With the fitness industry growing steadily each year, many in the business are asking if you can make 100K a year as a personal trainer. While you can earn more than the average salary of £20-30K, a six figure salary isn’t the standard, however, it is possible.
Although the average personal trainer salary provided by Indeed is £33,548, there is plenty of opportunity to earn more. This takes real planning and largely comes from your type of employment, pricing, and business model.
Contents:
- Is It Realistic to Earn 100K a Year as a Personal Trainer?
- How Much Do Personal Trainers Typically Earn in the UK?
- How Many Clients Would You Need to Make 100K?
- What Separates Six-Figure Personal Trainers From the Average PT?
- The Fastest Ways to Increase Your Personal Training Income
- Is Earning 100K as a PT Common?
- Step-by-Step: How to Work Towards 100K as a Personal Trainer
- FAQs
- Final Thoughts: Is 100K Achievable For You?
Is It Realistic to Earn 100K a Year as a Personal Trainer?
It is possible to make 100K a year as a personal trainer. Nevertheless, it takes a key business strategy to achieve this, not just coaching hours alone.
First, it depends on your type of employment. If you’re working for a commercial gym, you will earn a fixed wage and have an established client base. However, if you’re self-employed, you can set your own prices and choose the number of clients and hours you work. This means there’s more potential to make 100K as a personal trainer.
As mentioned above, the average UK personal trainer salary provided by Indeed is £33,548. This is based on data collected from over 2,000 reported salaries. While this can certainly be exceeded, it takes a lot of work.
You’re highly unlikely to be earning close to 100K in your first year as a personal trainer. The income ceiling of a personal trainer salary depends on your business model, pricing, scalability, and how long you’ve been in the business for. The more years you have in the industry, the more you can earn.
How Much Do Personal Trainers Typically Earn in the UK?
Glassdoor states the average base salary range for a personal trainer in the UK is between £20K – £38K. However, as you gain experience, your salary will increase.
As self-employed personal trainers have more freedom when it comes to pricing and clients, this has an impact on earnings compared to those working for a gym. Although you will be provided with an established client base when employed by a gym, you will be earning a set wage.
When you’re self-employed, there isn’t a limit on how many clients you choose to train or how much you charge, meaning your earning potential is higher.
Location also has an effect on whether you can make 100K as a personal trainer. For example, Indeed states the average salary for a PT in London is £37,199. However, in Manchester, this is slightly lower at £32,652.
As you can see, PT salaries in London and the south are higher than those in the north as these places are typically more expensive to live. The same is true for built up and rural locations as the busier an area is, the higher the salary.
However, sometimes personal trainers find their income hits a ceiling. This can be down to a number of things, such as:
- Working hours
- Client availability
- Qualifications
- Type of training you offer
You may find you just don’t have the time to train more people or there may not be enough of a demand if you’re not offering specialised training. This means gaining Level 4 qualifications and providing more focused training such as:
- Nutrition coaching
- Specialist referral for chronic conditions
- Pre & postnatal fitness
For more information on the personal trainer industry, check out our article: Personal Trainer Facts & Stats for a Career in Fitness.
How Many Clients Would You Need to Make 100K?
Using a 52-week work year, you would need to make around £1,924 a week to make 100K a year as a personal trainer. This would be around £8,334 a month.
There are various ways you can get to a target of £1,924 which aren’t just down to coaching. However, for simplicity, we’ll focus on using training sessions to get to this number. We’ll also use the price range of £30 to £65 for PT sessions:
- £30 per hour x 64 sessions per week
- £40 per hour x 48 sessions per week
- £50 per hour x 38 sessions per week
- £60 per hour x 32 sessions per week
- £65 per hour x 30 sessions per week
As you can see, setting lower prices means you’ll have to do more sessions a week. Increasing your prices means you can do fewer sessions. However, if you’re just starting out, it’s unlikely many clients will consider you if your prices are on the higher end.
