38 high paying fitness jobs & careers in the wellness industry
From personal training to management, explore 38 high paying fitness jobs in the health and wellness industry, plus tips to increase your pay.
Fitness job ads that promote $30 per class can give a narrow snapshot of the industry, especially for people who are authentically passionate about working in health and wellbeing. While these entry-level roles are often the most visible, they don’t reflect the broader earning potential available in fitness careers as a whole.
For qualified professionals, there are plenty of high paying fitness jobs that let them clear six figures with a few years of experience.
The highest earners in fitness have specialised in lucrative niches, launched businesses, progressed into management or combined fitness with complementary skills like nutrition or life coaching. Teaching more classes or working longer hours won’t get you there, but the strategies in this guide will show you how to secure a high paying fitness career without working yourself to the bone.
Overview of high-paying roles in the fitness and wellness industry
Many people think fitness careers are only for those who are okay with $25 hourly rates teaching spin classes at 6am. That’s only true if you stay in entry-level fitness roles without building specialist skills or levelling up your business instincts. The Australian fitness sector has over 6,500 businesses that employ more than 35,000 people, contributing roughly $3 billion directly to the economy as of 2024. That’s a massive industry with tonnes of money flowing through it, with many professionals getting a big slice of the cake (sugar-free, of course).
The difference between those earning entry-level wages and those with a high paying fitness job comes down to specialisation and business skills. Generic group fitness instructors teaching classes at commercial gyms make between $30 and $40 per class. Corrective exercise specialists working with post-surgical clients can charge over $100 per hour. If your goal is to earn even more than the entry level rates, a good idea is to work smarter by upskilling so you can work in sectors where demand exceeds supply.
Australia’s health crisis creates huge opportunities for fitness instructors who understand business. Almost two-thirds of Australians are overweight as of 2023. If these rates continue unchecked, this condition is expected to cost the Australian community $87.7 billion per year by 2032. That means government and corporate wellness programmes will continue throwing money at solutions and qualified fitness professionals will be ready to capture all that spending.
Boutique fitness is growing massively alongside traditional gyms. Australia’s Pilates and yoga studios market was valued at $5.1 billion in 2024 and is projected to more than double to $11.4 billion by 2033. Boutique studios can get away with charging premium rates because clients perceive specialised instruction as more valuable than generic classes. Instructors at these studios can earn much more per class and studio owners benefit from higher membership fees and stronger client retention than budget gyms grinding through customers who ghost after a month or two.
There are plenty of high paying fitness careers if you have the skills and know how to level up. A Certificate III in Fitness can be a great way to break into the sector, but you’ll want to add specialisations in lucrative areas like prenatal fitness or corrective exercises to earn more. You can also earn higher qualifications like a Diploma of Health Science to provide a more holistic service to your clients. The fitness instructors with the best paying fitness jobs aren’t necessarily the most athletic. They just identified lucrative niches and figured out a way in.
Best-paying fitness and gym careers
When people think about fitness careers, they picture commercial gyms with rows of treadmills and instructors leading sweaty classes. That mental image isn’t necessarily wrong but it is an incomplete picture of what you can do if you become a fitness instructor because there is so much more than you can do in your career. Traditional gym-based roles can be quite lucrative if you make it past entry-level jobs and train for one of these high paying gym jobs:
Personal training roles with high earning potential
If you don’t want to launch your own business, then becoming a personal trainer can be a great way to make good money. Employment for fitness instructors and personal trainers in Australia is projected to grow to 39,800 by 2026, up from 31,400 in 2019. That growth creates plenty of opportunities for trainers willing to specialise into niches where clients pay premium rates. Here are some of the highest paying jobs in the fitness industry:
Role | Median salary | What they do | Best for | Best qualification |
Senior personal trainer | $84,000 | Work with established client bases and mentor junior trainers. | Experienced trainers with 5+ years of experience and solid reputations. | Certificate IV in Fitness plus specialist certifications |
Mobile and private studio fitness trainers | $61,000 | Travel to clients’ homes or studios for personalised fitness classes and training. | Self-motivated trainers who can treat themselves as a business. | Certificate III in Fitness plus business skills |
Clinical personal trainer | $70,000 | Work with clients managing medical conditions. | Trainers interested in therapeutic exercise. | Certificate IV in Fitness and strength plus clinical qualifications. |
Online fitness trainer | $61,000 | Deliver fitness programmes through apps. | Tech-savvy trainers who want flexible schedules and the ability to reach thousands or even millions of people. | Certificate III in Fitness and social media skills. |
*All salaries sourced from Payscale AU
Group fitness and gym-based roles with strong salary prospects
