Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors

What Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors Do

Instruct or coach groups or individuals in exercise activities for the primary purpose of personal fitness. Demonstrate techniques and form, observe participants, and explain to them corrective measures necessary to improve their skills. Develop and implement individualized approaches to exercise.

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

Short-term on-the-job training

Self-employed

14.3%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.3/5
• Education and Trainingimportance 3.8/5
• English Languageimportance 3.7/5
• Psychologyimportance 3.6/5
• Biologyimportance 2.9/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 2.8/5
• Sales and Marketingimportance 2.8/5
• Communications and Mediaimportance 2.7/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled5.0/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
• Contact With Others4.8/5
• Freedom to Make Decisions4.6/5
• Spend Time Standing4.5/5
• Deal With External Customers or the Public in General4.4/5

Related Careers

• Personal Service Managers, All Other
• Exercise Physiologists
• Coaches and Scouts
• Self-Enrichment Teachers
• Recreational Therapists
• Physical Therapist Assistants
• Physical Therapist Aides
• Recreation Workers

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Self-Enrichment Teachers96% skill match
• Physical Therapists95% skill match
• Umpires, Referees, and Other Sports Officials95% skill match
• Occupational Therapy Aides94% skill match
• Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary94% skill match
• Musicians and Singers94% skill match
• Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists94% skill match
• Exercise Physiologists94% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Instructingimportance 4.0/5
• Service Orientationimportance 3.8/5
• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.1/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
• Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
• Persuasionimportance 2.9/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.6/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Optimism
• Social Orientation
• Cooperation
• Dependability
• Leadership Orientation
• Empathy
• Self-Confidence

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• SocialHigh
• RealisticHigh
• EnterprisingMedium
• ConventionalLow
• InvestigativeLow
• ArtisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where exercise trainers and group fitness instructors make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1St. George, UT2.97× national avg
2. 2Lawrence, KS2.85× national avg
3. 3Boulder, CO2.68× national avg
4. 4Fort Collins-Loveland, CO2.16× national avg
5. 5Bozeman, MT2.09× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Self-Enrichment TeachersCareer Change
• Exercise PhysiologistsCareer Change
• Occupational Therapy AidesCareer Change
• Psychiatric TechniciansCareer Change

See the full career path from Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.