How Much Do Private Sports Coaches Actually Make? Real Income Numbers

Private coaching looks simple from the outside.

You show up. You run a great session. You get paid.

But if you’re trying to figure out how much do personal trainers make (or what a private sports coach really takes home), you’ve probably noticed something:

One coach says, “I make $100 an hour.”
Another coach says, “I’m broke.”
And both can be telling the truth.

The difference is how many sessions they run, what they charge, and what they spend to stay legit (insurance, taxes, travel, software, gear, and sometimes facility rental).

This article gives you real income ranges you can actually plan around. Not fantasy numbers. Not “top 1%” stories. Just clean math, real examples, and a path you can follow.

How much do personal trainers make (and why the answers are all over the place)

When people ask “how much does a personal trainer make” they usually mean one of two things:

• Gym employee pay (hourly + maybe commission)
• Self-employed private coach pay (you sell sessions, packages, or groups)

Those are different jobs.

A gym-employed coach might get clients handed to them, but they earn less per session. A private coach earns more per session, but has to find clients, manage scheduling, and cover expenses.

Also, most coaches don’t train 40 hours a week. A “full-time” training schedule is often 20–30 sessions per week, because:

• Sessions are before/after school and work
• Clients cancel
• You need time for planning, admin, and marketing
• Your body needs recovery too

So when you see “$80/session,” don’t multiply it by 40 hours and assume you’ll make $166,000. That’s not how real weeks look.

Personal trainer income basics: what “gross” vs “take-home” really means

Let’s get clear on the terms:

• Gross income = what you collect from clients
• Net income (take-home) = what’s left after business costs and taxes

If you’re self-employed, you’ll usually have:

• Business expenses (insurance, gear, apps, facility rental, website, payment fees)
• Taxes (often 20–30% set aside, depending on your situation)

If you’re a gym employee, you’ll have fewer business expenses, but you may have:

• Lower pay per session
• Unpaid admin time
• Less control over pricing

For tax basics, the IRS explains self-employment tax and responsibilities here: Self-Employed Individuals Tax Center (IRS)

How much does a fitness trainer earn at a gym vs private coaching

Here’s the honest comparison most coaches need.

Gym employment: steady-ish, but capped

A lot of trainers start in a gym. It can be a great “paid internship” where you learn how to coach different bodies and personalities.

Typical range many coaches report is around $35,000–$50,000/year for full-time gym work (varies a lot by city, brand, and your sales ability).

The trade-offs:

Pros

• Foot traffic and leads
• Less admin (sometimes)
• You don’t handle facility issues

Cons

• Lower cut per session
• You may be pressured to sell
• Your schedule can be rough

Private coaching: higher upside, more responsibility

Private coaches can charge more because they’re selling:

• Personal attention
• A specific result (speed, strength, confidence, return-to-play)
• Convenience (you come to them, or you run sessions at the right time)

But private coaching only works if you treat it like a business.

If you want help thinking through the “business side,” here’s our internal starting point: getting started guide

Real personal fitness trainer income numbers at 4 levels (with clean math)

Below are the ranges you asked for—built around sessions per week. These are gross income estimates first, then we’ll subtract typical expenses.

To keep the math simple, I’ll use:

• 48 working weeks/year (4 weeks off for holidays, sick days, slow weeks)
• Average session price ranges based on many local markets:
  • $60–$90/session for 1-on-1 (youth or adult)
  • Some areas are lower/higher, but this is a realistic middle

Side hustle: 5 sessions per week = about $15K–$20K per year

Example math

• 5 sessions/week × $70/session × 48 weeks = $16,800 gross
• If you charge $85/session: 5 × 85 × 48 = $20,400 gross

This is the level for:

• Teachers coaching on the side
• College coaches doing private lessons
• Trainers building a client base after their 9–5

Reality check: At this level, expenses can feel “small,” but they still matter (insurance, basic gear, taxes).

Part-time: 15 sessions per week = about $40K–$55K per year

Example math

• 15 × $65 × 48 = $46,800 gross
• 15 × $75 × 48 = $54,000 gross

This is a common “sweet spot” if you:

• Coach teams and do private sessions
• Have kids at home and need flexible hours
• Want a solid income without burning out

Full-time: 25 sessions per week = about $65K–$85K per year

Example math

• 25 × $65 × 48 = $78,000 gross
• 25 × $70 × 48 = $84,000 gross

This is what “full-time” often looks like in real life. It’s not 40 sessions a week. It’s a packed schedule of mornings + after-school + evenings.

