Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors Salary
In Raleigh-Cary, NC, exercise trainers and group fitness instructors earn $48,800 at the median, or about $23.46 an hour. The range runs from $25K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.16), that's roughly $49,715 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,750/month, about 51.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K get you in Raleigh-Cary?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Raleigh-Cary’s Regional Price Parity (98.16). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About exercise trainers and group fitness instructors
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Raleigh-Cary
Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors pay in Raleigh-Cary tracks closely to the national median, $49K locally vs. $47K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,750/month, which is 53.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.16) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for exercise trainers and group fitness instructors in metros near Raleigh-Cary, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $49K | $50K |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $49K | $51K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $45K | $48K |
| Wilmington | $46K | $48K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Raleigh-Cary, NC
Entry-level exercise trainers and group fitness instructors (10th percentile) start around $25K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $52K spread from bottom to top.
Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $65K | +37% | 9,200 |
| Connecticut | $62K | +31% | 2,850 |
| New Jersey | $60K | +27% | 11,350 |
| Oregon | $59K | +24% | 4,800 |
| California | $58K | +23% | 43,600 |
| Nevada | $58K | +23% | 3,010 |
| Vermont | $57K | +22% | 710 |
| Washington | $51K | +8% | 9,270 |
| Wyoming | $50K | +7% | 560 |
| Colorado | $50K | +6% | 10,500 |
| Idaho | $50K | +6% | 2,360 |
| New Hampshire | $49K | +5% | 1,500 |
| Hawaii | $48K | +2% | 990 |
| Arizona | $48K | +2% | 7,010 |
| Maryland | $47K | +1% | 8,650 |
| Tennessee | $47K | +0% | 5,080 |
| Georgia | $47K | -0% | 7,500 |
| New York | $47K | -0% | 20,140 |
| Maine | $47K | -0% | 1,140 |
| Illinois | $47K | -1% | 19,830 |
| North Carolina | $46K | -2% | 10,670 |
| Alaska | $46K | -2% | 800 |
| Rhode Island | $46K | -3% | 990 |
| Michigan | $46K | -3% | 6,050 |
| Kentucky | $45K | -4% | 1,990 |
| Pennsylvania | $45K | -4% | 11,580 |
| Utah | $45K | -5% | 6,830 |
| New Mexico | $45K | -5% | 1,030 |
| Oklahoma | $45K | -6% | 2,300 |
| Louisiana | $44K | -6% | 2,290 |
| Delaware | $44K | -6% | 1,210 |
| Wisconsin | $44K | -6% | 6,330 |
| Montana | $44K | -7% | 1,420 |
| South Carolina | $44K | -7% | 5,130 |
| Minnesota | $44K | -8% | 7,010 |
| Arkansas | $42K | -11% | 1,390 |
| Texas | $41K | -13% | 19,260 |
| Virginia | $41K | -13% | 12,100 |
| South Dakota | $40K | -15% | 950 |
| District of Columbia | $39K | -17% | 1,480 |
| Alabama | $39K | -17% | 2,680 |
| Florida | $39K | -18% | 18,070 |
| West Virginia | $38K | -19% | 500 |
| North Dakota | $38K | -20% | 680 |
| Missouri | $36K | -23% | 5,060 |
| Ohio | $36K | -23% | 9,040 |
| Iowa | $36K | -23% | 2,510 |
| Kansas | $36K | -24% | 4,510 |
| Indiana | $35K | -26% | 5,360 |
| Nebraska | $31K | -33% | 2,410 |
| Mississippi | $31K | -35% | 1,260 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track exercise trainers and group fitness instructors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Raleigh-Cary numbers change.
Related careers in Personal Care
Frequently asked questions
Can a exercise trainers and group fitness instructor afford a 2BR apartment alone in Raleigh-Cary?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 53.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,750/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for exercise trainers and group fitness instructors in Raleigh-Cary?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new exercise trainers and group fitness instructors typically earn — is $25K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,491/month. At HUD’s $1,750/month FMR, rent would take 117% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is exercise trainers and group fitness instructor a high-paying job in Raleigh-Cary?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $49K locally vs. $47K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Raleigh-Cary compare to the national average for exercise trainers and group fitness instructors?
Raleigh-Cary pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do exercise trainers and group fitness instructors make in Raleigh-Cary, NC?
The median is $48,800 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $24,850, and experienced exercise trainers and group fitness instructors can clear $76,660. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Raleigh-Cary?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,254/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,750/month, which eats 53.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a exercise trainers and group fitness instructors salary go in Raleigh-Cary?
Raleigh-Cary has a Regional Price Parity of 98.16 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median exercise trainers and group fitness instructors salary is worth about $49,715 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do exercise trainers and group fitness instructors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.