jobfacts

Fitness instructor

Fitness and wellbeing instructors — SOC 2020 3433

Fitness and wellbeing instructors deliver training in a range of fitness activities, including weight training, yoga, Pilates, personal training and other forms of exercise at private health and fitness centres, local authority run sports and leisure centres, other public and community establishments, and in private homes.

Also calledGym instructorGroup training instructorYoga teacherYoga instructorPersonal trainerPilates teacherand 21 more titles
Typical full-time pay£27,3002025 Provisional
People in the job62,000across the UK
Demand for workersElevated
New adverts a month1,600↑ 27%on last year · 117th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time fitness instructors earn, 2025
£27,300 typical£23,60025%n/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less thanNot published
25%£23,600
Median£27,300
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
More than half (61%) of fitness instructors work for themselves. These pay figures only cover employees, so they may not reflect what self-employed fitness instructors earn.
Typical pay by regionUK median £27,300
North West!£28,100
South East!£24,000
South West!£23,200
North EastNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £27,300
North West£28,100 (small sample)
South East£24,000 (small sample)
South West£23,200 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £21,400
  • 2024 £24,300
  • 2025 Provisional£27,300
↑ 28% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 1,600 jobs for fitness instructors are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as elevated.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (2 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20261,405
Jul 20261,470
Jun 2026Not published
May 20262,015
Apr 20261,983
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20261,408
Jan 20262,409
Dec 2025792
Nov 20251,476
Oct 20251,675
Sept 20251,606
Aug 20251,675
Jul 20251,251
Jun 20251,261
May 20251,625
Apr 20251,396
Mar 20251,351
Feb 20251,347
Jan 20251,264
Dec 2024776
Nov 20241,151
Oct 20241,078
Sept 20241,243
Aug 20241,263
Jul 20241,473
Jun 20241,121
May 20241,522
Apr 20241,249
Mar 20241,020
Feb 2024902
Jan 20241,222
Dec 2023867
Nov 20231,070
Oct 20231,159
Sept 20231,085
Aug 20231,002
Jul 20231,228
Jun 20231,466
May 20231,724
Apr 20231,314
Mar 20231,909
Feb 20231,346
Jan 20231,995
Dec 20221,559
Nov 20221,837
Oct 20221,878
Sept 20221,912
Aug 20221,750
Jul 20221,936
Jun 20221,747
May 20221,717
Apr 20221,471
Mar 20221,767
Feb 20221,389
Jan 20221,997
Dec 20213,203
Nov 20211,605
Oct 20211,538
Sept 20211,747
Aug 20211,706
Jul 20212,454
Jun 20213,337
May 20216,187
Apr 20212,889
Mar 20213,255
Feb 2021810
Jan 20213,318
Dec 20201,544
Nov 20205,548
Oct 20201,717
Sept 20201,792
Aug 20201,672
Jul 20201,706
Jun 20201,476
May 20201,398
Apr 20202,249
Mar 20202,829
Feb 20202,747
Jan 20203,317
Dec 20192,094
Nov 20193,212
Oct 20192,554
Sept 20192,668
Aug 20192,992
Jul 20192,836
Jun 20194,015
May 20193,416
Apr 20192,091
Mar 20192,210
Feb 20191,915
Jan 20191,997
Dec 20181,330
Nov 20181,907
Oct 20181,889
Sept 20182,047
Aug 20181,837
Jul 20181,850
Jun 20181,781
May 20181,744
Apr 20181,703
Mar 20181,986
Feb 20181,526
Jan 20181,862
Dec 20171,107
Nov 20171,548
Oct 20171,938
Sept 20171,867
Aug 20171,805
Jul 20172,250
Jun 20171,835
May 20173,211
Apr 20172,867
Mar 20173,138
Feb 20172,343
Jan 20173,712
Is there a shortage of fitness instructors?
Elevated

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was not high.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsAbove usual
  • Wage growthWell above usual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedUsual
Note: uncertainty in hours and earnings due to proportion of self employed workers.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
29%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for sports and fitness occupations, which includes fitness instructors. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London801
Birmingham77
Leeds57
Manchester55
Liverpool50
Buckinghamshire48
Bristol, City of44
Nottingham40
Glasgow City38
City of Edinburgh38
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where fitness instructors are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of fitness instructors
n/p
25%!
21%!
24%!
20%!
4.9%!
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–3425% (small sample)
35–4421% (small sample)
45–5424% (small sample)
55–6420% (small sample)
65+4.9% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent38%
Higher education below degree!14%
A levels or equivalent28%
GCSEs or equivalent!13%
Other qualifications!3.1%
No qualifications–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent38%
Higher education below degree14% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent28%
GCSEs or equivalent13% (small sample)
Other qualifications3.1% (small sample)
No qualificationsNot published

Main employers: fitness facilities (33%), sports and recreation education (21%), operation of sports facilities (21%), physical well-being activities (6.1%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
38%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
1
from level 3
Apprenticeships take
15 months
typically
Self-employed
61%
of people in the job

Routes in

Fitness instructor

You can get into this job through:

College

You can do a recognised qualification in gym instructing or fitness instructing.

Entry requirements

There are no set entry requirements for this route.