At this level, your business starts to feel very real:

• More cancellations
• More admin
• More wear and tear on your body
• More need for systems (policies, billing, scheduling)

Scaled: groups + packages = $100K+ per year (without 50 hours/week)

Six figures usually happens when you stop selling only 1-on-1 time.

You add one (or more) of these:

• Small groups (4–10 athletes)
• Semi-private training (2–4 athletes)
• Team training contracts
• Monthly memberships
• Online programming add-ons

Example: simple scaled model

• 12 hours/week of 1-on-1 at $80/session
  12 × 80 × 48 = $46,080
• 3 group sessions/week with 8 athletes paying $25 each
  3 × (8 × 25) × 48 = $28,800
• 10 online program clients at $99/month
  10 × 99 × 12 = $11,880
• One 8-week speed camp: 20 athletes at $199
  20 × 199 = $3,980

Total gross: $46,080 + $28,800 + $11,880 + $3,980 = $90,740

That’s just one version, and it’s not even aggressive. Add one more camp, raise rates a bit, or grow online to 25 clients, and you’re over $100K.

What private coaches actually keep after expenses (realistic take-home)

This is where most “income” articles fail. They talk gross. Coaches pay net.

Here are common expenses for private sports coaches and personal trainers:

Common coaching business expenses to plan for

• Insurance (general + professional liability): often $150–$600/year depending on coverage and organization
  Start here for the bigger picture: insurance info
• Background checks (if you work with minors): often $20–$100/year
  Many youth orgs use services like the National Center for Safety Initiatives: NCSI Background Screening
• CPR/AED certification: often $50–$120 every 1–2 years
  The American Red Cross is a common option: CPR/AED Training (American Red Cross)
• Equipment (bands, cones, med balls, timers): $300–$2,000/year depending on your setup
• Facility rental (if you rent space): could be $20–$60/hour or a monthly agreement
• Software (scheduling + payments): $30–$200/month
• Payment processing fees (Stripe/Square): often about 2.9% + small fee
• Marketing (website, ads, flyers): $0–$500/month
• Travel (gas + wear and tear): varies a lot

A simple “expense rule” that keeps you safe

For many self-employed coaches:

• 10–25% of gross goes to business expenses (depends heavily on facility rent)
• 20–30% goes to taxes (very rough planning number)

So if you gross $78,000, you might net something like:

• Expenses (15%): $11,700
• Remaining: $66,300
• Taxes (25% of remaining): $16,575
• Estimated take-home: $49,725

That’s not perfect accounting. But it’s close enough to plan.

If you want the official word on what counts as a business expense, the IRS overview is here: IRS Small Business and Self-Employed Resources

Scenario angle: youth sports private coach vs adult personal trainer income

Let’s look at two different “real life” situations. Same skills. Different markets.

Scenario A: youth sports coach (after-school heavy schedule)

Profile

• Works mostly 3pm–8pm weekdays + Saturday mornings
• Parents pay
• Strong seasonal swings (fall sports, spring sports)

Pricing

• $75 per 1-on-1 session
• Small group option: $30/athlete

Weekly schedule

• 12 1-on-1 sessions/week: 12 × 75 = $900/week
• 2 small groups/week, 6 athletes each: 2 × (6 × 30) = $360/week
• Total weekly gross: $1,260

Annual gross (48 weeks): $1,260 × 48 = $60,480

If expenses are moderate (no big rent), say 12%:

• Expenses: $7,258
• Remaining: $53,222
• Taxes (25%): $13,306
• Estimated take-home: $39,916

This coach is doing well, but the big unlock is adding more groups or a team contract.

Scenario B: adult personal trainer (morning + lunch schedule)

Profile

• Trains adults 6am–10am plus lunch hour
• Less seasonal swing
• Often more consistent recurring clients

Pricing

• $85/session

Weekly schedule

• 18 sessions/week: 18 × 85 = $1,530/week

Annual gross: $1,530 × 48 = $73,440

But adult trainers are more likely to rent space or pay a split. If facility cost is higher, say 20%:

• Expenses: $14,688
• Remaining: $58,752
• Taxes (25%): $14,688
• Estimated take-home: $44,064

Notice what happened: higher gross, but similar take-home because expenses changed.

That’s why “how much does a fitness trainer earn” depends so much on the setup, not just the rate.

