According to data collected by Payscale, the average personal trainer salary in the UK ranges between £20,000 – £91,000 per year. These stats also specify an average hourly earning of £24.40.
However, your total earnings as a PT can vary depending on factors such as your level of experience, location, and how you work. For example, self-employed trainers have an unlimited earning potential as they are directly in control of their fees and working hours.
Contents:
- What Is The Average Personal Trainer Salary in the UK?
- Does Employment Type Influence Your Personal Training Pay?
- How Much Do Level 3 and Level 4 Personal Trainers Earn?
- How Does Location Affect The Average PT Salary?
- Which Gyms Pay Personal Trainers The Most?
- 5 Ways to Boost Your Salary as a Personal Trainer
- FAQs
With our CIMSPA-endorsed Personal Training Diploma, you could be qualified and earning in a matter of weeks!
What is the Average Personal Trainer Salary in the UK?
Let’s take a closer look at the statistics collected by Payscale to see how much personal trainers make:
| Salary Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Average Annual Base | £18,000 to £51,000 |
| Average Hourly Rate | £24.40 |
| Experienced Personal Trainer Salary | Up to £91,000+ |
| Entry Level Personal Trainer | £24,000+ |
Keep in mind that these figures are based on data submitted by salary profiles. Therefore, they cannot be considered to be wholly representative of the entire industry.
How Much Does a PT Earn Per Year?
According to Payscale, the average annual base salary of personal trainers ranges between £18,000 – £51,000. However, with commissions and further bonuses this can increase up to £91,000.
This range is further supported by employment experts at Indeed who estimate the average annual salary to be £34,077.
These stats both take into account data collected by contracted positions. Should you decide to become self-employed and start your own business, your earning potential is uncapped and could far exceed these averages.
What Is The Hourly Rate of a PT?
Payscale reports that the average PT salary in the UK is £24.40. Whereas Indeed offers a greater amount of insight on this matter, allowing you to see the average hourly rates of trainers in different areas.
They even list the highest earning locations:
| Location | Average Hourly Rate |
|---|---|
| London | £28.71 |
| Belfast | £26.04 |
| Bristol | £26.63 |
| Manchester | £25.81 |
| Edinburgh | £25.14 |
| Glasgow | £24.54 |
| Birmingham | £24.40 |
| Leeds | £22.58 |
For context, salaries in London are typically higher than any other part of the county in every field, personal training included. This is to offset resident’s higher cost of living for things like rent, utilities, etc.
But, do personal trainers get good money compared to the rest of the country?
Yes, in fact they earn more on an hourly basis than the national average. This is supported by a 2025 study conducted by Statista, which found the average hourly earnings for full-time employees in the United Kingdom to be £19.74.
Does Employment Type Influence Your Personal Training Pay?
One of the most appealing things about becoming a personal trainer is that there are multiple career options that you can pursue.
Some may prefer the structure that comes along with contracted work, while others may want to start their own business. Let’s explore how these two different employment types can influence a personal trainer’s salary:
How Much Do PTs Make in Contracted Employment?
With data collected from over 2.3k salaries, provided by job listings, employers, and employees, Indeed estimates that contracted employers earn an average of £34,077.
Many personal trainers enjoy working on a contracted basis as it provides fixed working hours and a dependable source of income. This provides peace of mind and allows you to budget your finances accordingly for things like rent, utility bills, as well as personal spending.
Contracted roles also come with a built-in client base. This means you won’t have to worry about acquiring or retaining clients to generate income.
However, one drawback of contracted employment is that your earning potential will be capped and can therefore feel somewhat limiting for some personal trainers. This will be set by your employer and could increase overtime as you gain experience in the venue.
How Much Do PTs Make Freelance?
There is no limit to how much you can earn when you become a self-employed personal trainer. This is because you’re in direct control over the hours you work and the amount you charge per session.