Lower prices means you will need plenty of clients and sessions. Realistically, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to deliver 64 high quality training sessions every week. This will likely result in PT burnout as you won’t be able to keep it going.
Scenario 1 – 1-to-1 Personal Training Only
You can aim to make 100K a year as a personal trainer from doing 1-on-1 training. As mentioned above, depending on where you’re based, you can charge anywhere between £30 to over £65. Remember, the lower your prices, the more clients you’ll need to train.
You will also be limited to how many clients you can actually train a week. Something to keep in mind is there will be a revenue ceiling from hourly trading. To avoid burnout and deliver quality sessions, you may want to reduce the number of client sessions and increase your prices instead.
As stated in our article ‘How Many Clients Does the Average Personal Trainer Have’, the average personal trainer may have anywhere between 15 to 25 clients. However, clients may have multiple sessions a week, meaning you can still have an income from multiple sessions without having to secure brand new clients.
Scenario 2 – Premium Pricing Model
With a premium pricing model, you can earn a higher income while training fewer clients. For example, here’s a break down of session numbers if you charged between £70 to £100 a session and we’re aiming for around £1,924:
- £70 per hour x 27 sessions per week
- £80 per hour x 24 sessions per week
- £90 per hour x 21 sessions per week
- £100 per hour x 19 sessions per week
However, while you would have fewer sessions, you’d need to still find plenty of clients willing to pay these higher prices. For more information, take a look at our article: How Much Should You Charge for a Personal Trainer?
This is why carving out a niche with specialist fitness qualifications and services is important as you can specifically target clients you know will use your services and be more likely to pay the higher fees for it.
Scenario 3 – Hybrid Model (1-to-1 + Online Coaching)
To reach the 100K mark, you may consider combining in-person sessions with online coaching. This hybrid model allows trainers to maximise their earning potential without being limited by the number of hours they can physically work in a gym.
While one to one sessions provide premium income and help build strong client relationships, online programming creates an additional revenue stream that can grow without increasing your schedule.
Online coaching typically operates through monthly subscription plans where clients receive personalised workout programmes, progress tracking, and regular check-ins. As this model generates recurring subscription income, trainers can build predictable monthly earnings while supporting more clients at once.
Many trainers also introduce small group training sessions, allowing them to coach several people simultaneously while charging each participant individually, further increasing scalability.
For example, a trainer could combine both online and in person services to reach £100K annually:
- 60 online clients × £70 per month = £4,200 per month (£50,400 per year)
- 20 in person clients × £200 per month = £4,000 per month (£48,000 per year)
This hybrid approach allows personal trainers to diversify their income streams, reduce reliance on one to one hours, and steadily scale their business towards a six figure annual income.
What Separates Six-Figure Personal Trainers From the Average PT?
Reaching six figures as a personal trainer doesn’t happen by accident. Personal trainers who earn £100K or more tend to approach their business differently from the average PT. Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, they often develop a personal trainer niche such as fat loss for women over 40, post injury rehabilitation, or performance coaching for athletes.
A defined speciality helps trainers position themselves as experts, making it easier to attract and target the right clients and justify higher prices.
Six figure trainers also focus heavily on premium positioning and strong consultation skills. They understand how to communicate their value, run confident client consultations, and present their services as a professional solution rather than just a series of gym sessions.
Alongside this, they implement strong PT client retention strategies such as structured progress tracking, regular check ins, reward schemes, and goal reviews, which keep clients engaged and committed for longer periods.
Authority also plays a major role in reaching this level of income. Successful trainers build trust through social proof, including client transformations, testimonials, and valuable content shared across platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube. For more ideas, check out our article: Personal Trainer Social Media.
Finally, most six figure personal trainers do not rely on one income source alone. Instead, they build multiple revenue streams through a mix of one to one sessions, online coaching, digital programmes, small group training, or fitness memberships. This combination allows them to scale their business beyond the limits of hourly training and significantly increase their annual earnings.
