Do you have a promotion offer to the gym manager and you don’t know what salary to start negotiations with? Or maybe you have been in this job for some time and are wondering how well you earn compared to national data?
Stay with us in this article and we will tell you what the average gym manager salary is, what the earnings depend on, but also how you can educate yourself to negotiate a raise.
Key Takeaways
- According to the fitness industry materials, an average gym manager salary varies for a gym manager is from $44,652 to $111,349.
- What should be added to a base salary are commissions, tips, bonus money, and profit sharing.
- You can help your gym grow and show yourself as a specialist who introduces improvements, by implementing a gym management system. One of the most recommended options on the market is WodGuru with its reasonable price and many useful features.
- For more information, check out our analysis: how much do gym owners make.
According to the fitness industry statistics, a gym manager average salary is from $44,652 to $111,349.
What Is a Typical Gym Manager Salary?
The typical salary for a gym manager in the United States varies depending on several factors, including location, experience, and the specific gym or fitness center. As of 2024, the average annual salaries for gym managers range between $55,952 and $111,349, with some variations based on the source and specific circumstances.
According to Salary.com, gym managers earn around $93,944, with a typical range between $79,146 and $111,097. This figure includes base salary and potential additional compensation such as bonuses and commissions. PayScale reports a lower average salary at about $44,652 annually, while Gymdesk places the average at approximately $63,295.
These figures illustrate the range and variability depending on the specific role and location. For instance, gym manager salaries in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago tend to be higher, often exceeding $75,000 annually.
Remember that the average salary for a gym manager is $63,295, but we are talking about a base remuneration. Additional compensation amounting to $7,104 includes commissions, tips, bonuses, and profit sharing.
The three highest-paying gyms for gym managers, based on average salary, are:
- Anytime Fitness
- Planet Fitness (read more about Planet Fitness business model)
- Snap Fitness
Who Is Actually a Gym Manager?
Gym managers, who also can be called gym leaders, are people who supervise and improve the entire work of the fitness facility.
When observing and improving day to day operations, they are an invisible but a very important factor.
On the other hand, they are the image of a given company in the eyes of employees and customers.
What Does a Gym Manager Do?
- Developing Programs: gym managers, thanks to insightful observations, are responsible for suggesting to the owner changes to programs or the introduction of completely new products to the offer. Everything with customer satisfaction in mind and thanks to gym reporting and conversations with customers (read more about getting important information thanks to asking proper gym survey questions).
- Marketing and Promoting: a gym manager oversees marketing campaigns, gives suggestions about effective advertising and creating the whole gym’s image (read more about effective fitness ads and memorable gym ads).
- Managing Finances: on the one hand, a gym manager is responsible for gym pricing strategy and controlling the expenses, and on the other hand should make it easy for the members to pay, for example thanks to an IT gym billing system.
- Handling Member Relations: gym members and their satisfaction are one of the most important elements of the gym managers’ efforts. For example via a gym membership software.
- Managing Staff: gym employees must be both controlled and positively motivated by the gym leader. It can be achieved thanks to a gym staff management software.
What Does a Gym Manager’s Salary Depend On?
A gym manager’s salary depends on several factors which can influence the total compensation package:
- location of the gym,
- size of the facility,
- type of the facility,
- manager’s experience,
- manager’s qualifications,
- specific responsibilities,
- performance expectations of the role,
- additional earnings: bonuses, commissions, tips, and profit-sharing.
Here is an overview of the average gym manager salaries in major US cities, based on research carried out by Glassdoor, Payscale, and Salary.com. You will notice that the largest cities generally have higher salaries:
- New York City, New York: $85,000
- Los Angeles, California: $82,000
- Chicago, Illinois: $78,000
- Houston, Texas: $75,000
- Phoenix, Arizona: $72,000
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: $70,000
- San Antonio, Texas: $68,000
- San Diego, California: $65,000
- Dallas, Texas: $62,000
- San Jose, California: $60,000
How to Earn More as a Gym Manager?
To be able to negotiate a higher salary, it is definitely worth improving your qualifications. It is also worth to show your skills outstandingly. Read more about how to write an exquisite gym manager resume.
Additional education, even before it’s completed, significantly improves your image in the eyes of your boss. Enables you to negotiate a better salary too!
- Business and Management: MBA or Postgraduate Diploma in Management for leadership and strategic planning.
- Sports Management: Master’s in Sports Management or Diploma: focus on sports facility management and marketing.
- Health and Fitness: Master’s in Exercise Science/Kinesiology: advanced knowledge in physiology and fitness. Certificate in Personal Training: expertise in training and program design.
- Nutrition and Wellness: Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) or Diploma: nutrition and wellness integration.
- Marketing and CRM: Postgraduate Certificate in Digital Marketing: effective gym marketing. Certificate in CRM: enhancing customer satisfaction and retention.
- Project Management: PMP or Certificate in Project Management: efficient project execution.
- Leadership and HR: Certificate in Leadership: develop leadership and team management skills. Certificate in HR Management: staff recruitment and relations.
- Sales and Revenue Management: Certificate in Sales Management: boosting membership sales. Certificate in Revenue Management: optimizing pricing and profitability.
- Facility and Risk Management: Diploma in Facility Management: equipment and safety management. Certificate in Risk Management: mitigating operational risks.
- Technology and Data Analysis: Certificate in Fitness Technology: leveraging the latest fitness tech. Certificate in Data Analytics: using data to optimize operations.
Secondly, prove that your work is needed and that you are the ideal person for this position, with a hands on approach. For example, offer modern solutions such as gym management software.
Using the example of the WodGuru system, show what opportunities it offers to save time and money thanks to useful functions:
- Varied payment options thanks to gym payment software
- Gym member management system
- Gym CRM module
- Gym integration with a website, mobile app and showing your logo to the members and potential clients
- Gym marketing software to increase membership sales
- Gym POS (point of sale)
- Gym staff management software
FAQ
Yes, gyms need a gym manager to oversee daily operations, ensure safety compliance, manage staff, handle finances, develop programs, and maintain member relations. A gym manager ensures the facility runs smoothly and efficiently.
The average salary of a gym manager is from $63,295 to $79,146. This base salary is often supplemented by additional pay averaging $7,104, which can include commissions, tips, bonuses, and profit-sharing.
You need a strong background in the fitness business, but also some character features that make you a kind but assertive person, with the ability to observe and draw conclusions, as well as cope with stressful situations.