For example, you could earn up to £91,000 as a self-employed personal trainer. Let’s say you worked 35 hours a week, here’s how you could make that possible:
| Hourly Rate | Weekly Income | Monthly Income | Yearly Income |
|---|---|---|---|
| £20 | £700 | £3,033 | £36,000 |
| £30 | £1,050 | £4,550 | £54,600 |
| £40 | £1,400 | £6,066 | £72,000 |
| £50 | £1,750 | £7,583 | £91,000 |
Therefore, one of the greatest benefits of a freelance pt career is that your earning potential is huge.
However, this role comes with greater responsibilities, such as being directly responsible for acquiring and retaining clients. If your base varies in size from month to month with people dropping out, your salary will naturally be affected.
Likewise, you’ll also have additional fees to take care of, such as rent on a gym space, equipment, and marketing (to name a few).
If you’re just starting out and would like guidance on this, check out our article on ‘Starting a Personal Training Business With No Money’.
How Much Do Level 3 and Level 4 Personal Trainers Earn?
The level of experience a personal trainer holds can also influence their salary. As with any role, when you initially enter the industry your wage will be lower compared to professionals with years of experience.
Level 3 Personal Trainer Salary:
After earning a Level 3 Personal Training Qualification you’ll enter the industry and can start generating income. Glassdoor collected data from 2.2k salary profiles and found that entry-level personal trainers earn between £19K – £34K per year.
As you gain more experience as a trainer, you’ll find yourself earning on the higher end of this scale.
Level 4 Personal Trainer Salary:
When you’ve gained enough experience as a PT may also choose to develop a specialism by completing a Level 4 Personal Training Course, in areas such as Sports Nutrition.
In doing so, you can significantly increase your earning potential and add an additional stream of income with new services. For example, if you earned a Level 4 Advanced Sports Nutrition Qualification you could create bespoke meal plans for your clients to support their fitness goals.
Experts at Indeed report the average salary of a Sports Nutritionist to be £28,556 per year. This could be added on top of your growing salary as a PT.
How Does Location Affect The Average PT Salary?
Location significantly affects personal trainer salaries in the UK. PTs in London and major cities typically earn higher hourly rates than those in rural areas.
Take a look at these Indeed stats showing some of the highest earning areas of the country:
| Location | Average PT Salary (Hourly) | Average PT Salary (Annual) |
|---|---|---|
| London | £28.71 | £37,442 |
| Nottingham | £27.55 | £35,929 |
| Belfast | £26.04 | £33,969 |
| Manchester | £25.81 | £33,664 |
| Edinburgh | £25.14 | £32,786 |
| Glasgow | £24.54 | £32,005 |
| Birmingham | £24.40 | £31,828 |
| West Yorkshire | £23.24 | £30,307 |
| Liverpool | £21.94 | £28,620 |
| Newcastle | £20.16 | £26,300 |
Where Do Personal Trainers Earn the Most in the UK?
Personal trainers in London earn a significantly higher salary compared to other cities across the UK. This is the case in many industries as the wage is balanced to offset residents’ higher cost of living.
That said, these stats are only averages and there is no guarantee that every trainer in London will earn more than PTs in Liverpool (for example).
You could be self-employed in a rural area and earn a significantly higher salary than those presented above.
Which Gyms Pay Personal Trainers The Most?
We conducted research into earnings at the most popular gym in the UK to determine the average salary of personal trainers at these facilities.
Ranges were found via Glassdoor:
- Nuffield Health: £19,000 – £34,000
- The Gym Group: £20,000 – £41,000
- David Lloyd Clubs: £19,000 – £50,000
- JD Gyms: £14,000 – £63,000
- Virgin Active: £21,000 – £59,000
- Pure Gym: £20,000 – £30,000
Typically, premium gyms like David Lloyd Clubs will pay their personal trainers a higher salary compared to budget friendly alternatives. This is because their membership fees are often higher and they market themselves as a ‘luxury’ experience with amenities and services not available elsewhere.
One thing to keep in mind is that these averages do not take employment type into consideration. For example, gyms that predominantly hire freelance trainers will naturally have lower stats than those who typically look for full-time pts.
