How much to charge as a personal trainer: how to calculate your price

"How much should I charge?" is one of the most common questions from trainers just starting out — and from trainers who've been coaching for years and feel they charge too little. Copying a colleague's price is tempting, but it ignores what matters most: your costs, your hours and the income you need.

Here's a simple four-step method to reach a sustainable price. The examples use round numbers: swap in the ones for your city and your currency.

Step 1: Decide on the income you want

Start at the end. How much do you want (or need) to take home each month, after everything? Be realistic and include what usually gets left out: vacations, slow months, an emergency fund.

Example: 3,000 a month take-home.

Step 2: Add up your monthly costs

List everything you pay to be able to work:

• gym or studio fees (if any);
• travel between clients;
• certifications, courses and continuing education;
• equipment, workwear, phone and internet;
• apps and tools;
• taxes, retirement contributions and an accountant, if you have one;
• health or liability insurance.

Example: 600 a month.

Step 3: Count the hours you actually sell

This is where most people go wrong. You don't sell 8 hours a day: there's travel, gaps in your schedule, clients who cancel, peak hours everyone wants and dead hours nobody does.

Count only the sessions that are actually paid that you can deliver in a month, with some margin.

Example: 20 sessions per week × 4.3 weeks ≈ 86 sessions a month.

Step 4: Do the math

Minimum price per session = (target income + costs) ÷ sessions sold per month

In the example: (3,000 + 600) ÷ 86 ≈ 42 per session.

That's your floor: below it, you work more to earn less than planned. From there, turn it into packages:

Illustrative figures: redo the math with your own numbers.

What if the result is above what the market pays?

You have three levers — and only one of them is lowering your price:

1. Sell more hours without more fatigue: group clients by area, fill gaps with partner or small-group sessions.
2. Cut costs: renegotiate your gym fee, drop long commutes.
3. Add an income stream that scales: online coaching. An online client takes far less of your time than an in-person one, so they can pay less and still raise your income per hour.

Charging more means delivering more (and showing it)

Clients don't buy hours of training — they buy results and support. Three things that justify a higher price:

• Regular fitness assessments, with measurements and photos, so the client can see their progress;
• An organized, accessible program on their phone, instead of a lost PDF;
• Fast replies and follow-up between sessions.

With Trainer Fácil you deliver all three from the app: phased programs, fitness assessments the client fills in themselves, and chat right next to the workout. It's free for up to 5 clients.

When to raise your price

Revisit the math at least once a year, or whenever a major cost changes. Give current clients at least 30 days' notice and apply the new price right away to anyone starting.

If talking about money with clients still feels hard, read our guide on how to collect payments without the awkwardness.