Teaching group fitness classes and getting into management positions can give you stable income with less client acquisition stress than being an independent personal trainer. Australia’s gyms and fitness centres market was valued at $2.9 billion in 2024, so there are plenty of dollars for you to earn with these jobs:
Role | Median salary | What they do | Best for | Best qualification |
Boutique studio instructor | $55,000 | Teach specialised classes like Pilates and yoga at premium studios. | Instructors that have mastered a specific discipline. | Certificate III in Fitness along with specialist certifications. |
High-level group fitness instructor | $60,000 | Teach speciality formats with loyal followings. | Charismatic instructors who can fill classes constantly. | Certificate III in Fitness and specialities. |
Gym manager | $60,000 | They’re in charge of operations, staffing, new customer acquisition and financial performance. | Organised leaders who know how to manage teams. | Certificate III in Fitness and business management qualifications. |
Fitness coordinator | $57,000 | Schedule classes, recruit instructors and design schedules. | Detailed-oriented programme designers. |
*All salaries sourced from Payscale AU
Fitness leadership and management positions
Leadership roles are usually the highest paying jobs in the fitness industry. You’ll have to manage a team whilst making strategic decisions to better serve your current customers and to get more of them. These are the top-earning jobs in fitness leadership and management:
Role | Median salary | What they do | Best for | Best qualification |
Club manager | $57,000 | Run entire facilities and oversee all departments. | Leaders interested in the business side of fitness. | Certificate III in Fitness and other business management qualifications. |
Operations manager | $56,000 | Coordinate multiple departments and analyse performance. | Strategic thinkers who excel at systems thinking. | Business management certificates and perhaps a Certificate III in Fitness. |
Regional manager | $67,000 | Oversee multiple locations and support local managers. | Senior leaders comfortable travelling between sites. | Certificate III in Fitness and business management qualifications. |
Business development manager | $88,000 | Attract new members and corporate partnerships. | Sales-oriented professionals who love building relationships. | Business management qualifications and a Certificate III in Fitness |
*All salaries sourced from Payscale AU
High-paying health and wellness professions
Fitness careers don’t stop at counting reps at the gym. The broader health and wellness industry has created many lucrative opportunities for professionals who understand how exercise intersects with nutrition, rehabilitation, chronic disease management and holistic health. Australia’s health and wellness market hit $106.6 billion in 2024 and is expected to almost double to $204.8 billion by 2033 and there’s no sign of slowing down.
That’s part of the reason the number of healthcare professionals in Australia jumped by 37% between 2013 and 2022. People aged 65 and over currently make up about 17% of the population, but that figure will rise to 22% by 2050. Australia’s ageing population and spike of interest in the wellness market means you can get a high paying health and wellness job whilst helping people live healthier lives.
Allied health-aligned fitness careers
These practitioners blend fitness coaching with elements of clinical support, sometimes working with doctors and registered nurses to create a treatment plan. These are the top high paying fitness jobs in allied health:
Role | Median salary | What they do | Best for | Best qualification |
Exercise physiologist | $69,000 | Prescribe exercise for chronic diseases and injuries. | Fitness professionals who want a clinical practice. | Bachelor of Exercise Physiology |
Sports scientist | $74,000 | Analyse athletic performance through data. | Analytically minded performance specialists. | Bachelor of Sports Science |
Strength and conditioning coach | $70,000 | Design training for athletic performance. | Coaches with athletic backgrounds. | Certificate IV in Fitness plus strength and conditioning training certifications. |
Sports massage therapist | $77,000 | Treat soft tissue injuries to support athletes’ recovery. | Hands-on practitioners who combine massages and a specialist understanding of sports and athletes. |
*All salaries sourced from Payscale AU
Holistic health and wellness roles with strong income potential
Holistic wellness roles are equal parts fitness, nutrition, stress management and lifestyle coaching. These are the top high paying health and wellness jobs:
Role | Median salary | What they do | Best for | Best qualification |
Health coach | $78,000 | Guide lifestyle changes in exercise and nutrition | Life coaches who want to support behaviour change. | |
Wellness programme coordinator | $76,000 | Design workplace wellness initiatives. | Organised trainers who want to work in corporate environments. | Bachelor of Health Science plus wellness expertise. |
Nutrition and fitness coach | $55,000 | Integrate exercise with nutrition. | Coaches who want to help people improve their physical and eating habits. | A Nutrition course plus a Certificate III in Fitness. |
Integrative wellness practitioner | $45,000 | Combine natural medicine with lifestyle interventions. | Practitioners interested in holistic health philosophy. |
*All salaries sourced from Payscale AU
Highest-earning careers in the fitness industry
The absolute highest earners in fitness aren’t employees collecting salaries or hourly rates. The highest paying fitness careers are for either highly specialised practitioners who’ve identified lucrative niches or business owners who’ve started their own venture.
