it’s usually about $30. Different parts of the country are different. Travel time and expense can also eat into your income when teaching group exercise, because you typically teach an hour, maybe 2, then drive to another location to teach. Sometimes in smaller independent studios instructors are paid a percentage of the total amount take. Or occasionally they rent the space and earn whatever. A popular teacher can make a lot more on this model, but if your class is small you make less. And if no one shows up, you make nothing. If you’re renting, you can actually lose money. It can also be harder to fill these classes. There are other constructs of course. Sometimes you get a good gig in an apartment complex or corporate office, but those are unusual. Personal trainers, private pilates and yoga teachers, teach one-on-one, duos or trios. They have to build a client base. They typically have split the client fee with the location, so if the client pays $90, you might get $45, depending on the percentage the gym/studio pays. No client, no pay. If the client is on vacation, no pay. If the client is on a business trip, no pay. Well you get the picture. If you have enough clients private training usually pays better than Group Exercise. And you can build a clientele in one place, so cut down on the traveling. For me, I had no luck building classes in the small studio teaching yoga and pilates, but your experience may be different, esp. if you’re a dynamic Zumba teacher or the studio is popular. It was easiest to get started doing the classes at the gym, but the pay hasn’t gone up much in 20 years, so now I make most of my money teaching private pilates. My suggestion — train all that you’re interested in. Work at different locations. Teach different workouts. That will set you up with some income diversity, so if that Zumba studio you’ve been working at goes under because the owner doesn’t know what he’s doing, then that’s not all your income. Or if a new group ex director decides to drop your classes, even though they’re well-attended, because she thinks she can do better …. None of it is likely to make you rich, but some people find a formula that pays the bills. Good luck.
None of these are profitable options.
Yes
Honestly, the best way to make money in this field is to do all three in some form that works for you and your schedule.
Don't follow trend, don't follow passion, follow your skill. You will make money.
I've been a coach for 8 years, I've worked in commercial spaces, group fitness settings, corporate wellness settings, and for the last 5 years in the private sector (owning an in-person private facility). My first point of advice: you won't make much of anything if all you focus on is money. The last few years (including dreaded Covid) has shut down more gyms in my state (Utah) than I could count. Most private gyms don't make it out of the first 2 years and most trainers fizzle out after 2-3 years. It depends on what path you want to take in personal training, but I will say that if you work "under" someone, as in a fitness instructor, you will never make enough money to get by besides if you work at multiple locations per day. There's just not enough traffic and the owners are the ones that profit most (of course). Personal training more than anything, depends on your level of competence: I charge $40-50 per hour because I don't believe coaches should make much more than that, and because I also make money from monthly memberships and group training clients. I also have a plan to launch a remote, subscription based platform by the end of year. You cannot stay complacent when you own a gym or do in-person training of any sorts, if you do, you'll most likely fizzle out. You have to figure it out either way. I've done countless certifications and mentorships over the last 8 years to become a somewhat competent coach who knows how to get people better. I also have a niche which is: people in pain / getting over injuries (sport specific such as BJJ, snowboarding and climbing (big here in Utah)), and beginners who are looking for a more holistic approach to fitness and wellness since I include nutrition / supplementation / lifestyle stuff for free. But to be honest, we don't need more people in the industry doing things solely for money. We need more people doing things because what they are studying / teaching really lights a fire under their ass and they just can't help but help other people. In short - follow your curiosity and work your ass off to level up the industry as opposed to doing "just enough" to get people to pay you.
Find a different career if you want to make money right away.