Are you looking to become a certified personal trainer and need to know the personal trainer salary in Arizona? The sunshine state is an ideal place for a new or existing fitness trainer to maximize their earning potential as a trainer, fitness coach, or group fitness instructor. Personal trainer salary data per state will vary, but the weather in Arizona will make it a great place to earn a living helping clients achieve their fitness goals.

Ready to get your trainer certification now and start earning a living in the fitness industry in less than a month? Get started with EMAC Certifications today. Or, take a look at the easy 5 steps to become a personal trainer. 

Follow along as we explore fitness trainer income potential, popular niches, fitness market stats, and other fun Arizona facts. Ultimately, we hope to provide insight so you can determine if becoming a personal trainer in the Arizona market is the right fit for you!

Personal Trainer Income

A career in personal training can be incredibly emotionally and financially rewarding. As a personal trainer, you play a significant role in helping others change their lives. But your opportunities as a fitness professional can also help you create financial freedom in your own life. Regardless of where you live, there are specific ways you can make more money as a personal trainer.

Personal training can be a lucrative full-time career. Even better, you can work onsite with personal trainer jobs, or you can be an online trainer or hybrid fitness trainer. Of course, an online trainer can work anywhere and the salary is based on how you calculate your online training session price. Personal training can also be a great way to earn supplemental income as a part-time certified trainer or by participating in other supporting roles that require your health and fitness knowledge. How much money a personal trainer makes, however, varies from state to state and can be impacted by several variables. 

Personal Trainer Salary Variables

The average income for a personal trainer in the United States is just over $40,000.⁽¹⁾ However, this number is simply a country-wide average. The annual salary for each personal trainer can vary substantially. Some data on sites like glassdoor.com and comparably.com suggests that US personal trainers make around $10,000 or well over $100,000 per year.⁽²⁾⁽³⁾

 A personal trainer’s income is often impacted by things like:

• Location
• Employment type (e.g., employed, contractor, business owner)
• The gym you work for
• Number of clients
• Specialties and education
• Niche (e.g., youth, senior, or athletes)
• Years of experience

Annual income can also be heavily impacted by the number of hours you work, the fees you charge for your services, and the types of services you offer.

Personal Trainer Salary in Arizona

According to salary.com, the median salary range for a personal trainer in Arizona is just over $64,000. However, the data also suggests that income for personal trainers in Arizona is typically somewhere between $46,000 and $79,000. But, income for Arizona personal trainers may also fall below $30,000 and rise above $90,000.⁽⁴⁾  The highest salary will come from having your own personal training business.

Popular Arizona Niches

States and cities can vary in the types of clientele, needs, and fitness preferences. This is important to understand because some states (or certain cities within a state) may have unique niches that can provide opportunities for you to specialize and develop the expertise to support the clients in your area. The following list provides some insight into a few of the popular niches within the Arizona market.

1. Senior population: Arizona is known for its “snowbirds.” Many older adults from other states travel to Arizona in the fall, winter, and spring to escape colder weather. Aging clients often have different needs, abilities, limitations, and motivations compared to younger clients. Personal trainers that want to help this type of clientele should be well-versed in the different emotional, psychological, and physical differences of this demographic. But, “snowbirds” aren’t the only population of seniors in Arizona. There are many seniors inside and outside of the senior living communities that remain in Arizona year-round. 

2. Youth population: Certain cities in Arizona are heavily populated with young families and young athletes. Much like the senior population, youth clients have different physical, developmental, and mental needs when it comes to their health, fitness, or athletic performance. So, training young clients requires a strong foundation of knowledge in the psychological and physiological components of the youth population. 

3. Bodybuilding: Arizona has a strong presence for athletes competing and wanting to compete in the sport of bodybuilding (e.g., bikini, figure, wellness, physique, bodybuilding). Training for aesthetics requires a different approach than training for performance or health. If you have an interest in training this type of client, Arizona tends to have a plethora of potential clients and current competitors. 

4. Golf: Because of the consistent sunshine and numerous golf courses throughout the state, golf is a popular sport for all ages in Arizona. Helping clients improve their game, stay active, or perfect their technique are skills that are often in high demand in this region. 

