Brandon’s last post (which is a great one) inspired me to talk about my job as a personal trainer – the benefits and detriments. Personal training is a great job! The hours are flexible, the pay is generous, and the “miscellaneous perks” are rewarding. As always, I am happy to answer any questions you may have!!!!
I can set almost any hours I choose, which is good for me, because I have two other jobs. Fortunately, one of the other jobs is located within the gym – this is my job at the physical therapy clinic. My other job, playing classical/Spanish guitar at weddings, usually takes up my time on the weekend.
The pay is phenomenal. At my location, trainers are paid 35-50/hr depending on the package that the client has purchased. This is really unbelievable when you think about it. This is equivalent to the hourly rate of someone who makes 70,000 – 100,000 dollars a year!!!! We’re talking physical therapists, physicians’ assistants, and accountants – jobs that require much more education.
As a trainer, you also have a great opportunity for networking!! People who purchase training packages are usually paying between 60-100/hr for personal training. It is safe to say these folks are somewhat successful. I train at least two multimillionaires (one may be a billionaire – no exaggeration) both of whom also happen to be great individuals who are willing to give me little tips and advice. Some even help network my guitar performance career – I was fortunate enough to play at a Nancy Pelosi event just a couple weeks ago. Regardless of your political standing, you can’t deny that that was a great networking opportunity – several people took my card!
But what about the detriments?
There is some job insecurity. For example, my gym has had a drop in membership due to the recent economic lull. Trying to train full time would come with some anxiety because you never know how many clients you will have. It is possible you could go through times without having any clients.
Also, the people you work with – your fellow trainers – can tend to have a little attitude. Many trainers, I think, get by on their genetic predisposition for looking good – not on having a firm grasp of physiology. A lot of times this is ok, especially if their clients are resilient without previous injury. Sometimes, it is horrible, especially if they have an older client with an undiagnosed disk bulge! Or an unconditioned rotator cuff! This situation has BAD NEWS written all over it.
Don’t get me wrong – there are some great trainers out there!! In fact my boss, our head trainer, is phenomenal, but there are some bad apples to watch out for.
If you are interested in a career as a personal trainer, I would be happy to answer any questions you might have.
Also, I am very interested in any experiences you may have had with your own trainer, good or bad!