How Much to Charge for Personal Training

Personal trainers are in a high market, and it is expected that they will continue to grow faster than the average for other jobs within the next five years. Being a personal trainer can happen from anywhere; there can be in-person classes or virtual sessions, or you could choose to have a mix of the two. One question always comes up though – how much to charge for personal training sessions? There’s a whole list of questions personal trainers should ask their clients, but that’s a story for another time.

Say you have everything planned out for your personal training business. You have the name picked out, bought all necessities, followed all the legal procedures, figured out how you want to run your sessions (based on the clients’ needs), then there is one more step to figure out. How to set your personal training prices.

One of the best ways to figure out pricing is to make sure that it supports your livelihood, as well as offset your financial and emotional investment, and make sure it keeps your clients engaged and accountable. You want to make the price, so they find it worth it and are willing to continue to come back. Not any less important, always make sure to always think of ways how to keep clients as a personal trainer.

Personal Costs Affect How Much to Charge for Personal Training

Before you start figuring out prices for your sessions, you need to figure out what costs that you have. There is a lot to think about. You need to make sure that the costs of sessions cover every little detail from personal essentials, business costs, and making a profit. A few questions below should be running through your mind.

• Getting money back to make up for all the materials and supplies you bought to start the business.
• Expenses from the filing paperwork and all the legal procedures. 
• Make sure you charge enough to cover the bills and live comfortably.
• Any continuing expenses such as clothing, rental space, insurance, advertising, continuing education
• Don’t forget taxes

Keep a list of all the expenses that you anticipate for the future. It should include:

• Professional Development: certification, renewal, specialty certification, and continuing education
• Production Tools: tablet, software
• Exercise Equipment: resistance bands, free weights, stability balls, and more
• Facility Costs: rent, utilities, and internet
• Sales & Marketing Resources: software and ad spending
• Legal and Business Needs: insurance and accountant

However, since it is not possible to plan for all things that happen in life, make sure you factor in enough money for any unforeseen expenses. A good amount to set aside is at least 10%. 

Location and Demographic

Other factors of setting personal training rates include what your location looks like and what your demographic is. Some locations may charge more than other locations for the same session simply because they can afford it more and think it’s reasonable. It is most likely because they are in a large area. It is important to figure out if you’re in a large, metropolitan area, a suburb, a rural area, or a small town.

Think about the cost of living. If the cost of living is high, then it is possible to charge more, you can read our full article about how to charge clients for coaching. whereas if the cost of living is lower, you should charge lower. Always make sure that it is something your clients can slip into their budget without going too overboard. 

Another important factor to think about is the age of the population around you. If your community is full of the 20-year-old or younger generation; then they are most likely not in the same financial situation as professional adults. So it makes it more difficult to answer the question of how to set your personal training rates.

Cost Factors

Certain factors affect personal trainer rates. First off, the location of training. Having a gym means there are rent charges and more. Other cost factors include the frequency and duration of sessions. If a session is more intense than other sessions, it will most likely cost more. If a session goes longer, then it could cost even more.

You could run your sessions in different ways. You can decide to have one-on-one personal training sessions, or you could do group sessions. One-on-one sessions cost more than group training sessions. This is because individual sessions give specific attention to the client’s needs and are more flexible for addressing specific injuries, and personal nutrition, and all the goals a person wants to achieve.

Group sessions can be organized by the client or the trainer. In most situations, the clients organize the group session, that way they can get the most comfortable without worrying about other people not reaching the same goals. Clients also organize group sessions because it will lower the cost per person.

As a personal trainer, you can offer your expertise in packages. Offering packages can allow you to make deals and discounts, this also opens up the possibility to have repeat clients on regular days each week. 

Offering multiple group sessions per week will help you out for success if you’re just starting. That way you can get a better grasp of how personal training works. You can get a better idea of how to set your personal training rates. After getting a better grasp on personal training, and what it all entails; then you can start teaching individual sessions.

How to Approach Pricing When Deciding How Much to Charge for Personal Training

When preparing for how to price personal training sessions, remember there are different ways to look at it. It is okay to play around and see what is the best way to do it. You can have different prices for different things and run your prices differently for various packages. Having set prices makes it easier to answer the continuous question of how much do you charge. Here’s how to set your personal training rates:

• One Price Model: This is something that you should do if you’re more experienced and have a bigger clientele. You know what you should be doing and you know a good cost for it all. In one price model, you set one price, which is usually per hour. It does not factor in charge of any location or equipment use.
• Flexible Pricing: This changes from client to client. It allows you to charge different amounts for various factors. Some of the biggest factors include the client’s goals and timeline. For example, say one client wants to work out every day of the week, while another client wants to do the shortest amount of time to lose a set amount of weight. It also includes factors of gym fees, travel time and expenses, and equipment costs.
• Package Renewal: Bundling your services into packages or having certain prices for certain packages is another option. When a package runs out, clients can renew it. You can also set up a monthly rolling service, where they pay the same amount every month and then you discuss what all needs to be included in the session.

The latter option is more preferred for online trainers. Online fitness coaching is continuous and difficult to price by session. And since you’re not in the same room, it makes it more difficult to ensure that the client is in all the proper positions to achieve full success.

Average Personal Trainer Prices

When it comes to how much to charge for personal training, you should ask yourself first how long each session is going to be. The most common way to price your sessions is in 30-minute increments. A minimum session would be 30-minutes and a more intense session would be 90-minutes. You could even offer to come out to a client’s home for a different cost. Though it is possible to have different prices for group sessions. There is also a chance to have packages where clients would pay monthly. But still, you’re probably wondering, how do I set my personal training rates?

• 30-Minute Session can run from $25 to $50
• 60-Minute Session can run from $40 to $70
• 90-Minute Session can run from $60 to $100
• Personal Trainer in House can be $60 to $100 or more hourly
• Group Sessions are usually $35 per session
• Per Month can run from $250 to $400

Per month sessions include two sessions of an hour a week. This is the usual price for an average trainer or a smaller gym. One of the best ways to gain a clientele is by offering deals. A common deal is offering packages of 5, 10, 20 sessions at a time. When doing this, you could also provide higher discounts if your clients book sessions in advance.

Group sessions are around $35 per session. There are a variety of things that can be done as a main focus for the session. The activities range from Rumble boxing class to the Mile-High Run Club to many different kinds of Yoga. Group training offers a different take and has a focus on a friendly competition to motivate others to go further.

Group sessions are popular because they sometimes come with a boutique atmosphere. It allows clients to bond with friends. It is a fun opportunity for clients to catch up with their friends and family while just having fun. However, it won’t have that much focus on any chronic injuries in the past.

Figuring out what kind of sessions and how to price sessions as a personal trainer can be difficult, and so we hope we’ve helped you decide how much to charge for personal training. There is so much that you need to factor in, for additional assistance, or if you want to bounce off ideas, Persona is there to help. Persona handles everything behind the scene, making your only priority to run your business. Download the app in the App Store or Google Play.