Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors
Also called: Aerobics Instructor, Fitness Instructor, Group Fitness Instructor, Personal TrainerInstruct or coach groups or individuals in exercise activities for the primary purpose of personal fitness. Demonstrate techniques and form, observe participants, and explain to them corrective measures necessary to improve their skills. Develop and implement individualized approaches to exercise.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 7 of its 20 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 7.3% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.1% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 11.1 hires for every 10 job openings in arts, entertainment, and recreation, which employs about 68% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.11.1 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $39,180 | $26,940 to $48,620 | 2,680 |
| Alaska | $46,210 | $37,020 to $57,460 | 800 |
| Arizona | $47,980 | $34,510 to $59,110 | 7,010 |
| Arkansas | $42,140 | $29,310 to $51,470 | 1,390 |
| California | $57,990 | $45,350 to $74,160 | 43,600 |
| Colorado | $49,900 | $39,190 to $62,670 | 10,500 |
| Connecticut | $61,580 | $45,660 to $80,790 | 2,850 |
| Delaware | $44,340 | $36,900 to $65,330 | 1,210 |
| District of Columbia | $39,210 | $37,340 to $64,640 | 1,480 |
| Florida | $38,800 | $28,970 to $52,630 | 18,070 |
| Georgia | $47,150 | $35,240 to $58,140 | 7,500 |
| Hawaii | $48,290 | $42,620 to $61,080 | 990 |
| Idaho | $49,780 | $44,270 to $59,210 | 2,360 |
| Illinois | $46,800 | $35,190 to $61,960 | 19,830 |
| Indiana | $34,960 | $27,280 to $47,430 | 5,360 |
| Iowa | $36,160 | $28,350 to $44,750 | 2,510 |
| Kansas | $35,900 | $29,000 to $48,480 | 4,510 |
| Kentucky | $45,280 | $35,090 to $55,080 | 1,990 |
| Louisiana | $44,410 | $25,040 to $51,190 | 2,290 |
| Maine | $47,060 | $37,300 to $67,980 | 1,140 |
| Maryland | $47,420 | $36,110 to $63,510 | 8,650 |
| Massachusetts | $64,620 | $50,760 to $96,140 | 9,200 |
| Michigan | $45,520 | $33,130 to $55,900 | 6,050 |
| Minnesota | $43,620 | $32,150 to $51,020 | 7,010 |
| Mississippi | $30,540 | $21,960 to $47,410 | 1,260 |
| Missouri | $36,450 | $29,360 to $47,830 | 5,060 |
| Montana | $43,940 | $33,930 to $52,150 | 1,420 |
| Nebraska | $31,440 | $29,310 to $44,530 | 2,410 |
| Nevada | $57,960 | $45,190 to $70,920 | 3,010 |
| New Hampshire | $49,360 | $37,600 to $63,720 | 1,500 |
| New Jersey | $59,870 | $39,300 to $80,020 | 11,350 |
| New Mexico | $44,680 | $30,210 to $50,960 | 1,030 |
| New York | $47,090 | $35,630 to $76,360 | 20,140 |
| North Carolina | $46,450 | $33,210 to $60,100 | 10,670 |
| North Dakota | $37,760 | $33,830 to $47,060 | 680 |
| Ohio | $36,370 | $28,830 to $49,220 | 9,040 |
| Oklahoma | $44,520 | $26,570 to $58,430 | 2,300 |
| Oregon | $58,510 | $43,720 to $65,500 | 4,800 |
| Pennsylvania | $45,250 | $33,030 to $57,830 | 11,580 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,020 | $22,010 to $22,220 | 260 |
| Rhode Island | $45,640 | $36,240 to $77,180 | 990 |
| South Carolina | $43,630 | $31,310 to $50,980 | 5,130 |
| South Dakota | $40,070 | $33,960 to $47,490 | 950 |
| Tennessee | $47,380 | $32,560 to $59,190 | 5,080 |
| Texas | $40,880 | $29,340 to $56,930 | 19,260 |
| Utah | $44,800 | $31,010 to $58,250 | 6,830 |
| Vermont | $57,300 | $43,140 to $62,380 | 710 |
| Virginia | $40,820 | $30,750 to $54,410 | 12,100 |
| Washington | $50,830 | $46,760 to $67,510 | 9,270 |
| West Virginia | $38,120 | $28,150 to $45,050 | 500 |
| Wisconsin | $44,200 | $31,470 to $50,570 | 6,330 |
| Wyoming | $50,250 | $35,030 to $71,780 | 560 |
Nationally: $47,160. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 7 of its 20 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Observe participants and inform them of corrective measures necessary for skill improvement. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Offer alternatives during classes to accommodate different levels of fitness. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Monitor participants' progress and adapt programs as needed. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Plan routines, choose appropriate music, and choose different movements for each set of muscles, depending on participants' capabilities and limitations. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Instruct participants in maintaining exertion levels to maximize benefits from exercise routines. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Explain and enforce safety rules and regulations governing sports, recreational activities, and the use of exercise equipment. | Not published |
See all 20 tasks
| AI + software | Evaluate individuals' abilities, needs, and physical conditions, and develop suitable training programs to meet any special requirements. | Not published |
