The short answer: most gym owners in the US make between $50,000 and $86,000 per year.
But that range hides a massive gap. Some barely clear $30,000, while top earners take home $200,000 or more.
What makes the difference? Gym type, location, business model, and how long you've been at it.
This article breaks down real salary data from multiple sources, compares income by gym type, and maps out what it takes to hit six figures.
Average Gym Owner Salary: What the Data Actually Says
One of the frustrating things about researching gym owner income is that every source gives you a different number.
Here's why—and what the data actually looks like when you compare across sources:
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024) puts the median salary for entertainment and recreation managers—the category that includes gym owners and fitness center directors—at $77,180 per year. The bottom 10% earn under $45,320. The top 10% earn over $134,680.
- ZipRecruiter (2025) reports an average gym owner salary of $86,197 per year, with a typical range of $26,500 (25th percentile) to $125,000 (75th percentile). Top earners (90th percentile) hit $242,000 annually.
- Exercise.com (2025) cites a higher average of $108,643 per year ($52/hour), though this likely skews toward more established operations.
- PayScale (2025) reports fitness center managers averaging $47,499—but this reflects employed managers, not owners. That explains the lower number.
Why the spread? These sources define "gym owner" differently.
BLS groups gym owners with recreation center managers. ZipRecruiter uses self-reported data. Exercise.com surveys its own user base, which skews toward tech-savvy, systems-oriented owners.
None of them are wrong. They're measuring different slices of the same industry.
The realistic picture for most gym owners: You're looking at $4,000–$7,000 per month in take-home pay once your gym is established.
New owners often earn less—sometimes nothing—during the first year or two. Owners who've been at it for five or more years with strong retention and efficient operations can push well above $10,000/month.
How Much Do Gym Owners Make by Gym Type?
This is where the averages start telling you something useful. A CrossFit box owner and a boutique fitness studio owner live in very different financial realities.
CrossFit box owners
The BarBend 2024 State of the Industry report surveyed 8,800 CrossFit gym owners and found a median owner benefit of $4,000/month ($48,000/year).
The mean came in higher at $7,291/month ($87,492/year)—a smaller number of high earners pull that average up.
More than half of CrossFit box owners take home $4,000/month or less. Average box revenue runs $300,000–$450,000 per year, with about 88% coming from group class membership fees.
If you're thinking about opening a CrossFit affiliate, those numbers should shape your financial planning. For more on instructor pay, see our breakdowns of CrossFit trainer salaries and yoga instructor pay.
Yoga studio owners
Most steady yoga studios bring in $50,000–$70,000/year in owner income, with average monthly revenue slightly above $13,000.
Margins run lower (7–15%) compared to other gym types because of lower per-class pricing and the overhead of dedicated studio space.
The exception? Boutique yoga studios in major metro areas. Top operators in New York, LA, and San Francisco can earn $200,000–$400,000+ through premium pricing and strong brand reputation.
Martial arts school owners
Martial arts school owners earn anywhere from $30,000 to $100,000+, depending on school size, location, and style.
Schools teaching popular styles (taekwondo, karate, BJJ) in well-populated areas regularly exceed $100K once established.
Martial arts schools also benefit from income sources that other gym types don't always have—belt testing fees, tournament hosting, seminars, and equipment sales.
Boutique fitness studio owners
Boutique studios have the highest earning potential in the gym industry.
Financial projections show owners reaching $150,000–$250,000 in annual discretionary income by Year 3, with the industry's best profit margins (20–40%).
The trade-off? Higher startup costs (around $330,000 on average) and a business model that demands premium positioning, strong branding, and consistently high class occupancy.
When it works, the payback period can be as short as 14 months.
Personal training studio owners
PT studios carry the highest margins in the industry at 30–50%, thanks to premium pricing and low overhead.
But income is often tied to the owner's personal training hours, making it harder to grow without hiring.
