What is a typical gym manager salary?

If you are searching for the term “gym manager salary” then you are clearly thinking about hiring a gym manager in the near future. 

But how much will it cost? 

And is it the right move for your fitness business right now? 

As your gym grows, the wrong move is to keep doing everything by yourself. This will lead you down the path to burnout and cause you to fall out of love with your passion of helping people get fit. So you will need to hire an experienced gym manager at some point in your growth stage. 

So in this article we will crunch the numbers and give an overview of a typical gym manager salary in the US. We will also go a bit deeper into why you may need to hire a gym manager and then lay out the qualities of the kind of person you should hire for this important role. 

Let’s dive in. 

Skip ahead to:

• What’s a typical gym manager salary?
• Do I need a gym manager?
• The qualities you should look for in a gym manager 

What’s a typical gym manager salary?

Gym manager salaries can vary considerably based on location, work responsibilities, skills, and other factors. For example, gym managers in larger cities like New York and Los Angeles can expect to make more money (to match the cost of living for that particular city).

Gym managers in smaller cities can expect to earn a lower salary but will pay less in living expenses. Other factors that can affect gym manager salaries include the size of the facility, the type of clientele, and the number of staff members supervised. 

In general, gym managers with more experience and responsibility can expect to earn higher salaries than those just starting out in their careers.

Comparably

• Country: US
• Range: $10,016 to $169,940
• Median: $23,551
• Average: $25,952

Salary

• Country: US (as of June, 2022)
• Range: $37,004 to $58,159
• Average: $42,687

Glassdoor

• Country: US
• Median: $75,868
• Average: $51,725

Ziprecruiter

• Country: US (as of July 2022)
• Average: $35,768
• Range: $18,500 to $57,000
• Majority range: $26,500 to $40,500

Payscale

• Country: US
• Average: $36,370

Indeed

• Country: US (as of July 2022)
• Average: $47,907

Do I need a gym manager?

As a business owner, you need to wear many hats. You’re the visionary, the leader, the decision maker. But at some point, you have to delegate responsibility and trust others to carry out your vision. That’s where a gym manager comes in. 

A good gym manager will free up your time so you can focus on other aspects of running your business while still maintaining control over the big picture. But how do you know if you really need a gym manager? Here are some factors to consider:

Number of members you have If your gym is growing and you’re starting to feel stretched thin, it might be time to bring on a manager to help with operations and customer service.

Your plans for growth: If you’re thinking about opening another location or expanding your current facility, you’re going to need to make sure you offload as many day-to-day responsibilities as you can. 

The type of business you want to run: If you want to be more hands-off and focus on the strategic side of things, a general manager might be a good fit. Or if you need someone to oversee specific areas like sales or marketing, you might want to hire a specialist.

Your budget: Hiring a gym manager is an investment. So you’ll need to make sure you have the finances in place to support it.

Culture fit: A good gym manager should be a good fit with the culture and values of your business. They

should also be able to motivate and inspire your team to reach their full potential.

These are just a few factors to consider when deciding if you need a gym manager right this moment or if you want to hold off on hiring a manager for a little while longer 

The qualities you should look for in a gym manager 

Between training clients, instructing classes, assisting members, and administrative duties, the day to day tasks of a gym manager can vary greatly. 

In the long run, you’ll want to find someone that is well-rounded in the fitness realm, and who can push a company forward in the right direction. Check out some of the qualities that one should look for in a fitness manager role.

Reliable communicator: From listening and responding appropriately to members feedback to the daily interactions between team members, finding a gym manager that knows how to interact and communicate with everyone is vital. 

Problem solver: This isn’t to say that there will be a problem every day to solve. However, you want a gym manager that isn’t afraid to brainstorm solutions to issues that may arise, as well as planning out ways to market effectively to keep the ship moving forward.

Money saver: We all know that bringing in money is what keeps the lights on and things moving inside a fitness center; without members, programs, and profit, things would sink…and quickly. 

Creative thinker: Hiring a gym manager that knows how to solve problems and is creative with coming up with solutions to everyday facility issues can help with growth. Is the person you just interviewed to work the fitness floor going to jive with the other employees? Being aware of (and being able to solve) these kinds of matters is vital for a gym manager!

Educator: A gym manager is the leader of an entire fitness facility; if you compose a team of employees and co-workers that are stagnant in their knowledge, the business won’t progress effectively. Keeping the team up-to-date with the latest in CEC’s, encouraging workshop attendance, coordinating educational team building events, and building and composing programs off of scientific information will keep the team on top of the ever-changing health and wellness knowledge, and will empower employees to give clients and members their best!

Caretaker:Finding a manager who is humble, caring, trustworthy, and reliable can all fall under the quality of caretaker – and fittingly so since each of those traits is necessary to have a flourishing fitness center and a remarkable team of employees.

In summary

Finding the right gym manager for your fitness center can be tough. You are trusting this person with a lot of responsibility so it needs to be the right person. 

Having the right budget for this key hire is important also. The fitness industry is competitive and there will be lots of rival gyms in your area on the hunt for top talent and willing to pay for it also. 

Your job as an owner is to assess who is the right person to invest in and when – this will be an important step in the journey of growing your gym.