| Not much | Teach proper breathing techniques used during physical exertion. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain fitness equipment. | Not published |
| AI alone | Provide students with information and resources regarding nutrition, weight control, and lifestyle issues. | Not published |
| AI alone | Advise clients about proper clothing and shoes. | 0.04% |
| Not much | Teach and demonstrate use of gymnastic and training equipment, such as trampolines and weights. | Not published |
| Not much | Administer emergency first aid, wrap injuries, treat minor chronic disabilities, or refer injured persons to physicians. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain equipment inventories, and select, store, or issue equipment as needed. | Not published |
| AI + software | Plan physical education programs to promote development of participants' physical attributes and social skills. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Conduct therapeutic, recreational, or athletic activities. | Not published |
| AI + software | Promote health clubs through membership sales, and record member information. | Not published |
| Not much | Organize and conduct competitions and tournaments. | Not published |
| Not much | Teach individual and team sports to participants through instruction and demonstration, using knowledge of sports techniques and of participants' physical capabilities. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Advise participants in use of heat or ultraviolet treatments and hot baths. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 8 of the 20 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 20 tasks fall under 16 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #12 Explain regulations, policies, or procedures
- #34 Advise others on products or services
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train others on health or medical topics | |||
| Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures | |||
| Coordinate group, community, or public activities | |||
| Evaluate personnel capabilities or performance | |||
| Train others to use equipment or products | |||
| Explain regulations, policies, or procedures | |||
| Advise others on products or services | |||
| Promote products, services, or programs |
Show all 16 activities
| Maintain safety or security | |||
| Maintain facilities or equipment | |||
| Advise patients or clients on medical issues | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Sell products or services | |||
| Distribute materials, supplies, or resources | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products | |||
| Administer emergency medical treatment |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Advice or a recommendation53%
- A plan or strategy14%
- An explanation or answer11%
- A document or report6%
- An app or website3%
How they worked with Claude
9% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for exercise trainers and group fitness instructors specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 205,147 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 2 Coaches and Scouts Moderate +6.1% 4%
- 3 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 3%
- 4 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 3%
- 5 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 168,219 moves in
- 1 Coaches and Scouts Moderate +6.1% 4%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 3 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 3%
- 4 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 2%
- 5 Waiters and Waitresses Moderate +2.0% 2%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 14% less than high school
- 10% high school
- 38% postsecondary certificate
- 10% bachelor's
- 19% post-bachelor's certificate
- 10% master's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 21 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 3% less than high school
- 11% high school
- 20% some college
- 10% associate's
- 40% bachelor's
- 13% master's
- 1% professional degree
- 1% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 2,825 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
5 programs, such as Physical Education Teaching and Coaching, Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General and Sport and Fitness Administration/Management.
See all
- Physical Education Teaching and Coaching
- Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General
- Sport and Fitness Administration/Management
- Physical Fitness Technician
- Yoga Teacher Training/Yoga Therapy
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
87.8% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a certification | 66.0% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | 19.0% | 2.8% |
| a license | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (Master Fitness Trainer). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/39-9031.00