---
title: "Exercise Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor"
description: "Instruct or coach groups or individuals in exercise activities for the primary purpose of personal fitness. Demonstrate techniques and form, observe…"
canonical: "https://nuecareer.com/careers/exercise-trainer-and-group-fitness-instructor"
last-updated: "2026-08-23T15:56:39.581Z"
---

# Exercise Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor

**Category:** Personal Care and Service · **SOC code:** 39-9031 · **O\*NET-SOC code:** 39-9031.00

Instruct or coach groups or individuals in exercise activities for the primary purpose of personal fitness. Demonstrate techniques and form, observe participants, and explain to them corrective measures necessary to improve their skills. Develop and implement individualized approaches to exercise.

Also advertised as: Aerobics Instructor; Fitness Instructor; Fitness Specialist; Fitness Trainer; Group Exercise Instructor; Group Fitness Instructor; Personal Trainer; Private Trainer.

## At a glance

- **Median annual wage:** $47,160 (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- **Median hourly wage:** $22.67/hr
- **Wage range (10th–90th percentile):** $28,800 to $83,100, with the middle half between $35,280 and $61,730
- **Total US employment:** 322,930
- **Typical entry education:** High school
- **Preparation required:** Some preparation — O\*NET rates this "Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed"
- **Projected growth:** +11.9% over 2024–2034 (BLS EP, 2024–2034)
- **Annual job openings:** 74,200 openings a year
- **AI-resilience score:** 65/100 — a NueCareer heuristic over O\*NET work activities and context, not a BLS or O\*NET figure

## Pay

National wage distribution, BLS OEWS, May 2025, across 322,930 US jobs.

| Percentile | Annual wage |
| --- | --- |
| 10th | $28,800 |
| 25th | $35,280 |
| 50th (median) | $47,160 |
| 75th | $61,730 |
| 90th | $83,100 |
| Mean (average) | $52,420 |

### Pay by state

The 15 highest-paying states, by median annual wage. The cost-of-living-adjusted column divides the state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, so the columns answer different questions: the first is what the job pays there, the second is what that pay buys there.

| State | Median annual wage | Cost-of-living adjusted | Employment |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MA | $64,620 | $61,102 | 9,200 |
| CT | $61,580 | $59,434 | 2,850 |
| NJ | $59,870 | $55,025 | 11,350 |
| OR | $58,510 | $56,607 | 4,800 |
| CA | $57,990 | $52,375 | 43,600 |
| NV | $57,960 | $57,972 | 3,010 |
| VT | $57,300 | $58,494 | 710 |
| WA | $50,830 | $47,499 | 9,270 |
| WY | $50,250 | $54,212 | 560 |
| CO | $49,900 | $48,422 | 10,500 |
| ID | $49,780 | $52,129 | 2,360 |
| NH | $49,360 | $47,386 | 1,500 |
| HI | $48,290 | $43,920 | 990 |
| AZ | $47,980 | $47,657 | 7,010 |
| MD | $47,420 | $45,180 | 8,650 |

37 more states with published wage data are omitted here. The full table for all 52 states is at https://nuecareer.com/careers/exercise-trainer-and-group-fitness-instructor/salary-by-state, or as JSON at https://nuecareer.com/api/v1/careers/exercise-trainer-and-group-fitness-instructor.

## Outlook

BLS projects employment to move from 370,100 in the 2024–2034 base year to 414,200 by the end of the cycle — a gain of 44,100 jobs, or +11.9%. Much faster than average: 11.9% against 3.1% projected for all occupations over the same cycle. About 74,200 openings a year are expected on average, counting openings from growth as well as from workers leaving the occupation permanently. Source: BLS EP, 2024–2034.

## How to get in

- **Typical entry education:** High school diploma or equivalent (BLS Employment Projections).
- **Preparation level:** Some preparation — O\*NET's preparation band for this occupation is "Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed".
- **Related work experience typically required:** None.
- **Typical on-the-job training:** Short-term on-the-job training.

