How to Start a Personal Trainer Side Hustle (Up to $75,000 per Year)
Trying to make the most of start personal trainer side? You are in the right place. Below we break it down in plain English, with practical tips you can actually use.
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Mixing fitness and finance can be a fun way to get in shape and help others do the same -- to the tune of $75,000/yr. Here's how to start and scale a personal trainer side hustle.
Written by Jen Smith Last Updated: April 1, 2025Some of the links on DollarSprout point to products or services from partners we trust. If you choose to make a purchase through one, we may earn a commission, which supports the ongoing maintenance and improvement of our site at no additional cost to you. Learn more.
I took my first CrossFit class in 2013. Before that, you wouldn’t have thought I was capable of anything athletic, much less the intense workouts CrossFit is known for.
The gym and I weren’t (and still aren’t) friends. I’d walk in, look at the equipment, and immediately become overwhelmed by all the possibilities and how incapable I was at most of it. But when I tried CrossFit, that all changed.
Having an experienced coach and trainer design my workouts, tell me how to do them, and hold me accountable for showing up caused me to fall in love with going to the gym.
Personal trainers play an invaluable role in the health and fitness of people who, like me, don’t naturally enjoy working out. If you’re passionate about helping people transform their relationship with the gym, then maybe it’s time to consider how to become a personal trainer.
What Does a Personal Trainer Do?
Source: PTPioneerPersonal trainers teach people how to exercise in ways that are effective and safe for them. They might also give information and resources on nutrition, weight control, and healthy lifestyle improvements. This is the perfect profession for people who want the option of working full time or as a side gig.
It’s not enough to get a certificate and show someone how to lift a weight or perform a stretch. If you want to become a good personal trainer, you’ll need to be passionate about helping people, a characteristic performance coach Danny James says will determine your success.
“We like to get so good at the training piece that I think we frequently forget the ‘personal’ part. We are in the ‘people’ business and you have to care about helping people succeed,” James said. “Create an experience for people, and they’ll keep coming back, and bring their friends along, too.”
How Much Do Personal Trainers Make?
Source: Bureau of Labor StatisticsAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2019 the median pay for personal trainers was $40,390 per year or $19.42 per hour. The bottom 10% of fitness trainers earn around $21,000 while the top 10% earn over $75,000.
Most are employed at gyms but personal trainers can also work at private fitness centers, provide in-home services, or train completely online. The top personal trainers on Instagram can even make tens of thousands of dollars for a single sponsored post on the platform.
Even if you’re not looking to train full time, personal training can be a lucrative side hustle idea you can easily work around a full-time work schedule.
You can also make passive income by going online. Chantal Steele, NASM CPT, makes almost $1,000 a month from her fitness blog, Ironwild Fitness, through ad revenue and selling digital products.
How to Become a Personal Trainer
Becoming a personal trainer is a simple process but can seem intimidating at first. There are dozens of certificates, specialties, and professional paths to choose from. But you can cut through the noise, pick the path that’s right for you, and discover how to become a personal trainer online in just four steps.
1. Decide what you want to do.
As a personal trainer, you don’t have to limit yourself to teaching group fitness classes at your local gym, unless that’s what you want to do. You can train people in person, online, in your home, in your clients’ homes, or anywhere you can get your equipment.
Do some research on the services trainers are doing in your area and abroad to differentiate yourself and find a way to train that you enjoy.
Related: 28 Legit Online Jobs That Are Simple, Flexible and Profitable
2. Decide who you want to work with.
While your first thought may be, “I’ll work with anyone who pays me,” you’ll find that mindset will quickly lead you down a path to burnout.
Specializing in one type of training or client will help you hone your skills in that area, keep your marketing targeted, and allow you to charge more than a trainer who dabbles in a bit of everything. James makes over $7,000 per month working almost exclusively with athletes, primarily in track and field.
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Don’t limit yourself when choosing your niche. There are successful trainers in every lifestyle and industry from police officers and cosplay enthusiasts to people dealing with chronic illness. Identify what is unique about you and how you can use that to serve others.
3. Take your exam and get certified.
It’s not complicated to find out how to become a certified personal trainer. Once you decide what you want to do and who you want to work with, you can choose the certification that’s best for you. Most certifications require you to be at least 18 years old, CPR certified, and pass an exam.
The cost for these exams can range from $99 to $800. The two most popular certifications from the American Council on Exercise and the National Academy of Sports Medicine are $600 and $800 respectively. Both are general certifications, so if you want to do something more specialized, you might be better off skipping these. Instead, get one more appropriate for your industry or look for additional specialty certifications.
4. Market your services.
Once you have your services and certification nailed down, you’re ready to market to your niche. There are numerous ways to market your small business, but you don’t need to do them all. Choose one or two that are best for you and master those before branching out.
Some popular marketing strategies for personal trainers include content marketing through a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel. Social media channels like Instagram and TikTok are excellent places to demonstrate workouts and nutrition plans. And trainers who want to start with local clients can try Google and Facebook ads targeted at people living within a certain radius.
Related: How to Make Money Managing Facebook Ads for Local Businesses
Ways to Scale Your Personal Training Side Gig
If you’re looking for a way to earn money beyond individual workouts, there are plenty of ways to scale a personal training business and use your expertise to make pass
Final Thoughts
The bottom line: a little research on start personal trainer side goes a long way. Compare your options, watch for seasonal offers, and never pay full price when a better deal is one click away.
Originally published at dollarsprout.com.
Jen Smith
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