Apprenticeship

You could do a Leisure Team Member Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship, or a Community Activator Coach Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship, to give you some of the skills needed for this role.

Entry requirements

Employers will set their own entry requirements.

Other ways in

Work your way up

You could work as a leisure centre assistant and do part-time fitness qualifications on the job, which would allow you to apply for jobs as an instructor.

Other routes

You can do qualifications through private training companies who offer specialist courses like:

  • fitness instruction
  • group based training
  • gym instructing

You could train in a similar role as a physical training instructor in the armed forces.

You can find out more from the:

  • Royal Air Force
  • Royal Navy
  • Army

What you’ll need

  • have insurance
  • have a first aid certificate
  • pass enhanced background checks

You'll usually need public indemnity and professional liability insurance, if you're self-employed.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

It's useful to have a basic level of fitness and to know about how to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Professional and industry bodies

You can join the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity for professional recognition and development.

Further information

You can find more information about working in fitness and leisure from CIMSPA.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for fitness instructor. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Yoga teacher

You can get into this job through:

College

You can do a yoga teaching qualification at college or in a community learning centre.

Courses include:

  • teaching yoga to children aged 5 to 16
  • yoga teaching
  • teaching gentle years yoga (for those working with older adults)
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Other routes

You can train as a yoga teacher by taking courses with a professional body, for example:

  • The British Wheel of Yoga
  • Yoga Alliance Professionals
  • Iyengar Yoga UK

Some knowledge of anatomy and physiology will be useful.

What you’ll need

  • have insurance
  • pass enhanced background checks as you may work with children and vulnerable adults

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

You'll usually need at least 2 to 3 years' experience of practising yoga with a qualified teacher to teach it yourself.

You may find it helpful if you have a background in teaching exercise and fitness.

Further information

You can find out more about teaching yoga from:

  • The British Wheel of Yoga
  • Yoga Alliance Professionals
  • Iyengar Yoga UK

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for yoga teacher. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Personal trainer

You can get into this job through:

College

You could take a college course in personal training or gym instructing.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could do a Personal Trainer Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

Employers will set their own entry requirements.

Other ways in

Apply directly

You can apply to become a personal trainer or set up your business, if you've got qualifications and experience as a fitness coach or gym instructor.

Other routes

You can do qualifications through private training companies who offer specialist courses in gym instructing and personal training.

You could train in a similar role as a physical training instructor in the armed forces.

You can find out more from the:

  • Royal Air Force
  • Royal Navy
  • Army

What you’ll need

  • pass enhanced background checks as you may work with children and vulnerable adults

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

It's usual to have a certificate in first aid that includes cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Further information

You can find out more about careers in exercise and fitness from UK Coaching or the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for personal trainer. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Pilates teacher

You can get into this job through:

College

You could do a pilates based course like mat pilates or pilates teaching.

It may be useful if you have a background in teaching exercise and fitness.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could start by applying to do one of the following apprenticeships;

  • Leisure Team Member Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Personal Trainer Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship

Following further training, you could then move into pilates teaching.

Entry requirements

There are no set entry requirements but it may help you to get in if you have:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Other routes

You can train as a teacher by doing pilates courses with a specialist training provider or a professional body.

What you’ll need

  • pass enhanced background checks as you may work with children and vulnerable adults
  • have insurance

Registration and professional bodies

Professional and industry bodies

You can join organisations like the Pilates Teacher Association or the Pilates Foundation for professional development and training opportunities.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for pilates teacher. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Yoga therapist

You can get into this job through:

Other routes

You could take a course in yoga therapy with a training organisation approved by the British Council for Yoga Therapy.

To do this you'll usually need to:

  • complete a yoga teaching course of at least 200 hours
  • have at least 2 years' experience of teaching yoga

You may need to show examples of recent study to prove that you can cope with the academic content of the course. An understanding of anatomy and physiology will also be useful.

What you’ll need

  • pass enhanced background checks as you may work with children and vulnerable adults
  • have a good level of fitness

Registration and professional bodies

Registration
  • you could join an accredited register managed by the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) or the Federation of Holistic Therapists
Further information

You can learn more about working in yoga from the British Council for Yoga Therapy.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for yoga therapist. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

1 for this job

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • assesses the fitness levels of clients
  • devises programmes of training appropriate to the needs of clients with varying levels of strength, fitness and ability
  • demonstrates and leads fitness activities and supervises exercise classes
  • ensures that clients do not injure themselves through over exertion or using incorrect training techniques
  • plans and monitors personal fitness schedules
  • understands the health and safety aspects of different forms of exercise and ensures that any statutory requirements are met

Skills

  • animate in the outdoors
  • apply teaching strategies
  • demonstrate when teaching
  • give constructive feedback
  • implement risk management for outdoors
  • instruct in sport
  • maintain customer service
  • manage outdoor resources
  • assist clients with special needs
  • work with different target groups
  • adapt fitness exercises
  • adapt teaching to student's capabilities
  • adapt teaching to target group
  • apply organisational techniques

Knowledge

  • geographical areas relevant to tourism
  • communication
  • communication principles
  • curriculum objectives

Suits people who like

  • Helping and caring for people
  • Practical, hands-on work

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for culture, media and sports occupations, a group of 13 jobs that includes fitness instructors.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 10%about 79,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 2035442,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.