Growing a PT studio usually means building a team, shifting to semi-private training, or adding group programming—basically, separating your revenue from your personal schedule. Pilates instructors and gymnastics coaches face similar dynamics.
Are Gyms Profitable? Understanding Profit Margins
Yes—but "profitable" covers a wide spectrum. Is owning a gym profitable? It depends entirely on your model.
A gym running 10% margins on $200K revenue pays the owner $20K. A gym running 30% on $400K pays $120K. Same industry, completely different outcomes.
The industry average sits around 10–15%, but that's dragged down by large-format gyms competing on price. Smaller, premium-positioned gyms consistently do better on margin.
Where the money goes
Before you can figure out your take-home, you need to know what eats into your revenue:
- Rent: 15–25% of revenue (often the single biggest expense)
- Payroll: 30–40% of revenue (instructors, front desk, cleaning)
- Equipment and maintenance: 5–10%
- Insurance: Significant for contact sports and high-intensity activities
- Marketing: 5–10% for growing gyms
- Software and operations: 2–5%
Whatever's left after these expenses is your profit. Owners who keep overhead tight—especially rent and payroll—give themselves room to earn more.
This is where gym management software earns its keep.
Automating billing, scheduling, and member communication cuts admin time and plugs revenue leaks from failed payments and missed follow-ups.
How Long Until a Gym Becomes Profitable?
If you're planning to open a gym, this is probably your most pressing question.
- Operational break-even (monthly revenue covers monthly expenses): 6–18 months for most gyms. Some get there in six months with aggressive pre-sale strategies. Others take 18 months without a strong pre-sale pipeline.
- Full investment payback (you've recouped your startup costs): 4–8 years for most models, though boutique studios with strong margins can get there faster.
- Lender expectations: If you're financing your gym, most banks want to see positive cash flow within 12–24 months.
What accelerates the timeline
Here are the biggest factors that speed up your path to profitability:
- Pre-selling memberships before opening. This is the single biggest factor. Gyms that open with 50–100 pre-sold members hit break-even much faster.
- High-traffic location. More foot traffic means more organic awareness and walk-ins.
- Disciplined cost management. In Year 1 especially, every unnecessary expense delays profitability.
- Strong retention from Day 1. It costs 5–7x more to bring in a new member than to keep an existing one. Retention strategies are revenue strategies.
Can You Make Six Figures Owning a Gym?
Yes. Not guaranteed, and not easy—but the data says it's doable.
Two-Brain Business, which mentors gym owners, reports that their members reach $100,000/year in owner income with about 150 members.
The average timeline: roughly two years with structured guidance. Some get there in under a year, though that's the exception.
Here's what six-figure gym owners tend to have in common:
- Premium pricing. They charge what their service is worth instead of racing to undercut competitors.
- Strong retention. Members who stay two or three years are worth far more than those who leave after three months. Loyalty programs and consistent member experience matter.
- Organized systems. They're not personally handling every billing question, class booking, and membership freeze. Software handles the repetitive work so the owner can focus on growth.
- Multiple income sources. Beyond memberships—private lessons, workshops, retail, nutrition coaching, additional income. Every extra line of income reduces dependence on membership count alone.
- They treat it like a business. They track revenue per member, monitor margins monthly, and make data-driven decisions rather than guess.
The owners who struggle to reach six figures usually have one thing in common: they spend all their time working in the gym instead of on the business.
Teaching every class, answering every email, handling every billing issue. When your operations run on systems instead of your personal effort, you free up time to actually grow.
What Factors Determine a Gym Owner's Salary?
The $30,000-to-$242,000 range isn't random. Here are the variables that land you somewhere on that spectrum.
Location
Geography creates dramatic income differences. BLS data shows gym owners in New York earning $96,610/year, while those in South Dakota average $49,960.
But raw salary numbers can mislead. Higher-earning states also come with higher rents, larger payrolls, and steeper living costs.