### Education people in this job actually hold

O\*NET surveys incumbents, so this distribution describes who is in the job today and can differ from the BLS entry requirement above.

| Education level | Share of workers |
| --- | --- |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 38.1% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 19.1% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 14.3% |
| High School Diploma | 9.5% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 9.5% |
| Master's Degree | 9.5% |

## What the work involves

- Observe participants and inform them of corrective measures necessary for skill improvement.
- Offer alternatives during classes to accommodate different levels of fitness.
- Monitor participants' progress and adapt programs as needed.
- Plan routines, choose appropriate music, and choose different movements for each set of muscles, depending on participants' capabilities and limitations.
- Instruct participants in maintaining exertion levels to maximize benefits from exercise routines.
- Explain and enforce safety rules and regulations governing sports, recreational activities, and the use of exercise equipment.
- Teach proper breathing techniques used during physical exertion.
- Advise clients about proper clothing and shoes.

## Skills and knowledge

### Essential skills

- Speaking — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Listening — importance 3.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Learning Strategies — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Reading Comprehension — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Critical Thinking — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Active Learning — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Monitoring — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Writing — importance 2.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Transferable skills

These are the skills that carry into other occupations, and they drive the related-occupation and career-change rankings on this site.

- Instructing — importance 4.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Service Orientation — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Social Perceptiveness — importance 3.1 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Coordination — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Judgment and Decision Making — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Time Management — importance 3.0 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Persuasion — importance 2.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Complex Problem Solving — importance 2.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Knowledge areas

- Customer and Personal Service — importance 4.3 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Education and Training — importance 3.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- English Language — importance 3.7 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Psychology — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Biology — importance 2.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Administration and Management — importance 2.8 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

### Abilities

- Oral Expression — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Stamina — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Extent Flexibility — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Gross Body Coordination — importance 3.9 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Trunk Strength — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale
- Speech Clarity — importance 3.6 on the O\*NET 1–5 importance scale

## Who it suits

O\*NET rates every occupation on the six Holland (RIASEC) interest areas, on a 1–7 scale. This occupation's strongest areas are Social (S), Realistic (R), Enterprising (E).

| Interest area | Score (1–7) |
| --- | --- |
| S — Social | 5.62 |
| R — Realistic | 5.23 |
| E — Enterprising | 3.51 |
| C — Conventional | 2.98 |
| I — Investigative | 2.71 |
| A — Artistic | 2.40 |

### Personality fit

These scores are **derived by NueCareer**, not published by any government agency: they are cosine similarities between a personality type's trait profile and this occupation's O\*NET interest and work-style ratings, expressed 0–100. Treat them as a starting point for exploration, not as evidence that a type belongs in a job.

| Type | Fit score (0–100) |
| --- | --- |
| ESFJ | 74.0 |
| ESFP | 70.5 |
| ISFJ | 67.1 |
| ISFP | 59.9 |
| ESTJ | 59.9 |

Best-fitting types: ESFJ, ESFP.

## Related occupations

O\*NET's primary related occupations, in its own ranked order.

- [Fitness and Wellness Coordinator](https://nuecareer.com/careers/fitness-and-wellness-coordinator) — median $69,770
- [Exercise Physiologist](https://nuecareer.com/careers/exercise-physiologist) — median $59,460
- [Coach and Scout](https://nuecareer.com/careers/coach-and-scout) — median $47,320
- [Self-Enrichment Teacher](https://nuecareer.com/careers/self-enrichment-teacher) — median $46,800
- [Recreational Therapist](https://nuecareer.com/careers/recreational-therapist) — median $61,960
- [Physical Therapist Assistant](https://nuecareer.com/careers/physical-therapist-assistant) — median $68,380
- [Physical Therapist Aide](https://nuecareer.com/careers/physical-therapist-aide) — median $35,240
- [Recreation Worker](https://nuecareer.com/careers/recreation-worker) — median $36,560
- [Occupational Therapy Aide](https://nuecareer.com/careers/occupational-therapy-aide) — median $39,160
- [Occupational Therapy Assistant](https://nuecareer.com/careers/occupational-therapy-assistant) — median $72,300

## Sources

- **O\*NET** — O\*NET 30.3 Database, May 2026. https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
- **BLS OEWS** — BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
- **BLS EP** — BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2, 2024–2034. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
- **BLS OOH** — BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/
- **BEA RPP** — BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024. https://www.bea.gov/data/prices-inflation/regional-price-parities-state-and-metro-area

---

This bank includes information from the O\*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. NueCareer has transformed the data by joining it to BLS wage and projection data and deriving facet, personality-fit and AI-resilience scores. BLS and BEA data are public domain (17 U.S.C. §105).

O\*NET content is used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). How these figures are sourced and derived: https://nuecareer.com/careers/methodology

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