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ISSA, International Sports Sciences Association, Certified Personal Trainer, ISSAonline, Corporate Fitness Trainers: Salary, Job Market, Where to Work

Corporate Fitness Trainers: Salary, Job Market, Where to Work

Reading Time: 5 minutes

BY: ISSA

DATE: 2023-04-10


The entire wellness industry has been skyrocketing in recent years, with everything from boutique gyms to wearable fitness trackers to mental health apps. Employers have increasingly embraced the growing industry and the benefits of offering workers opportunities to get fitter, healthier, and happier. 

Personal trainers can cash in on this trend by offering services to companies that are implementing wellness programs for their employees. Corporate fitness can be a great way to advance your career while reaching and impacting more people. 

What is a Corporate Fitness Trainer? 

Corporate fitness trainers work for companies and with their employees to improve the fitness and health of participants. Companies that implement wellness programs for workers offer a variety of services, including health screenings, nutrition education, mental health care, and fitness classes or even personal training. 

A corporate fitness trainer offers these last two services. Exactly what they provide depends on the company, the program, and participant interest. Generally, they offer group fitness classes, individualized personal training, and fitness education. 

Learn more: If you have a fitness certification, you have options. Here are seven alternative careers for fitness professionals that go beyond the gym. 

What is the Market Like for Corporate Training? 

The market for working as a corporate trainer is strong and growing. According to marketing research, the corporate wellness industry was worth $57.3 billion in 2021. It is projected to nearly double to $109.4 billion by 2030. 

The growing prevalence of chronic disease is a major driver of this growth. As people increasingly recognize the role of exercise and diet in overall health and quality of life, the entire wellness industry grows. 

Corporate wellness continues to grow as employers come to the realization that healthier workers are better and less costly workers. Successful wellness programs help companies cut healthcare costs, reduce absenteeism, and boost productivity. 

What Does a Corporate Trainer Do?

The role of a corporate trainer varies depending on the position, but they are generally responsible for: 

  • Assessing employee fitness levels, limitations, and goals

  • Creating workouts for individuals or groups

  • Leading group fitness classes and, in some cases, individual sessions

  • Varying exercises and workouts for a diverse group of fitness levels

  • Demonstrating proper form and any variations of exercises

  • Educating employees about fitness and health

  • Motivating employees to participate in the program and attend workouts

Other duties vary depending on the employer. When working for a corporation, trainers must follow the culture and administration requirements. For instance, you might be expected to fill out specific forms or reports on progress. 

A corporate trainer in more of a leadership role might be responsible for planning the fitness program, buying equipment, or hiring trainers or group fitness leaders. 

Where Do Corporate Trainers Work? 

As with other areas of personal training, you have options. From working directly for a corporation to going solo, you can craft the type of corporate training career that works best for you. 

Corporations and Employers

Some companies, especially smaller businesses with fewer employees, hire trainers directly. You could work as a contractor just a few hours a week. Or, a company might hire you as an employee to design and implement a fitness program for their workers. 

Health and Wellness Companies 

Larger companies typically outsource wellness programs to other companies. These are health and wellness firms and vendors that specialize in creating corporate programs. Again, you could be hired as a contractor or an employee. 

Freelance Corporate Fitness Trainer

If you work as a contractor either type of company, you would be working for yourself as a freelancer or small business owner. In this capacity, you can choose how much you work. It could be a side hustle, or a full time gig done on a contract rather than employee basis. 

How Much Do Corporate Fitness Trainers Make? 

The amount of money a personal trainer can earn in any position depends on multiple factors. Some important considerations are where you live, your education level and certification types, and whether you work full-time or part-time and as a contractor or an employee. 

In general, trainers have a greater opportunity to earn more working in corporate fitness than other settings, like a gym or as an independent personal trainer. This is because many companies hire personal trainers as employees and provide annual salaries and benefits, like healthcare and retirement funding. 

Corporate fitness trainers are often more than just personal trainers. Many are coordinators or managers as well, which can lead to higher salaries. In corporate fitness, you can earn more if you are hired to develop and lead a wellness program. 

There is no specific category for corporate fitness, but according to the U.S. Department of Labor, the median salary across the U.S. for a fitness and wellness coordinator is $60,360. The top 10% of earners in this group makes more than $84,000 per year. The median hourly rate is $29.02 and $40.47 for top earners. 

Corporate trainers are likely to have higher salaries when working for larger companies and in bigger metropolitan areas. Building your own business or freelancing leaves a lot of room to earn a good salary, but you have to be good with business and marketing in order to get clients. 

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the salaries of personal trainers in different jobs and locations. 

What Does it Take to Become a Corporate Trainer? 

The first and most important step to becoming a corporate fitness professional is to earn fitness credentials. At a minimum, you should be a certified personal trainer. It also helps to add certifications in categories that will help you work with the diverse groups of people you’ll see in a corporate setting. Particularly helpful are certifications in: 

  • Group training and fitness classes

  • Corrective exercise

  • Yoga

  • Nutrition or wellness coaching

  • Lifespan coaching

  • Weight management

It’s important to understand that corporate trainers work with many different types of clients. If you work in a gym, you’ll get clients who are motivated to make changes and took the initiative on their own to hire you. 

In a corporate setting, you’ll work with an entire range of client types, from motivated people to those who simply want to check off a requirement. You will also encounter a much wider variety of fitness levels, from completely sedentary to active and everything in between. 

One of the most important skills a corporate fitness professional must have is the ability to work well with this diversity. You have to be able to adapt workouts and exercises to meet each individual’s needs, fitness levels, and willingness (or lack of) to work out. 

If you are already in a fitness profession and want to break into corporate work, start learning more about it. Talk to those already in the industry to find out how they got started and look at job listings. You might need to start as a part-time or contract trainer, but as you learn more about the industry, you can work your way up to becoming a wellness program developer or manager. 

Corporate wellness is a growing industry with no signs of slowing down. If you’re interested in more than a gym job, consider working as a trainer for a company. It can be rewarding to be in charge of programs and to impact more people as they embrace fitness and health. 

Complete ISSA’s Certified Personal Trainer – Self-Guided Study Program to become any kind of fitness instructor or personal trainer. This foundational course prepares you for a wide variety of fitness careers.



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References

  1. Market Research Future. (2022, October 31). Corporate Wellness Market Size Worth USD 109.4 billion by 2030 at 8.37% CAGR – report by Market Research Future (MRFR). GlobeNewswire News Room. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/10/31/2544828/0/en/Corporate-Wellness-Market-Size-Worth-USD-109-4-Billion-by-2030-at-8-37-CAGR-Report-by-Market-Research-Future-MRFR.html 

  2. National wages: 11-9179.01 - fitness and wellness coordinators. O*NET OnLine. (2022, December 13). Retrieved February 16, 2023, from https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/11-9179.01?st=

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