Visitors and residents alike continue to frequent Tennessee’s breathtaking mountains, rolling hillsides, extensive trail systems, pristine rivers, and state-of-the-art fitness facilities to hike, run, swim, and exercise their way into a healthier lifestyle. By working as a personal trainer in Tennessee, you are further strengthening the active community through safe and effective guidance in physical fitness, and can earn a good salary while doing so.
While Tennessee boasts 749 trails and greenways, not all residents are fortunate enough to have access to outdoor recreation of this sort. As a result, if you choose not to become an independent contractor, you could find that positions are available through fitness chains with a presence in Tennessee like Gold’s Gym International and LA Fitness or even with major healthcare providers like Saint Thomas Health and Covenant Health.
Salary and Wage Averages for Personal Trainers in Tennessee
In 2013, the United States Department of Labor released pay reports for fitness trainers working in Tennessee showing that experienced trainer made more than $30,000 more annually than those just entering the field:
- Entry-Level: $17,200/yr.
- Mid-Career: $31,700/yr.
- Experienced: $51,600/yr.
Part-time personal trainers usually receive hourly wages instead of annual salaries in. Occupational wage findings released by the Department of Labor show that experienced part-time fitness trainers earned over $15 more hourly then those just starting out in 2013:
- Entry-Level: $8.26/hr.
- Mid-Career: $15.22/hr.
- Experienced: $24.79/hr.
Aside from accumulating work experience, there are also several different ways that you can attract high-end salary offers as personal trainer in Tennessee. Examples include:
- Earning an undergraduate or graduate degree in an area like exercise science, kinesiology, or physical education
- Becoming a certified personal trainer through a certifying agency such as National Academy of Sports Medicine
- Participating in professional associations like the National Strength and Condition Association
You could also work as an independent contractor or even open a boutique studio of your own, in which case the sky’s the limit.
Pay Averages for Personal Trainers in Specific Cities and Regions
Experience is not the only driving force behind personal trainer salaries in Tennessee. In 2013, the United States Department of Labor found that personal trainers were subject to different pay depending on their geographic location of employment. In that year, personal trainers employed in the Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin area benefitted from the highest salary average of any other place in the state: