California is a Mecca for fitness buffs with numerous opportunities for outdoor recreation in stunningly beautiful locations. The state’s diversity offers a variety of options ranging from surfing the Pacific Coast to skiing in California’s numerous ski resorts.
Staying fit is popular in California, with the health club industry in the state generating revenues of $1.6 billion in 2007 according to the International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association. California had the highest number of personal trainers in the country as of 2013 according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
California’s Personal Trainers are Earning High Salaries
Personal trainers in California had the second highest average salary in the country in 2013 according to the BLS. The California Employment Development Department provides the salaries for fitness trainers who worked in the state in 2014:
Experience
Annual Salary
% Higher than the National Average
Six of California’s metropolitan areas were among those with the highest salaries in the country according to the BLS:
- San Francisco area – 1st
- Salinas – 3rd
- Santa Rosa area – 5th
- Napa – 8th
- Vallejo area – 9th
- Oxnard area – 10th
There are an extensive number of gyms throughout California where you could begin your career as a personal trainer. These range from small boutique studios to large national chains. One that stands out is the iconic 24 Hour Fitness chain that started in San Ramon. As of 2015, it had gyms in 137 cities throughout California.
An Analysis of Personal Trainer Salaries Throughout California
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides an analysis of the salaries of personal trainers in many of California’s cities and several nonmetropolitan areas (2013). The average salaries were particularly high in Salinas and the San Francisco area:
Area name
Employment
Hourly mean wage
Annual mean wage
Hourly median wage
Hourly 75th percentile wage
Hourly 90th percentile wage
Annual median wage
Annual 75th percentile wage
Annual 90th percentile wage
Bakersfield-Delano CA
250
16.80
34940
13.24
23.31
28.02
27550
48490
58290
Chico CA
210
19.28
40110
19.19
24.73
33.97
39920
51440
70650
Fresno CA
310
21.97
45690
23.89
27.86
33.45
49690
57940
69570
Hanford-Corcoran CA
40
22.86
47540
23.68
27.43
32.52
49260
57050
67630
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale CA Metropolitan Division
5870
23.44
48750
22.44
29.27
36.17
46670
60890
75240
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana CA
8180
22.63
47070
21.73
28.92
36.23
45200
60160
75350
Merced CA
Estimate not released
17.55
36500
16.90
19.93
25.65
35150
41460
53350
Modesto CA
300
20.69
43030
22.76
27.84
32.63
47340
57900
67870
Napa CA
130
27.69
57600
27.35
33.02
41.22
56890
68680
85740
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward CA Metropolitan Division
1900
24.10
50120
24.91
31.97
35.76
51810
66500
74390
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura CA
1080
26.36
54830
26.03
35.59
48.13
54140
74020
100110
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario CA
1580
16.02
33320
12.93
17.58
31.60
26900
36560
65720
Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville CA
1640
22.19
45960
22.97
28.57
33.21
47780
59430
69080
Salinas CA
180
30.2
62810
31.23
34.42
36.43
64960
71600
75770
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos CA
2560
22.93
47700
21.93
30.90
37.72
45620
64270
78460
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA
4530
28.89
60100
29.25
38.29
48.15
60830
79650
100140
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City CA Metropolitan Division
2630
32.35
67280
33.62
43.54
51.70
69920
90570
107530
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA
1730
25.41
52860
23.71
33.29
38.67
49310
69250
80430
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles CA
460
21.81
45370
23.21
27.52
32.86
48280
57240
68340
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine CA Metropolitan Division
2310
20.57
42790
19.18
27.57
36.44
39890
57350
75790
Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Goleta CA
360
23.90
49720
22.59
27.87
38.45
46990
57960
79970
Santa Cruz-Watsonville CA
240
22.74
47310
22.63
27.25
33.41
47060
56680
69500
Santa Rosa-Petaluma CA
560
28.94
60190
30.84
34.63
39.94
64140
72020
83070
Stockton CA
290
23.17
48190
22.61
26.37
28.87
47030
54850
60040
Vallejo-Fairfield CA
350
26.63
55380
27.07
29.57
33.81
56300
61500
70330
Yuba City CA
Estimate not released
21.49
44710
18.53
26.41
39.54
38550
54940
82240
Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area
70
10.88
22630
8.95
9.33
11.32
18610
19410
23540
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area
160
21.52
44770
21.2
27.88
35.68
44100
58000
74220
Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area
230
20.25
42110
19.85
26.07
33.01
41290
54240
68650