The Fastest Ways to Increase Your Personal Training Income
Many personal trainers increase their income by focusing on strategies that improve both their pricing power and scalability.
Specialise in a Profitable Niche
One of the quickest ways to make money as a personal trainer is by specialising in a specific client group or outcome. Trainers who focus on areas such as fat loss for busy professionals, strength training for women, or rehabilitation after injury often benefit from higher perceived value because their services solve a clear problem.
A defined niche also makes marketing much easier, as your messaging becomes more targeted. Over time, this focus typically leads to better client results, stronger word of mouth referrals, and a reputation as an expert in your field.
Move Beyond Hourly Pricing
Many high earning personal trainers move away from charging per session and instead offer structured packages or programmes. Package pricing allows trainers to sell results rather than time, such as a 12 week transformation programme or a monthly coaching retainer that includes training, nutrition guidance, and regular check-ins.
This approach improves client commitment while providing more predictable and stable monthly income for the trainer.
Add Online Coaching or Digital Products
Introducing online or digital products can significantly increase your income without requiring additional in person hours. For example, you could become an online fitness coach. This allows trainers to support a larger number of clients using app based programmes, messaging, and progress tracking.
Digital products such as training plans, workout guides, or educational courses also create scalable revenue streams with a much lower time for money trade off, allowing trainers to grow their business beyond the physical gym floor.
Is Earning 100K as a PT Common?
Earning 100K as a personal trainer is certainly achievable, but it’s not the typical income level across the industry. Many trainers build successful careers earning a comfortable full time income through a mix of personal training sessions and coaching services. However, reaching six figures usually requires a more strategic and business focused approach.
A key factor that separates higher earning trainers is an entrepreneurial mindset. Rather than viewing personal training purely as hourly work, these trainers treat their services like a business.
This often includes developing a niche, creating structured coaching packages, building an online presence, and introducing multiple income streams such as online coaching or digital programmes.
In contrast, many personal trainers remain in what could be described as an employee mindset, where income is tied directly to the number of sessions delivered each week. While this approach can provide stable earnings, it can also limit long term growth because the trainer’s income is restricted by available hours.
Ultimately, a personal trainer’s income depends on a combination of effort, skillset, and strategy. Trainers who invest time into developing their coaching skills, marketing knowledge, and business systems are far more likely to increase their earning potential and build a profitable long term career in the fitness industry.
Step-by-Step: How to Work Towards 100K as a Personal Trainer
While it’s possible to make 100K as a personal trainer, this isn’t achieved overnight. Instead, it tends to happen gradually as trainers gain experience, refine their services, and develop a stronger business strategy. The roadmap below outlines the typical steps that help trainers progress from starting out in the industry to building a higher earning personal training business.
1. Get Qualified
The first step is gaining a recognised Level 3 Personal Trainer qualification, which allows you to work with clients independently.
However, if you’re entering the fitness industry for the first time, you can complete a Personal Trainer Diploma, as this combines both the Level 3 course with the Level 2 Gym Instructor prerequisite.
This high quality course provides the core knowledge needed to programme workouts, support client progress, and deliver safe, effective training sessions.
2. Gain Experience and Testimonials
Early in your career, focus on building experience and delivering strong results for your clients. This is the stage where many trainers work with a range of people to refine their coaching skills. Collecting PT testimonials, transformation photos, and positive client feedback is essential, as social proof helps build credibility and attract future clients.
3. Raise Prices Gradually
As your experience and reputation grow, gradually increasing your prices becomes an important step in boosting your income. Trainers who consistently deliver results, maintain high client satisfaction, and develop a strong track record can justify higher rates while continuing to attract committed clients.
4. Develop a Niche
Over time, many successful trainers specialise in a specific area such as fat loss, strength training, rehabilitation, or coaching a particular demographic. Developing a niche helps you stand out as a personal trainer in a competitive market, improves your marketing focus, and often allows you to position your services at a premium price point.