Practical examples: three coaches and their personal trainer income math

The new coach building trust (Year 1)

• Charges $60/session
• 8 sessions/week
• Gross: 8 × 60 × 48 = $23,040
• Expenses: $2,500 (insurance, gear, software, some marketing)
• Remaining: $20,540
• Taxes (20%): $4,108
• Take-home: $16,432

This coach should focus on:

• Tight schedule (stack sessions)
• Simple packages (8-pack, 12-pack)
• Referrals from teams and PE teachers

The steady part-time coach (Year 3)

• Charges $75/session
• 15 sessions/week
• Gross: 15 × 75 × 48 = $54,000
• Expenses (15%): $8,100
• Remaining: $45,900
• Taxes (25%): $11,475
• Take-home: $34,425

This coach is one good group program away from a big jump.

The “scaled” coach (Year 5+)

• 15 1-on-1 sessions/week at $90
• 4 groups/week, 8 athletes each at $25
• Gross 1-on-1: 15 × 90 × 48 = $64,800
• Gross groups: 4 × (8 × 25) × 48 = $38,400
• Total gross: $103,200
• Expenses (20%): $20,640 (includes rent or contractor help)
• Remaining: $82,560
• Taxes (28%): $23,117
• Take-home: $59,443

Six figures gross doesn’t always mean six figures take-home. But it can still be a very solid living.

Common mistakes about how much does a personal trainer make

“I charge $100/hour, so I’ll make $200K”

You won’t train 40 hours/week for 50 weeks. Not sustainably.

“If I’m busy, I’m profitable”

If you drive all over town for sessions, your “busy” schedule can pay less than a stacked schedule at one location.

“Group training is lower value”

Group training is often higher value for athletes because they compete, push pace, and learn together. You just have to coach it well.

“I don’t need insurance”

If you coach humans—especially minors—you need to protect yourself. Accidents happen even when you do everything right.

“I’ll figure out taxes later”

That’s how coaches get crushed in April. Set aside money every week.

How to hit $65K, $85K, and $100K+ with simple coaching business math

Here’s the part most coaches need: a clear path.

Build your “base” number (your minimum weekly sessions)

Pick a weekly target that fits your life.

• Side hustle base: 5 sessions/week
• Part-time base: 15 sessions/week
• Full-time base: 25 sessions/week

Then price it:

If you want $65K gross with 25 sessions/week over 48 weeks:

• $65,000 ÷ (25 × 48) = $54/session

That’s very doable in many markets.

If you want $85K gross:

• $85,000 ÷ (25 × 48) = $71/session

Now you know what you must charge (or you add groups).

Use packages to stabilize your personal fitness trainer income

Packages reduce cancellations and help you plan.

Simple options:

• 8-pack (good starter)
• 12-pack (best value)
• Monthly membership (auto-pay)

Add a clear policy:

• 24-hour cancel rule
• Expiration dates
• Make-up rules (limited)

This protects your schedule and income.

Add one group session per week (the easiest “scale”)

Let’s say you add one group session:

• 6 athletes × $25 = $150/week
• $150 × 48 = $7,200/year

That’s one hour per week for $7,200 gross.

Add two groups per week and you’re at $14,400/year.

Raise rates the right way (without losing everyone)

Don’t jump from $60 to $120 overnight.

Try:

• Raise new-client rates first
• Keep current clients for 60–90 days at old rate
• Offer a “founders” package for loyal families
• Increase value: better warm-ups, testing days, simple homework plan

Protect the business: insurance, waivers, and working with minors

If you coach youth athletes, be serious about safety and trust.

• Use insurance (general + professional)
• Use waivers and informed consent
• Consider background checks
• Have clear pickup/drop-off rules
• Keep communication professional (parents included)

If you want a full checklist, start here: insurance info

Bottom Line: Key takeaways on personal trainer income and private coaching pay

• When people ask how much do personal trainers make, the real answer depends on sessions per week, pricing, and expenses.
• Realistic gross income ranges:
  • 5 sessions/week: $15K–$20K/year
  • 15 sessions/week: $40K–$55K/year
  • 25 sessions/week: $65K–$85K/year
  • Scaled (groups + packages): $100K+/year
• Gym employment often lands around $35K–$50K/year, with less upside but fewer business responsibilities.
• Six figures usually comes from stacked schedules + packages + group training, not grinding endless 1-on-1 hours.
• Plan for expenses and taxes so your take-home pay matches your goals.