5 Ways to Boost Your Salary as a Personal Trainer
#1 – Earn a Level 4 Sports Nutrition Qualification
Boost your personal trainer salary by completing a Level 4 Sports Nutrition Qualification. This allows you to add additional services such as custom meal plans, that will compliment your client’s workout programmes and push them towards their goals.
Scott Laidler is a great example of a PT who successfully increases their income with the addition of nutrition services. This can be seen below, where he charges an additional £180 for custom meal plans.
This additional service acts as an incentive to the client to purchase the more expensive package, they may be paying more but they’re getting more for their money.
#2 – Add Sports Massage Therapy Services to Your Business
You can also increase your PT salary by undergoing a Level 3 Diploma in Sports Massage. In doing so, you can begin to offer your clients treatments aid in injury prevention and performance enhancement.
LMC Physio & Fitness does this successfully, charging up to £135 for SMT sessions:
This service can also save you money, if a client is injured and unable to train, rather than losing their income you could cross-refer them to your SMT services.
#3 – Become a Specialist With a Level 4 Qualification
By acquiring a Level 4 Personal Trainer Qualification you can advertise yourself as an elite personal trainer, charge higher fees and attract a wider range of clients, especially those who need more specialised training.
Ben Malton who specialises in weight loss and diabetes management is a great example of a trainer who does this successfully. Charging £65 for one hour long sessions, well above the average hourly pt salary:
Therefore, by gaining a specialist qualification like a Level 4 Diabetes Management Qualification you could potentially double your income.
#4 – Offer Online Personal Training Services
Becoming an online personal trainer removes location restrictions and barriers. Rather than being confined to your local area, you’ll be able to take on clients from anywhere in the world.
You also won’t be restricted for time, rather than allocating space for each individual client, you can work with multiple different ones online at once, doubling income and productivity.
Ultimate Performance shows how these online packages can be priced, ranging between £349 – £1149.
You could therefore earn a significant amount of money, even if you just enrolled as a handful of online clients alongside your in-person ones.
#5 – Develop Your Sales & Marketing Skills
Establishing a USP and knowing your target audience is vital to become a successful personal trainer. To establish this ask yourself:
- What are my specialist services?
- Who is my target audience?
- What are my brand values?
Once you’ve established your niche you can begin to market your PT business, through strategies such as:
- Setting up ads on Google
- Creating a strong website
- Establishing a Google Business page
- Utilising social media through ads and posts
- Starting an email marketing campaign
These marketing strategies for personal trainers helps to increase your online visibility, driving more clients to your business.
FAQs
How Much Does a PT Earn in the UK?
With data collected from over 80 salaries, Payscale reports that the average PT earns between £20,000 – £91,000 per year.
Should you become self-employed, your earning potential will become unlimited as you will have direct control over your working hours and fees.
Do Personal Trainers Earn Good Money?
Yes, personal trainers can earn good money! Payscale reports the average base pay of PTs ranges between £18,000 – £51,000, but even more can be generated through commission, bonuses and additional streams of revenue.
What is the Hourly Rate for a Personal Trainer?
Indeed reports that contracted personal trainers earn £26.13 per hour, however, this may vary depending on where you live and what gym you work at. Additionally, self-employed personal trainers can earn even more than this, as the earning potential in this role is unlimited.
How Much Do Level 3 Personal Trainers Earn?
Glassdoor estimates that newly qualified Level 3 Personal Trainers can earn between £19K – £34K per year. Like with any role, this will increase overtime when you get your foot in the door and gain hands-on experience.
How Much Do Level 4 Personal Trainers Make?
Through completing a specialist Level 4 course, you could add more services to your business and boost your earning potential. For example, if you completed a Level 4 Sports Nutrition Qualification you could earn an additional £28,556 per year according to Indeed.
Before You Go!
Now that you have a better understanding of the average personal training salary in the UK, nothing is stopping you from increasing your earning potential!
Remember, earning a Personal Training Diploma can help you earn a lucrative salary. Once qualified you can earn a fixed salary in a contracted position, or become self-employed and set your prices!
Download our course prospectus for FREE to learn more about out award-winning training.
