Inside the Salary Negotiations Happening Across Fitness & Wellness

A major part of my role as a recruiter is navigating salary expectations between candidates and employers across the fitness and wellness industry.

I sit in the middle of these conversations every day.

Between experienced candidates wanting more flexibility, better pay, and stronger lifestyle alignment.

And business owners trying to balance rising labour costs, commercial realities, retention pressures, and sustainable growth.

What’s becoming increasingly clear is that there’s a growing gap forming between salary expectations and the actual economics of many fitness businesses.

Not because either side is necessarily wrong.

But because the compensation model this industry was built on is changing.

For years, many businesses approached pay with a very simple structure: Base salary + maybe a bonus + hope the person stays.

That model is becoming increasingly ineffective.

Why?

Because the modern workforce values different things. And because operators are under more financial pressure than ever before.

Margins are tighter. Labour costs are rising. Member expectations are higher. Retention matters more. And top talent now compares opportunities very differently.

The industry is slowly moving from: “Paying people to do a job” to “Structuring opportunities people want to build a future inside.”

That’s a major difference.

The Old Model

Historically, compensation in fitness looked something like this:

PTs:

Rent Commission split Session percentage

Sales:

Low base Aggressive commissions High-pressure environments

Club, Area, & Regional Managers:

Fixed salary KPI bonus Long hours treated as normal

Executive Roles:

Salary only Maybe annual bonus Long hours treated as normal

The issue?

Most of these structures rewarded short-term activity rather than long-term business building.

The result:

Burnout High turnover Short tenure Transactional cultures Constant rehiring Poor leadership pipelines

The New Model

Successful operators understand compensation is no longer just about money.

It’s about:

Lifestyle Growth Identity Flexibility Ownership Meaning Future opportunity

The best salary structures today feel more like partnership models than employment models.

Personal Trainers

Old Way:

High rent Eat what you kill Little support No leads High churn

New Way:

The strongest operators are now packaging:

Lead generation support Content/media support Education & mentoring Career pathways Team integration Flexible hybrid models Online coaching opportunities Lower-risk entry structures

Because younger PTs increasingly value sustainability over pure grind culture.

The old “work split shifts forever and hustle harder” model is losing appeal.

The highest-performing PT environments today are the ones creating:

Community Retention Visibility Business infrastructure Brand leverage

Not just floor space.

Sales Managers & Membership Leaders

Low base High pressure Commission-only mentality Call volume obsession

Smarter businesses now package:

Stronger base salaries Team-based incentives Retention bonuses Member experience metrics Flexible scheduling Leadership development Revenue-share style structures

Because acquisition alone is no longer enough.

A Sales Manager who:

Builds culture Retains staff Improves member experience Increases retention Drives referrals Reduces cancellations

…is exponentially more valuable than someone who simply pushes aggressive short-term sales.

Club Managers

This role has probably changed the most.

“Run the club” Long hours Fixed salary Expected availability 24/7

The smarter operators are now offering:

Clear bonus pathways Multi-site progression Leadership mentoring Operational autonomy Profit-share models Education budgets Wellness/recovery support Flexible roster structures Additional leave incentives Personal brand growth opportunities

Because elite operators no longer want to feel like overworked caretakers.

They want: Ownership. Influence. Growth. Recognition.

And importantly: A future.

Area & Regional Managers

Bigger title Slightly bigger salary Massive workload increase

The stronger groups are beginning to package:

Structured career pathways to executive leadership Equity discussions Long-term incentives Performance-based profit share Travel flexibility Autonomy across regions Executive coaching Exposure to acquisitions and growth strategy

Because the best regional leaders are difficult to replace.

And increasingly, they are being recruited from outside fitness altogether: Hospitality, Retail, Luxury service, Hotels, Airlines, Consumer brands.

Fitness is no longer competing only against other gyms for leadership talent.

It’s competing against every premium service industry.

Executive Leadership

This is where an evolution is happening.

Large salary Big workload Endless pressure Limited upside

New Way: The strongest businesses now understand executive retention requires:

Equity Profit participation Long-term wealth creation Lifestyle flexibility Strategic influence Personal alignment with the brand vision

Because elite executives are no longer only evaluating compensation.

They are evaluating:

Founder quality Vision Scalability Culture Leadership team Operational maturity Stress-to-reward ratio

The biggest mistake operators still make?

Trying to attract premium talent with average structures.

You cannot expect:

Leadership Stability Innovation Commercial intelligence Long-term commitment

…while packaging the role like a replaceable operational position.

The future will belong to businesses building the most intelligent ecosystems for ambitious people to grow inside.