Business and entrepreneurial pathways
The fitness industry can’t run on yoga instructors and personal trainers alone. Someone needs to run the show and business owners tend to get the biggest slice of revenue. For example, Boutique Fitness Studios has sold 106 franchise licenses since 2019, proving that you don’t have to teach a class to make money in fitness.
Role | Median salary | What they do | Best for | Best qualification |
Gym owner | $72,000 | Own and operate fitness centres. | Entrepreneurs with capital and business skills. | Certificate III in Fitness and plenty of management experience |
Boutique studio owner | $72,000 | Run specialised studios like Pilates or yoga studios. | Entrepreneurs passionate about specific workout regimens. | Specialist certification plus business management courses. |
Fitness app developer | $72,000 | Develop fitness apps or consult on digital products. | Tech professionals passionate about fitness. | Software development plus Certificate III in Fitness. |
Online coaching business owner | $72,000 | Build digital coaching businesses serving clients all over the world. | Tech-savvy coaches with marketing skills. | Certificate III in Fitness and digital marketing qualifications. |
*All salaries sourced from Payscale AU
Niche specialisations that command premium rates
Specialists serving specific populations with unique needs charge rates that generalist trainers can’t justify:
Role | Median salary | What they do | Best for | Best qualification |
Corrective exercise specialist | $66,000 | Address movement dysfunction and postural issues | Detail-oriented trainers interested in biomechanics. | Certificate IV in Fitness plus corrective certifications. |
Pre/postnatal exercise trainer | $61,000 | Train pregnant women and new mums. | Patient trainers who understand pregnancy physiology. | Certificate III in Fitness plus pre/postnatal certs |
High performance athletic coach | $62,000 | Train elite and professional athletes. | Experienced coaches with competitive backgrounds. | Experience as a professional athlete. |
Clinical exercise specialist | $70,000 | Work with cardiac rehab or diabetes patients. | Trainers who want therapeutic clinical work. | Exercise physiology qualifications |
*All salaries sourced from Payscale AU
Salary expectations across fitness and wellness roles
Fitness and wellness salaries can change drastically depending on specialisation, experience and employment type. Business owners have unlimited earning potential depending on their success, but they don’t receive salaries in the traditional sense, so we’re excluding them from this list of the fitness jobs with the highest salaries.
Salary comparison table
These roles are employed positions where income directly correlates with qualifications, experience and the specific niche you’ve carved out within the industry. Here are the 10 highest paying jobs in the fitness industry:
Role | Entry-level salary | Median salary | Advanced salary |
Business development manager | $63,000 | $88,000 | $153,000 |
Health coach | $64,000 | $78,000 | $96,000 |
Sports massage therapist | $60,000 | $77,000 | $90,000 |
Wellness programme coordinator | $70,000 | $76,000 | $80,000 |
Sports scientist | $55,000 | $74,000 | $89,000 |
Fitness app developer | $54,000 | $72,000 | $125,000 |
Clinical personal trainer | $49,000 | $70,000 | $76,000 |
Strength and conditioning coach | $59,000 | $70,000 | $102,000 |
Clinical exercise specialist | $60,000 | $70,000 | $75,000 |
Exercise physiologist | $57,000 | $69,000 | $83,000 |
*All salaries sourced from Payscale AU
Factors that influence salary growth
Your earning trajectory in fitness depends on factors other than just showing up and doing good work:
Specialisation in high-demand niches: Generalist fitness instructors earn far less than specialists that treat specific populations like pre/postnatal clients or high performance athletes where there are fewer qualified professionals.
Advanced qualifications and certifications: Instructors who only have a Certificate III tend to hit income ceilings quickly. Adding Certificate IV or Diploma qualifications opens the door to higher-paying positions and lets you charge premium rates for specialised knowledge.
Years of experience and track record: Entry-level trainers start by earning 30–50% less than specialists who’ve built reputations and have proven results.
Geographic location: Sydney and Melbourne workers generally earn more than regional practitioners thanks to much larger client pools and competition for qualified staff.
Employment type: Self-employed practitioners and business owners have close to unlimited earning potential but sacrifice stability, benefits and guaranteed income during slow periods.
Leadership and management responsibilities: Moving from individual contributor roles into team leadership or management positions increases your earning potential massively as you’re paid for strategic thinking instead of just individual training sessions.