5. Introduce Scalable Offers
To move beyond the limits of hourly training, many trainers introduce scalable services such as online coaching, small group training, or digital programmes. These offers allow you to support more clients at once while reducing the direct link between your time and income.
6. Build Brand Authority
Finally, building authority within your niche can significantly increase your long term earning potential. Sharing educational content online, showcasing client success stories, and consistently demonstrating expertise helps position you as a trusted coach.
Over time, this visibility attracts higher quality leads, helping you grow your personal trainer business.
FAQs
Can Personal Trainers Really Earn Six Figures?
While some personal trainers do earn six figure incomes, it’s not the industry average. Reaching £100K typically requires more than just delivering one to one sessions. Trainers who achieve this level of income often combine premium pricing, online coaching, group training, and other scalable services to grow their business beyond hourly work.
How Long Does it Take to Make £100K as a Personal Trainer?
For most trainers, reaching £100K takes several years. A realistic timeline is around three to five years, depending on factors such as experience, pricing strategy, client demand, and business growth.
Trainers who specialise, build strong client retention, and introduce scalable services tend to reach higher income levels faster.
Is Online Personal Training More Profitable?
The main reason why it can be more profitable to become an online personal trainer is because it’s easier to scale.
Unlike in-person sessions, where income is limited by the number of hours you can work, online coaching allows trainers to support many clients at once through monthly programmes, app based coaching, and digital resources. You’re also not confined to your local area so have access to a larger pool of clients.
Do You Need to Work 60+ Hours a Week to Earn £100K as a PT?
Not necessarily. While some trainers reach higher incomes by working longer hours, many increase their earnings by changing their business model rather than simply working more. Services such as online coaching, group training, and structured coaching packages allow trainers to increase revenue without relying solely on additional one to one sessions.
What is the Highest Paid Type of Personal Trainer?
The highest paid personal trainers are usually those who specialise in a specific niche and position themselves as experts. Examples include those who become a strength and conditioning coach to work with athletes, body transformation specialists, rehabilitation focused trainers, or coaches who work with high income professionals. Specialising allows trainers to charge higher rates and attract clients who are willing to pay more for targeted expertise.
Can Personal Trainers Make £100K Working Part Time?
While possible, it’s far less common. Most trainers who reach £100K treat personal training as a full time business and focus heavily on growth. However, part time trainers may reach similar income levels if they build scalable services such as online coaching programmes, digital products, or group personal training that generate revenue without requiring constant one to one sessions.
Is £100K Easier to Achieve as a Personal Trainer in London or Big Cities?
Large cities such as London can make higher income targets more achievable because personal trainers can often charge higher session rates and access a larger client base. However, these locations also come with higher living costs and more competition. Trainers in smaller towns can still reach £100K by specialising, building a strong online presence, and offering services that attract clients beyond their local area.
Final Thoughts: Is 100K Achievable For You?
Reaching 100K as a personal trainer is an ambitious goal, but it’s certainly possible for those who approach their career with the right mindset and strategy. While not every trainer will aim for six figures, those who focus on building strong client relationships, delivering excellent results, and developing their business skills can steadily increase their earning potential over time.
The key is to think beyond simply delivering sessions and start treating personal training as a business. This means developing a clear niche, creating structured coaching offers, building authority within your space, and exploring scalable services such as online coaching or group training. Trainers who adopt this approach often find more opportunities to grow their income and create a sustainable long term career.
If you’re considering becoming a personal trainer or want to take your fitness career to the next level, gaining the right qualifications is an important first step. Explore our internationally recognised personal training courses to learn how you can build the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to launch a successful career in the fitness industry.
Start Your Journey Towards a Six-Figure PT Career
To get started on your journey towards a six-figure salary, why not browse our range of personal trainer qualifications? Begin your career in the fitness industry with our CIMSPA-recognised Personal Trainer Diploma.
Choose from our flexible study options and complete your course at a pace which suits you. Find out more by downloading our course prospectus here.
