Career Explorer Personal care
Human edge, growing
Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors
Instruct or coach groups or individuals in exercise activities for the primary purpose of personal fitness. Demonstrate techniques and form, observe participants, and explain to them corrective measures necessary to improve their skills. Develop and implement individualized approaches to exercise.
Among the most resilient careers: more resilient than 99% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is low (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it moderate), and US jobs are projected to change by +7.3% by 2035, faster than average. The work leans on emotional intelligence and creative vision.
AI struggles with much of this work, and US employers are expected to hire more people into it than average.
- Median pay (2025)
- $47,160
- Job growth to 2035
- +7.3%
- Openings a year
- 68,000
- People doing it (2025)
- 388,000
- Usual route in
- High school diploma, then short on-the-job training
Where people already use AI for this work
- Explain regulations, policies, or procedures
- Maintain safety or security
- Maintain facilities or equipment
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Train others on health or medical topics
- Develop educational programs, plans, or procedures
- Evaluate personnel capabilities or performance
What the work looks like
- Observe participants and inform them of corrective measures necessary for skill improvement.
- Offer alternatives during classes to accommodate different levels of fitness.
- Monitor participants' progress and adapt programs as needed.
- Plan routines, choose appropriate music, and choose different movements for each set of muscles, depending on participants' capabilities and limitations.
- Evaluate individuals' abilities, needs, and physical conditions, and develop suitable training programs to meet any special requirements.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
What the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects
- More of these jobs, as growing interest in healthier lifestyles, including exercise and fitness, among all segments of the adult population results in demand for more trainers and instructors to workout with individuals and groups.
- More of these jobs, as enrollment numbers continue to grow within sports and recreation instruction establishments.
Also known as: Aerobics Instructor, Fitness Instructor, Group Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer, Fitness Specialist, Fitness Trainer, Group Exercise Instructor, Private Trainer.
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.