How to increase your income in the fitness industry
Fitness instructors earning $25 per class whilst struggling to fill their schedules aren’t doomed to stay there forever. The professionals making over $100 per hour or building six-figure businesses got there by making strategic decisions about their careers. Global research shows that fitness professionals report moderate to high job satisfaction with an average rating of 5.6 out of 7, which tells us that the work is fulfilling even as you work to increase your income.
Develop specialised skills
The fastest way to increase your rates is by becoming the expert clients seek out for specific problems rather than being another generic trainer:
Pursuing advanced qualifications: Adding credentials in areas like corrective exercise, pre/postnatal training or clinical exercise lets you charge premium rates because fewer instructors have these qualifications and clients recognise specialised expertise.
Niching into corrective exercise, clinical populations or high-performance: Specialists working with post-injury rehabilitation, cardiac patients or elite athletes can command higher rates than trainers offering generic weight loss programmes.
Maximise earning potential through business strategies
Making smart business decisions can multiply your income without having to work more hours:
Hybrid online/in-person models: Combining face-to-face sessions with online programming lets you serve more clients at the same time. Just one good workout video could help thousands of people and you don’t have to lift a finger to help them get a workout in.
Branding and marketing: Building a strong personal brand through social media and content creation attracts clients willing to pay premium rates for working with recognised experts rather than unknown trainers.
Diversifying revenue streams: Adding group classes, online programmes, digital products, workshops or affiliate partnerships gives you multiple income sources so you’re not entirely dependent on your hourly training sessions.
Build a long-term career pathway
If you want to build a high paying fitness career, then consider investing in continuous professional development. Here’s how:
Commit to ongoing professional development: Attend conferences, complete workshops and stay current with exercise science research so your knowledge doesn’t become outdated whilst competitors upskill around you.
Upskill in nutrition or coaching: Expanding into complementary areas like nutrition support through qualifications like Endeavour’s Certificate IV in Allied Health Assistance (Nutrition and Dietetic Support) or life coaching through a Certificate IV in Life Coaching Practice lets you provide holistic services that clients value a lot more than exercise programming alone. Or alternatively, you could specialise in Nutrition with a Bachelor of Health Science (Clinical Nutrition) and complement it with a fitness qualification.
Build toward business ownership or management: Map a progression from instructor to senior trainer to coordinator to manager or business owner rather than staying in entry-level roles hoping for raises.
FAQs
What is the highest-paying job in the fitness industry in Australia?
Gym owners and franchise partners earn the most, potentially clearing $150,000 to $300,000 per year once established. Among employed positions, business development managers and specialised practitioners like sports scientists can earn over $100,000 with experience.
Are fitness jobs financially stable long term?
Stability varies within fitness jobs. Management and corporate wellness positions come with consistent salaries, whilst personal training income fluctuates based on client retention and seasonality. Building diverse income streams and specialisations is a great way to make this a more stable career.
Do qualifications affect how much I can earn in the fitness sector?
Yes, absolutely, qualifications affect how much you can earn in the fitness sector. Certificate III instructors earn anywhere from $25 to $50 per class. If you have a Certificate IV or specialised qualifications, you could easily charge $70 to $120 per hour.
How do fitness business owners make money?
Fitness business owners make money through membership fees, personal training sessions, group classes, retail sales and additional services. Successful gym owners keep the profits after covering rent, staff, equipment and marketing costs.
Which fitness specialisations lead to higher salaries?
Corrective exercise, pre/postnatal training, clinical populations, high-performance athletics and older adult fitness specialisations helps you earn premium rates that could exceed $100 per hour.
Are online coaching careers profitable in Australia?
Yes, online coaching careers can be profitable if done strategically. Successful online coaches can earn over $100,000 per year by serving multiple clients simultaneously across time zones. However, most online coaches struggle at first with marketing and client acquisition before building a sustainable online presence.
Is the fitness industry in Australia growing?
Yes, the fitness industry is growing strongly. Fitness employment is projected to reach 39,800 by 2026 from 31,400 in 2019. Australia’s health and wellness market is also expected to grow from $106.6 billion in 2024 to $204.8 billion by 2033.
Australia’s health crisis needs qualified fitness professionals now
The fitness professionals making serious money didn’t stumble into high-paying roles. They invested in qualifications that allowed them to do clinical work or score management positions rather than staying stuck in entry-level instruction forever.
Endeavour College of Natural Health offers fitness, massage therapy, nutrition support, life coaching and naturopathy qualifications that will prepare you for lucrative wellness careers. Download a course guide or call admissions to map which pathway fits your income goals and timeline.
