Why fitness pros need to be paid what they’re worth
(and why underpaying trainers is quietly killing your studio and franchise model)
The fitness and wellness industry loves to talk empowerment, community, value and results… right up until it’s time to pay the people actually delivering that value.
Let’s talk honestly about why yoga and Pilates teachers often earn more than personal trainers, how the industry got here, and why paying people properly is one of the smartest business decisions you can make.
The great pay gap: yoga + Pilates teachers vs personal trainers
Across the board, yoga and Pilates teachers consistently earn higher rates per class. Not because they’re magically “more valuable”, but because the business model forces it.
A yoga or Pilates studio lives or dies by the quality of the teaching team. A great teacher doesn’t just fill the room. They define the room. They set the tone, they create the vibe, and they’re the reason clients come back.
When I ran Flow Lab, it was simple: if you want the teacher that packs a room and everyone raves about, you have to pay them what they are worth. What is it worth to you to have a full class?
That meant $75 to $90 for 45 minute yoga classes. I also know for a fact at some of the bigger studios in demand yoga teachers can command $150 to $200 per class when they fill rooms. It’s not outrageous. It’s the going rate for expertise that keeps your business alive.
Now let’s look at the PT world.
The PT paradox
Some PTs absolutely crush it. Rent-a-bay trainers that have been around for a while can charge upward of $120 to $180 an hour, depending on how many hours they are doing. They could be living well.
But plenty of PTs sit on the other end, with the rise of boutique fitness globally, there is an increased demand for trainers, typically younger, newer trainers to the industry that are trying to gain experience. The could be looking at;
$30- $50 per class
roughly $75k per year
hourly rates that haven’t moved in years, I would even say they have gone backwards.
At the same time, studios expect them to deliver premium coaching, manage retention, build community, and represent the brand with enthusiasm.
It doesn’t add up.
You can’t expect top-tier output from bottom-tier pay. Clients notice the difference instantly between a trainer who’s been in the trenches for 10 years… and one who’s brand new, underpaid and overwhelmed.
The cost of living has climbed. PT pay hasn’t.
This is where things get interesting (and painful).
The cost of living in Australia has skyrocketed. Food, fuel, rent, insurance… the whole lot.
PT pay? Basically flat.
Some studios are still paying the same rates they were in 2012 while expecting trainers to be more educated, more polished and more multifunctional than ever.
It’s not sustainable. Not for the trainer, and not for your business.
It’s not just about the cost of living. It’s about knowing your worth.
The rising cost of living simply shines a spotlight on a deeper issue the industry has ignored for years: so many trainers, yoga teachers and instructors have been accepting pay rates that don’t reflect their skill, impact or value.
Cost-of-living pressure didn’t create the problem.
It just made the gap impossible to ignore.
A healthy, long-term career in fitness isn’t built on self-sacrifice. It’s built on knowing your worth and choosing environments that recognise it.
As a business owner, underpaying your trainers is the quickest way to limit and stunt your growth
If you want a business that scales, you cannot build it on a workforce of young, less experienced trainers who are paid like interns.
Here’s why it fails every time:
Good trainers leave
Because there is a risk, they can go out and do their own thing.
Your member experience drops
Burnt-out, underpaid trainers don’t have the bandwidth to deliver the premium experience you’re promising clients.
You attract the wrong team
Low pay attracts new, inexperienced trainers who use your studio as a stepping stone, not a career.
You cap your revenue
Your staff are your product. Underpay them and your “product” becomes inconsistent, uninspiring and forgettable.
Yoga and Pilates studios figured this out years ago. They know their teachers are the business. PT studios are catching up slowly, but not fast enough.
So how do you pay people what they’re worth and stay profitable?
This is the part every business owner worries about. You want to keep your best people, but you also have to keep your doors open.
Here’s how to find the balance without blowing up your margins.
1. Price for sustainability, not survival
If you haven’t raised your prices in years, that’s your first bottleneck.
You can’t pay high-calibre staff on bargain prices.
A well-communicated price rise funds better wages and signals that your service is premium, professional and future-focused.
2. Build a tiered pay structure
Not everyone should be on the same rate.
Create a ladder based on:
experience
retention results
education
contribution to culture
ability to fill classes
It rewards excellence and incentivises growth.
3. Tie pay to retention and outcomes
Your best trainers literally grow your revenue.
Show them that you see it.
This could be:
bonuses for retention
higher rates for full classes
paid programming time
small revenue-share incentives for long-term clients
When staff success and business success are aligned, everyone wins.
4. Improve productivity the right way
Not by over-scheduling them, but by removing friction from their job.
Things like:
better booking flows
automated reminders
pre-written programming frameworks
clean, logical onboarding
studio systems that support—not strangle—them
When trainers aren’t drowning in admin, their value increases instantly.
5. Fix churn instead of fixing wages
Retention solves almost everything.
If your churn is high, every wage increase hurts.
If your churn is low, you can afford to pay well without stress.
Great staff = great retention = stable revenue.
6. Budget for talent the same way you budget for rent
Talent is not optional. It’s not a luxury. It’s the foundation.
Treat wage investment as a fixed line item, not a hopeful leftover.
7. Hire fewer people, but hire better
A small, exceptional team outperforms a large, inconsistent one every day of the week.
One high-performing trainer can retain more members than three mediocre ones combined.
8. Have honest conversations with your team
If you can’t raise rates immediately, give them a roadmap.
High performers stay when they can see a future and a plan—not silence.
A simple conversation like:
“We want to increase your rate. Here’s the revenue target we need to hit to make that happen”
goes a long way.
The bottom line
If you want teachers who command the room, inspire members and grow your business, you need to pay them like the professionals they are.
Yoga figured this out. Pilates figured this out. Boutique gyms and franchises need to get on board.
Pay people what they’re worth. Your retention, culture and revenue depend on it.
