How Much Do Personal Trainers Make In Canada?

Table Of Contents

What Is A Personal Trainer And How Much Do They Make In Canada?
Personal Training Salaries Per Province
Which Gyms Pay The Best In Canada?
Does A Personal Trainer Earn More Online Or Training In-Person?
How Much Do Personal Trainers Make: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The personal training industry has earned footing recently due to the skyrocketing popularity of health and wellness methods. People are inspired by their favorite celebrities and sports stars to focus on physical fitness, health journey, muscle gains, nutrition, and exercise.

Though many prefer to DIY their fitness journey, others believe that the best results are derived from consulting and working with a professional. This is where professional personal trainers come in. Due to their rising popularity, personal trainers are becoming some of the highest-paid individuals in the world, especially in Canada.

What Is A Personal Trainer And How Much Do They Make In Canada?

A personal trainer works with individuals looking to embark on a health journey with specific goals in mind. Once the trainer knows about your short-term and long-term fitness goals, they devise a detailed plan with suitable exercises, proper nutrition, goal changes, and routine activities.

Personal trainers must have ample experience and/or decent accreditation in their field. Many trainers possess a college degree in physical fitness and related areas, while others prefer taking practical courses and tests to be certified.

Muscular-sportsman-and-trainer-on-training-in-gym - Fitness Report

Having a personal trainer can help visualize clear health ambitions and develop punctuality and a sense of accountability. A fitness professional may request several medical tests and records and even conduct several stamina and agility tests of their own. It is only after a client clears these medical fitness requirements that a trainer agrees to work with them. Personal trainer salaries can start from $48,900 CAD per year and go as high as upwards of $140,000 CAD per year. These are generalized estimates, giving an average salary of almost $54,000 CAD per year.

The salary of a personal trainer depends heavily on several factors, including experience, certifications, and client feedback. The stronger the portfolio of a fitness mentor, the better their chances of earning several times higher than the average salary. Perhaps the foremost requirement of professional trainers is their educational background and certifications.

Personal Training Certifications

Personal fitness coaches need to be credited by a certifying authority to allow them to work professionally. There are several accrediting bodies that a trainer can have certification. In Canada, training accreditation is not required by law, but proper certification is imperative to secure clients and excel in the field.

Some authorizing bodies that provide personal trainer certifications are:

Canadian Fitness Education Services (CFES)
National Academy Of Sports Medicine (NASM)
Canadian Fitness Professionals (CanFitPro)
International Sports Science Association (ISSA)
Certified Personal Trainers Network
National Fitness Leadership Association (NFLA)
American Council Of Ecercise (ACE)
Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology (CSEP)
National Strength And Conditioning Association (NSCA)

Some authorities require a degree or diploma in a physical fitness-related field, while others require trainers to have completed proper practical experience and training workshops to receive accreditation.

Personal Training Salaries Per Province

The salaries of fitness mentors can depend on various factors, such as demographics and demand. Hence, personal training salaries vary in different provinces in Canada. In some provinces, it can even go upwards of $100,000 CAD.

The average annual salary of fitness professionals in each province is given below:

Average annual salary chart of fitness professionals in Canada

Alberta: $49,000 CAD
British Columbia: $55,000 CAD
Manitoba: $52,000 CAD
New Brunswick: $52,000 CAD
Newfoundland and Labrador: $53,000 CAD
Nova Scotia: $37,000 CAD
Ontario: $60,000 CAD
Prince Edward Island: $45,000 CAD
Quebec: $55,000 CAD
Saskatchewan: $57,000 CAD

Which Gyms Pay The Best In Canada?

All gyms have different monthly salary structures regarding personal trainer salaries. Some pay the minimum wage for this profession, while others are more generous. The pay scale may depend on several factors, such as the gym’s location, popularity, customer influx, the trainer’s experience, certifications, etc.

For example, 24 Hour Fitness, one of the most popular gym franchises, offers fitness mentors the minimum wage. However, they also include decent incentives and bonuses, such as the chance to earn a 20 percent commission upon securing an individual training package.

Another example is Crunch Fitness, which has variable pay scales, counting only active working/training hours, and offers generous incentives and commissions.

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One of the highest-paying gyms in Canada has to be Equinox. They even pay minimum wage for non-active hours, and trainers on the first level of expertise can earn an hourly rate of $26 CAD to 31 CAD based on experience. Trainers at higher levels of expertise can make up to $64 CAD to 74.50 CAD per hour. For example, the most expert personal coaches that work upwards of 150 sessions per month can earn as much as $158,000 CAD each year.

Does A Personal Trainer Earn More Online Or Training In-Person?

Online training and classes have become a popular mode of education today. Thus, it only makes sense that fitness training classes are also conducted online, where physical training sessions are impossible.

This also has several benefits for personal trainers, who can have more flexible working hours and even affiliate themselves with multiple gyms and fitness centers. As a result, online trainers can earn more on average than those conducting physical sessions.

young-female-workout-and-exercising-barbell-squat-in-gym-with-personal-trainer - Fitness Report

However, online sessions have cons, too, such as connectivity issues and the inability to physically correct a client’s posture. At the end of the day, it comes down to each professional’s individual choice to work with a medium they are comfortable with.

How Much Do Personal Trainers Make: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What Is A Personal Trainer’s Salary At A Gym?

A personal trainer can earn an average salary of 48,900 CAD per year at a gym, while more experienced ones can even earn more than 140,000 CAD per year.

Where Can A Personal Trainer Earn More?

Personal trainers working in some provinces of Canada earn more than those working in others. For example, professional trainers working in British Columbia and Saskatchewan earn one of the best wages. But the highest salary for personal fitness mentors can be found in Ontario, about 60,000 CAD per year.

How Can Personal Trainers Increase Their Salary?

The salaries of personal trainers depend mainly on their expertise, background, and certifications. To earn more than the minimum wage as a fitness coach, professionals should look into earning accreditation, participating in workshops, and earning more professional certificates. The more enriched a fitness mentor’s portfolio, the higher their chance of bagging a handsomely-paying job.

How Can I Make A Living In Fitness?

Most gyms and fitness centers do not require a formal degree to work as a fitness instructor. Start by expanding your portfolio by doing courses and earning certificates. Select a fitness area you would like to work in, such as nutrition or cardio.
Participate in practical events, do internships, and look toward getting accredited once you have enough experience. However, it is also important to realize that, like any other field, you may not get a high-paying job as a beginner and that earning sufficient experience will take patience and time.

A-young-fit-sportswoman-lifting-barbell-in-gym-with-her-coach - Fitness Report

In recent times, fitness instructors have become one of the highest-paid individuals in Canada. This field has several opportunities to learn, grow, and earn handsomely while doing a job you are passionate about. Due to their increasing popularity, fitness coaches are in high demand in gyms and fitness training centers.