What should I charge for personal training?
Trainers sell sessions, but live in hours: client hours, programming time, gym floor rent or commission splits, and certification upkeep. Start with the income you want to take home, count the unpaid hours honestly, and the right session price falls out.
| Gross revenue you need to bill | – |
| Business expenses | – |
| Self-employment tax (15.3%) | – |
| Federal income tax (est.) | – |
| State income tax (est.) | – |
| Retirement savings | – |
| Your take-home income | – |
For projects: estimate the hours the job will take, multiply by your hourly rate above, then add materials (with markup) and a 10–25% buffer for overruns.
Estimates use 2025 federal brackets, the standard deduction, and an approximate state rate. Local taxes, credits, and deductions beyond the standard deduction are not included. Not tax advice.
What to count as expenses
For personal training, annual business expenses typically include certification renewals and CEUs, liability insurance, gym floor fees or rent, programming/booking software, and marketing. Add up a full year of these — using a rough annual total is far better than entering zero and pricing your overhead at nothing.
Be honest about billable hours
Most independent trainers cap out at 20–28 paid sessions a week — early mornings and evenings cluster, midday is dead, and programming/check-ins are unpaid. If a gym takes a split, run this calculator on your net per session, not the sticker price.
Personal Trainer pricing FAQs
How does a gym split change what I should charge?
If the gym takes 30–50% of each session, your client-facing price must be your calculated rate ÷ your keep-percentage. Needing $50/session take with a 40% house cut means charging $83+. This is why many trainers move to per-hour floor rent instead.
Should I sell single sessions or packages?
Packages (10–20 sessions, paid upfront) stabilize income and improve client results through commitment. A modest 5–10% package discount is enough — deep discounts just cut your effective hourly rate on your most loyal clients.
How should I price online coaching?
Price online coaching monthly per client based on your hours: if check-ins and programming take 1.5 hours per client per month and your target is $60/hr, the floor is about $90/month — most successful coaches charge $150–$300 with more service layered on.