Per-session pay up to $100/session, a clear ladder to $140K+, real W-2 benefits, a stake in the upside if we ever sell, and zero sales pressure. We close every consultation. Marketing brings the leads. Trainers train.
We're hiring an evening personal trainer at our Orange studio to meet growing demand. The role runs primarily 2-3:1 semi-private with the option to run 4:1 and 5:1 as you advance through the tier system.
Bring your book — we welcome it. If you have existing clients, we'll work with you on integrating them into our studio system. Faster ramp for you, faster fit-up for our schedule.
Head-to-head against the highest-paying gyms in the country and going independent.
| Train With Dave | Equinox | Life Time | Independent (avg) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg pay / trainer | ~$72K | ~$62K | ~$66K | ~$43K* |
| Top-tier potential | $140K+ | ~$78K | ~$70K | ~$70K* |
| Benefits (401k + medical) | ✓ 2.5% match | ~1.5% match | ✗ no match | ✗ none |
| We bring the clients | ✓ yes | ✗ you hustle | ✗ you hustle | ✗ all you |
| Sales & quotas | None | Required | Required | You're the sales |
| Schedule | Blocked | Split shifts | Split shifts | You manage it |
| Stake if we ever sell | ✓ Legacy | ✗ | ✗ | — |
* Independent pay shown net of business expenses — after the 20–40% of revenue lost to insurance, space, equipment, and marketing (gross ~$61K avg / ~$100K top). And still: no benefits, no leads provided, and all the risk on you. Pay-claim basis: see disclaimer below.
Nearly all our trainers are W-2 with actual benefits they qualify for — including a 2.5% 401(k) match (higher than Equinox's) and a 50/50 medical split. Most big-box and boutique trainers are commission or 1099 and never see the plan they're "offered." It's a big reason our total comp beats every company on the list. And because none of your week goes to unpaid floor time, selling, or split shifts, every hour you're on the clock is a paid coaching hour — your realized pay-per-hour is higher than even the headline gap suggests.
We do it because we don't know how a trainer does with our clients until we've watched you coach. So we onboard you, feed clients into your schedule gradually, and watch the results. Our retention rate is the highest in the industry — we protect it by ramping new trainers deliberately, not handing out a full book on day one.
What this means for you:
If you need a guaranteed full schedule on day one, this is not the right fit. If you want a real career path with $100K+ realistic in 18-24 months and $140K+ at the top, this is exactly what you're looking for.
After five years, our trainers join the Legacy Program and begin accruing a stake in the company's future value — one that would pay out from the net proceeds only if we ever decide to sell. We have no plans to; it simply means that if that day ever comes, the coaches who helped build the business share in the upside. It's the kind of upside usually reserved for owners.
No big-box gym gives a W-2 trainer a stake in the company. We do. It's why our best people stay — and why "trainer" here is a career, not a stop on the way to something else.
Send your resume and a few sentences on why you want this job to Mike. We read every application and respond within 5 business days.
mike@trainwithdaveoc.comTrain With Dave is an equal opportunity employer.
* "Highest-paying personal training company in the world" is based on average total trainer compensation — per-session pay, employer-paid benefits, and tenure equity — measured as total trainer payroll divided by every trainer on the books, and compared against the most recent publicly available salary data (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Glassdoor, SalaryExpert/ERI, PayScale, and national salary surveys) across the United States and major international fitness markets, current as of June 2026. "Company" refers to trainers compensated by an employer; self-employed trainers and independent contractors operating their own businesses are excluded, as they are not paid by a company. Individual pay varies by role, location, tenure, and schedule. If you can identify a personal training company that pays its employed trainers more, email mike@trainwithdaveoc.com and we will review the evidence and correct or remove this claim as warranted.