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How Much Does an Exercise Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor Make?

An exercise trainer and group fitness instructor in the US earns a median salary of $47,160 a year, or $22.67 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $52,420, and the middle half earn between $35,280 and $61,730.

Median a year $47,160
Median an hour $22.67
Median a month $3,930
Average a year $52,420

Exercise trainer and group fitness instructor pay range

What exercise trainers and group fitness instructors earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $28,800 $13.85
25th $35,280 $16.96
Median (50th) $47,160 $22.67
75th $61,730 $29.68
90th (top 10%) $83,100 $39.95

The median is 7% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 322,930 people work as exercise trainers and group fitness instructors in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$907
Every two weeks
$1,814
Twice a month
$1,965
A month
$3,930

At the median salary, before tax.

Exercise trainer and group fitness instructor salary by state

Sorted by average pay. Massachusetts pays exercise trainers and group fitness instructors the most, at $72,370 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
Massachusetts $72,370 $64,620 9,200 After tax
Connecticut $66,870 $61,580 2,850 After tax
New Jersey $65,470 $59,870 11,350 After tax
California $62,890 $57,990 43,600 After tax
Washington $61,800 $50,830 9,270 After tax
New York $60,770 $47,090 20,140 After tax
Oregon $60,470 $58,510 4,800 After tax
Vermont $59,960 $57,300 710 After tax
Nevada $58,100 $57,960 3,010 After tax
Wyoming $57,570 $50,250 560 After tax
Colorado $56,400 $49,900 10,500 After tax
District of Columbia $55,190 $39,210 1,480 After tax
Hawaii $54,980 $48,290 990 After tax
New Hampshire $54,120 $49,360 1,500 After tax
Maryland $54,110 $47,420 8,650 After tax
Maine $53,380 $47,060 1,140 After tax
Illinois $53,300 $46,800 19,830 After tax
Rhode Island $52,990 $45,640 990 After tax
Arizona $52,540 $47,980 7,010 After tax
Idaho $52,410 $49,780 2,360 After tax
Delaware $50,560 $44,340 1,210 After tax
Georgia $50,460 $47,150 7,500 After tax
Utah $49,360 $44,800 6,830 After tax
Tennessee $48,380 $47,380 5,080 After tax
North Carolina $48,270 $46,450 10,670 After tax
Michigan $47,990 $45,520 6,050 After tax
Montana $47,870 $43,940 1,420 After tax
Pennsylvania $46,620 $45,250 11,580 After tax
Kentucky $46,580 $45,280 1,990 After tax
Minnesota $46,190 $43,620 7,010 After tax
Virginia $46,030 $40,820 12,100 After tax
Alaska $45,860 $46,210 800 After tax
Oklahoma $44,960 $44,520 2,300 After tax
Texas $44,880 $40,880 19,260 After tax
Florida $44,630 $38,800 18,070 After tax
Wisconsin $44,300 $44,200 6,330 After tax
South Carolina $43,370 $43,630 5,130 After tax
New Mexico $43,080 $44,680 1,030 After tax
South Dakota $42,850 $40,070 950 After tax
Louisiana $42,450 $44,410 2,290 After tax
Arkansas $42,310 $42,140 1,390 After tax
Missouri $41,870 $36,450 5,060 After tax
North Dakota $41,180 $37,760 680 After tax
Kansas $40,730 $35,900 4,510 After tax
Ohio $40,250 $36,370 9,040 After tax
West Virginia $39,520 $38,120 500 After tax
Alabama $39,330 $39,180 2,680 After tax
Iowa $38,290 $36,160 2,510 After tax
Nebraska $37,940 $31,440 2,410 After tax
Mississippi $37,390 $30,540 1,260 After tax
Indiana $37,330 $34,960 5,360 After tax
Puerto Rico $23,600 $22,020 260

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other personal care and service jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors” (SOC 39-9031). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an exercise trainer and group fitness instructor make an hour?

The median hourly wage for an exercise trainer and group fitness instructor is $22.67, and the average is $25.20. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $13.85 an hour and the top 10% over $39.95.

How much does an exercise trainer and group fitness instructor make a month?

At the median salary of $47,160, an exercise trainer and group fitness instructor earns about $3,930 a month before tax, or $1,814 every two weeks.

Which state pays exercise trainers and group fitness instructors the most?

Massachusetts has the highest average pay for an exercise trainer and group fitness instructor, at $72,370 a year. Next are Connecticut and New Jersey. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for an exercise trainer and group fitness instructor?

The lowest-paid 10% of exercise trainers and group fitness instructors earn less than $28,800 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $35,280. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid exercise trainers and group fitness instructors make?

The top 10% earn more than $83,100 a year, and the top 25% more than $61,730.