5. Outdoor boot camps: Outside of the hottest part of the summer months, the weather in Arizona tends to be consistent and beautiful. This makes outdoor workouts a good option for many Arizona residents. Bootcamps can also be a great option for you, as a personal trainer, to reduce the cost per participant while still bringing in a strong income because you are training several people at one time. 

Arizona: A Strong Market For Fitness Professionals

There are a variety of reasons Arizona is a great place to work as a personal trainer. With a growing population, access to outdoor recreation and health clubs, and room for improvements in physical activity, Arizona is a strong market for health and fitness professionals. 

Arizona’s population is growing. And a growing population means there are more potential clients to help. From 2020 to 2021, Arizona ranked third in the U.S. for numeric growth and fourth in percent growth.⁽⁵⁾  The top five cities in Arizona by population are Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Chandler and Gilbert.⁽⁶⁾

In addition to the growing population, the state of Arizona has a vast number of hiking and biking trails and some incredibly interesting landscapes to explore. That, combined with lots of sunshine, makes Arizona an ideal location for personal trainers to encourage and support Arizona residents to get and stay active. 

According to the International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), Arizona is also home to over 650 health clubs. For trainers that are hoping to start to stay within the health club landscape, there are many potential opportunities.⁽⁷⁾ 

Although Arizona has a variety of opportunities for indoor and outdoor exercise, Arizona still has room for growth regarding physical activity. One report indicates that only about 25% of Arizonans are meeting both strength and aerobic activity recommendations in The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. This provides an opportunity for passionate, educated, and impactful fitness professionals to find new ways to help clients make exercise a habit.⁽⁸⁾ 

5 Fun Arizona Facts

In addition to being an ideal market for health and fitness professionals, Arizona also has some interesting and unique elements that make it an awesome place to live and explore. Here are a few of our favorites:

1. Arizona is home to one of the Seven Natural World Wonders – The Grand Canyon.
2. When time changes occur in other states during daylight savings, Arizona does not “spring forward” or “fall back.”
3. Hiking and biking trails are abundant in Arizona. The Arizona trail alone has over 800 miles of trail. 
4. Havasupai Falls, a breathtaking attraction with incredible waterfalls, is located on tribal land in Arizona’s Grand Canyon. 
5. Arizona isn’t just all hot weather. You can experience all four seasons in different parts of the state. If you want fall temperatures and snow in the winter months, northern Arizona has both.

If you’re still trying to determine if personal training is right for you, regardless of the state you’re in, check out this article.

Remember, becoming a certified personal trainer doesn’t have to be hard with the right program. With EMAC Certifications, you can get your personal training certification in 30 days. Get the first EMAC personal training chapter for FREE to realize an EMAC CPT is the way to go.

Resources

1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Fitness Trainers and Instructors. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/fitness-trainers-and-instructors.htm (accessed January 17, 2023).
2. How much does a Personal Trainer make in the United States? Glassdoor.com. https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/personal-trainer-salary-SRCH_KO0,16.htm?clickSource=careerNav. September 15, 2022. (accessed January 17, 2023).
3. Personal Trainer Salary. Comparably.com. https://www.comparably.com/salaries/salaries-for-personal-trainer. 2022. (accessed January, 17,2023).
4. Personal Trainer Salary in Arizona. Salary.com. https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/personal-trainer-salary/az. 2022. (accessed January 17, 2023).
5. New Vintage 2021 Population Estimates Available for the Nation, States and Puerto Rico. Census.gov. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2021/2021-population-estimates.html. December 2021. (accessed January 18, 2023).
6. United States Census Bureau. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Office. 2022. http://www.census.gov/.
7. Arizona: By the Numbers. Ihrsa.org. https://www.ihrsa.org/industry-leadership/state-advocacy/arizona/. 2023. (accessed January 18, 2023.)
8. Physical Activity in Arizona. Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of Nutrition and Physical Activity. April 5, 2022. https://www.azdhs.gov/documents/prevention/nutrition-physical-activity/physical-activity-in-arizona.pdf. (accessed January 19, 2023).