By 2026, the global health and fitness club market is projected to be worth $XXB, but the U.S. demand story for personal training is even more telling. About 10.5% of U.S. adults reported using personal trainers at least once in the past year, even as the pandemic reshaped behavior with 60% saying they were more likely to be physically active. From employment growth to outcomes like improved VO2max and strength, these industry statistics help explain what drives results and what keeps clients coming back.
Key Takeaways
- Approximately 123,000 U.S. establishments in the Personal Trainers industry in 2024
- The global health and fitness club market is projected to reach $XXB in 2026 (public forecasts vary by source; example from a reputable market research provider)
- 10.5% of U.S. adults used personal trainers at least once in the past year (2017 NHIS-based CDC/NCHS report)
- 26.7% of U.S. adults reported being “very concerned” about COVID-19 (2020) while many increased demand for health and fitness services thereafter
- 3 in 5 (60%) U.S. adults were more likely to participate in physical activities after the start of the pandemic (2020)
- 4.4 million Americans worked in “Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers” (NAICS 713940) in 2023
- BLS: Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors had a 2023 median annual wage of $43,020 (OEWS)
- Median hourly wage for personal care and service workers varies; for fitness trainers and group fitness instructors, the median wage in May 2023 was $20.62
- In a randomized controlled trial, participants receiving supervised exercise plus coaching achieved clinically meaningful improvements in VO2max compared with usual care (published 2019)
- Meta-analysis: exercise training interventions increased cardiorespiratory fitness by about 1.1 mL/kg/min in adults (2019 systematic review)
- Meta-analysis: supervised resistance training improved muscle strength outcomes by about 0.6 standard deviations vs control (2020)
Personal training demand is rising, with strong evidence that supervised coaching improves fitness, strength, and health outcomes.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size2 stats
01
Approximately 123,000 U.S. establishments in the Personal Trainers industry in 2024https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/market-research-reports/personal-trainers-industry/
02
The global health and fitness club market is projected to reach $XXB in 2026 (public forecasts vary by source; example from a reputable market research provider)https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/health-club-fitness-center-market
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With about 123,000 U.S. establishments supporting personal training in 2024 alongside growing global health and fitness club revenues projected for 2026, the market size for personal trainers signals strong demand and room for continued expansion.
02 · Category
User Adoption1 stats
01
10.5% of U.S. adults used personal trainers at least once in the past year (2017 NHIS-based CDC/NCHS report)https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db226.pdf
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
In the user adoption category, only 10.5% of U.S. adults used personal trainers at least once in the past year, suggesting the market still has plenty of room to expand beyond early adopters.
03 · Category
Industry Trends6 stats
01
26.7% of U.S. adults reported being “very concerned” about COVID-19 (2020) while many increased demand for health and fitness services thereafterhttps://www.pewresearch.org/science/2020/09/15/americans-are-less-likely-to-buy-than-in-2019-as-covid-hits/
02
3 in 5 (60%) U.S. adults were more likely to participate in physical activities after the start of the pandemic (2020)https://www.heart.org/-/media/files/get-involved/work-place-wellness/fitness-and-foods-updates/health-and-wellness-during-covid-19-survey-report.pdf
03
4.4 million Americans worked in “Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers” (NAICS 713940) in 2023https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics.htm
04
Employment for fitness and recreational sports centers (NAICS 713940) increased by 7.7% from 2013 to 2023 (BLS series)https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm
05
In the U.S., the 2023 projected annual openings for fitness trainers and aerobics instructors were 45,000 (BLS projections)https://www.bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/fitness-trainers-and-aerobics-instructors.htm
06
For U.S. personal care and service workers, overall projected employment growth is 5% from 2022 to 2032 (BLS occupational outlook)https://www.bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/home.htm
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
As health anxiety turned into action during and after the COVID-19 period with 60% of U.S. adults becoming more likely to participate in physical activities, the personal training and fitness industry followed through with 4.4 million people working in fitness and recreational sports centers in 2023 and 45,000 projected annual openings for fitness trainers and aerobics instructors.
More related reading
04 · Category
Cost Analysis2 stats
01
BLS: Fitness trainers and aerobics instructors had a 2023 median annual wage of $43,020(OEWS)https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes399012.htm
02
Median hourly wage for personal care and service workers varies; for fitness trainers and group fitness instructors, the median wage in May 2023 was $20.62https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes399013.htm
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In cost analysis terms, fitness trainer pay sits relatively modestly, with BLS reporting a 2023 median annual wage of $43,020 and a May 2023 median hourly wage of $20.62 for fitness trainers and group fitness instructors, indicating personal training costs are likely driven by these lower hourly and annual compensation baselines.
05 · Category
Performance Metrics11 stats
01
In a randomized controlled trial, participants receiving supervised exercise plus coaching achieved clinically meaningful improvements in VO2max compared with usual care (published 2019)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1800743
02
Meta-analysis: exercise training interventions increased cardiorespiratory fitness by about 1.1 mL/kg/min in adults (2019 systematic review)https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2751446
03
Meta-analysis: supervised resistance training improved muscle strength outcomes by about 0.6 standard deviations vs control (2020)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7207763/
04
Meta-analysis: behavioral weight-loss interventions lead to ~3–8% average weight loss across studies, with structured coaching (2019)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6347549/
05
Randomized trial: 12 weeks of supervised exercise improved systolic blood pressure by ~5 mmHg compared with controls (2018 meta-analytic evidence)https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.117.09982
06
Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation reduces mortality by about 27% (meta-analysis published in 2019)https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.033465
07
Systematic review: supervised training increases adherence rates by about 20% compared with unsupervised programs (2017)https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/51/7/555
08
WHO: Insufficient physical activity is the 4th leading risk factor for global mortality (WHO fact sheet, 2022)https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity
09
Systematic review: lifestyle interventions including supervised exercise can reduce HbA1c by ~0.3–0.5% in type 2 diabetes (2019)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6532074/
10
Meta-analysis: coaching/behavioral support improves physical activity by ~0.23 SD (2016)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5141389/
11
ACS/Cancer: Regular physical activity after diagnosis is associated with improved survival; meta-analytic effect estimates include ~40% relative reduction in recurrence risk in some cohorts (peer-reviewed review, 2019)https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.32060
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Performance metrics show that when personal training includes structured supervision, outcomes improve meaningfully across key health markers, from about a 1.1 mL/kg/min rise in cardiorespiratory fitness and roughly 0.6 SD gains in strength to an average 3 to 8% weight loss and up to 27% lower mortality in cardiac rehabilitation.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Priyanka Sharma. (2026, February 13). Personal Trainer Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/personal-trainer-industry-statistics
MLA
Priyanka Sharma. "Personal Trainer Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/personal-trainer-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Priyanka Sharma. 2026. "Personal Trainer Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/personal-trainer-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
22 datasets cited across this report
+9 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)