Fitness Instructors

ANZSCO ID 4521

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
30,600
Future Growth
9.8%
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
23%
Female Share
60%
Average age
35

Summary

Fitness Instructors direct, instruct and guide individuals and groups in the pursuit of physical fitness and wellbeing.

Specialisations: Aerobics Instructor, Gym Instructor, Physical Fitness Trainer.

A certificate III or IV in fitness is usually needed to work as a Fitness Instructor.

Tasks

  • consulting with various Health Professionals to develop and design fitness programs

  • designing individual fitness programs based on assessment of the client's age, level of fitness, goals and abilities

  • delivering group exercise classes and personal tuition in a variety of fitness activities in a safe and creative manner

  • demonstrating and teaching body movements and skills used in fitness routines

  • setting up and monitoring fitness equipment and ensuring that equipment is safe, clean and in working condition

  • teaching and advising on the use of fitness equipment

  • ensuring clients are aware of and adhere to safety and injury prevention procedures

  • reporting accidents and preparing accident reports

  • maintaining a working knowledge of current health and safety standards and ensuring working practices and procedures conform to current legislation

  • maintaining current first aid certificates

Characteristics

Job Type
Community And Personal Service Workers
Skill Level
Lower skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
Below average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Enterprising
  • Helping
Physical Demand
  • Light
  • Medium
  • Heavy

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:

  • is expected to grow strongly
  • is likely to reach 39,800 by 2026.
  • Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

    Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

    Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
9.8%
(or 3,600 jobs)
From
36,300
in 2021
To
39,800
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 23,500
2012 25,300
2013 24,500
2014 25,900
2015 29,800
2016 29,700
2017 34,100
2018 33,600
2019 36,700
2020 24,500
2021 36,300
2026 39,800

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 29% of people employed as Fitness Instructors work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 37 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 45 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Other Services
49.4%
2
Arts and Recreation Services
29.7%
3
Education and Training
19.4%
4
Health Care and Social Assistance
1.3%
5
Other industries
0.3%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

32.1% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

27.6% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

19.8% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

6.1% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

10.6% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.4% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.4% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

2.0% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Fitness Instructors All Jobs Average
NSW 32.1 31.6
VIC 27.6 25.6
QLD 19.8 20.0
SA 6.1 7.0
WA 10.6 10.8
TAS 1.4 2.0
NT 0.4 1.0
ACT 2.0 1.9



Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
35
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
60%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Fitness Instructors is 35 years. This is younger than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 60% of the workforce. This is 12 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Fitness Instructors All Jobs Average
15-19 3.0 5.0
20-24 14.7 9.3
25-34 31.8 22.9
35-44 25.0 22.0
45-54 16.0 21.6
55-59 4.4 9.0
60-64 2.6 6.0
65 and Over 2.4 4.2
Median Age 35 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A certificate III or IV in fitness is usually needed to work as a Fitness Instructor.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Sport, Fitness and Recreation VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Fitness Instructors All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 5.7 10.1
Bachelor degree 24.1 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 20.3 11.6
Certificate III/IV 34.4 21.1
Year 12 11.2 18.1
Year 11 1.6 4.8
Year 10 and below 2.8 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Fitness Instructors with good people skills, who are reliable and have an enthusiastic and positive attitude.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 52%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 50%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 50%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 48%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 48%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 48%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 46%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 43%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 43%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 43%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 43%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 41%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 41%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 41%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 39%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 39%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 37%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 37%

    Operations analysis

    Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.

  • 37%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 23%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 62%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 62%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 59%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 55%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 41%

    Sociology and anthropology

    Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • 40%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 40%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 38%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 36%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 34%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 34%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 33%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 32%

    Medicine and dentistry

    Diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.

  • 31%

    Therapy and counselling

    Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.

  • 30%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 28%

    Philosophy and theology

    Philosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.

  • 22%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 21%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 21%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 10%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 61%

    Trunk strength

    Use your abdominal and lower back muscles a number of times without 'giving out' or fatiguing.

  • 61%

    Dynamic strength

    Exercise for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

  • 59%

    Whole body coordination

    Move your arms, legs, and body together.

  • 57%

    Extent flexibility

    Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs.

  • 57%

    Stamina

    Exercise for a long time without getting winded or out of breath.

  • 54%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 52%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 52%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 50%

    Static strength

    Lift, push, pull, or carry things.

  • 46%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • 45%

    Dynamic flexibility

    Bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs, quickly a number of times.

  • 45%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 45%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 43%

    Balance

    Keep your balance or stay upright.

  • 43%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 43%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 41%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 41%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 41%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 41%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 74%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 72%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 67%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 65%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 61%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 58%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 57%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 55%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 54%

    Coaching and developing others

    Working out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.

  • 52%

    Helping and caring for others

    Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.

  • 48%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 44%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 42%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 41%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 39%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 39%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 32%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 32%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 31%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 28%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 76%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 62%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 43%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 24%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 19%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 86%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 62%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 62%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 52%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 48%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 48%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 94%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 91%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 90%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 90%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 90%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 87%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 86%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 82%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 72%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 69%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 69%

    Walking and running

    Spend time walking and running.

  • 68%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 68%

    Bending or twisting your body

    Spend time bending or twisting your body.

  • 67%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 66%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 65%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 65%

    Public speaking

    Talk to a group of people.

  • 62%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 61%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 61%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 39-9031.00 - Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors.


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