Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors Salary in New York
Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors in New York earned a median of $47,090 a year ($22.64 an hour) and a mean of $60,770 in May 2025. The median is about level with the U.S. median of $47,160, ranking 18th of 52 states and territories, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Median annual
- $47,090
- Median hourly
- $22.64
- Mean annual
- $60,770
- Jobs on record
- 20,140
Grey needle: U.S. median, $47,160 a year.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Confirm any figure on bls.gov/oes. Latest BLS release: May 2025, published May 15, 2026; checked November 10, 2026.
How does New York compare on pay for exercise trainers and group fitness instructors?
New York ranks 18th of 52 states and territories. Massachusetts is highest at $64,620, $17,530 more than the New York median.
| State | Rank | Median | Against U.S. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 16 | $47,380 | +0% | 5,080 |
| Georgia | 17 | $47,150 | -0% | 7,500 |
| New York | 18 | $47,090 | -0% | 20,140 |
| Maine | 19 | $47,060 | -0% | 1,140 |
| Illinois | 20 | $46,800 | -1% | 19,830 |
Source: BLS OEWS state file, May 2025. Rank 1 is the highest median among 52 states and territories with a published figure. See every state.
Does New York pay go further after prices?
Prices in New York run 7.9% above the U.S. average, so the $47,090 median buys about what $43,634 buys at average U.S. prices, below the $47,160 U.S. median. On this measure New York ranks 38th of 51, down from 18th before the adjustment.
Source: BLS OEWS state file, May 2025; BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024. The adjustment divides pay by the state's price level.
Which areas in New York pay exercise trainers and group fitness instructors the most?
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY is highest at $53,630, 13.9% above the New York median.
| Area | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $53,630 | 560 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $53,580 | 22,970 |
| Capital/Northern New York nonmetropolitan area | $50,750 | 140 |
| Rochester, NY | $49,330 | 1,160 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $47,920 | 830 |
| Kingston, NY | $47,840 | 100 |
| Ithaca, NY | $47,670 | 150 |
| Binghamton, NY | $46,910 | 150 |
| Syracuse, NY | $45,200 | 510 |
| Elmira, NY | $42,240 | 60 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $40,830 | 730 |
| Glens Falls, NY | $38,390 | 60 |
| Central East New York nonmetropolitan area | $36,300 | 230 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | $35,840 | 170 |
| Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area | $33,810 | 240 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | $33,340 |
Source: BLS OEWS metropolitan and nonmetropolitan area file, May 2025. Every area BLS lists for this job in New York is shown; an area that crosses state lines is listed under the first state in its BLS title.
How many exercise trainers and group fitness instructors work in New York?
BLS counts 20,140 jobs in New York, 6.2% of the 322,930 in the U.S. That is the 2nd largest count among the 52 states and territories with a published figure. That is 2.1 of every 1,000 jobs in New York, a location quotient of 1.00: the occupation's share of local jobs is 1.00 times its national share, so it is about as concentrated here as in the U.S. as a whole.
Source: BLS OEWS state file, May 2025 and national file.
How does the New York minimum wage compare with pay for exercise trainers and group fitness instructors?
The 10th-percentile hourly pay for exercise trainers and group fitness instructors in New York was $16.49 in May 2025. The minimum wage there now is $17.00 an hour in New York City, Nassau County, Suffolk County and Westchester County and $16.00 in the rest of the state. The pay figure dates from May 2025 and the minimum wage is the current rate, so the two are not from the same date. $17.00 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester; $16.00 elsewhere. Effective rate shown is the lower upstate rate.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, State Minimum Wage Laws, updated 2026-11-05; BLS OEWS state file, May 2025, 10th-percentile hourly wage.
Related jobs in New York
Related occupations from O*NET; pay from BLS OEWS state file, May 2025.