What matters more than your state: your specific local market, competition density, and the demographics of your neighborhood. A gym in an affluent suburb with no nearby competitors will outperform one in a crowded urban market, regardless of state averages.
Gym size and membership count
More members generally means more revenue, but the relationship isn't linear.
Costs grow too—more members means more instructors, bigger space, more equipment wear, and more admin work.
The sweet spot differs by model. A CrossFit box might be most profitable at 150–200 members. A boutique studio might peak at 80–120. A traditional gym might need 500+ to hit target margins.
Business model and pricing
This might be the single biggest factor.
Two gyms in the same city with the same number of members can have completely different owner incomes, depending on pricing.
- Low-price/high-volume ($30–$50/month): Needs hundreds or thousands of members to generate meaningful owner income. Thin margins, high infrastructure costs.
- Premium/boutique ($150–$300/month): Fewer members needed, higher margins, more personal service. Demands consistent quality and strong brand reputation.
- Hybrid models add revenue through personal training, workshops, retail, or nutrition services on top of base membership—and these extra services often carry the highest margins.
Years in operation
Gym ownership income follows a J-curve.
Year 1 is often negative or minimal. Years 2–3 are when most gyms stabilize. Years 3–5 are when owner income settles into a sustainable range.
Gyms that survive past Year 5 with strong fundamentals often see returns accelerate. Your brand, reputation, and referral engine compound over time.
Owner involvement and efficiency
A gym owner who teaches 20 classes per week, handles all billing, and answers every member inquiry might gross $80K—but work 60 hours to earn it. That's about $25/hour.
Another owner who's built systems, hired well, and handed off operations might gross the same $80K working 25 hours a week. That's $60/hour.
Same income, completely different quality of life.
The highest-earning gym owners aren't always the ones with the most revenue. They're the ones who've built something that generates income without requiring their constant presence.
Gym Owner Salary by State (2024 Data)
Where you operate affects what you earn. Here's how gym owner and fitness facility manager pay breaks down across the US, based on BLS 2024 data.
Keep in mind: Higher-salary states come with higher costs of living, rent, and payroll expenses. A gym owner earning $96K in New York might have comparable take-home to one earning $65K in a lower-cost state.
Think about net income relative to local costs, not just the top-line number. For the full 50-state breakdown, the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics has the most current data.
How to Increase Your Income as a Gym Owner
If you're already running a gym and want to move up the income ladder, here are the highest-impact moves—roughly in order of effort vs return.
1. Raise your prices
If you haven't raised prices in two or more years, you're effectively giving yourself a pay cut every year.
A $10/month increase across 150 members adds $18,000/year in revenue—and most gyms lose fewer members than they expect from reasonable increases.
2. Keep more of your members
Every member who stays an extra six months is revenue you didn't have to spend marketing dollars to replace.
Watch attendance patterns—members whose visits drop off are at risk of canceling.
A simple check-in call or text can save a membership worth $1,200–$3,000/year. Gym management tools that track attendance automatically make it easy to catch these patterns before members disappear.
3. Add income beyond memberships
Private lessons, workshops, retail, nutrition coaching, corporate wellness partnerships.
These extra services often carry higher margins than base memberships and boost your per-member revenue without requiring more members.
See our guide on alternative income ideas for options that work across gym types.
4. Cut operational waste
Audit your expenses quarterly. Are you paying for services you don't use? Can you renegotiate your lease? Is your staffing schedule aligned with actual class attendance?
Small savings add up. Cutting $500/month in waste puts $6,000/year back in your pocket.
5. Track your numbers
You can't improve what you don't measure. At a minimum, know your revenue per member, monthly operating costs, member lifetime value, and profit margin. Owners who track these numbers make better decisions—and better decisions add up over time.
Solid gym marketing can also bring in more members, but retention and operational efficiency usually deliver faster returns than new-member acquisition alone.
The Bottom Line on Gym Owner Income
Gym ownership isn't a get-rich-quick path.
Most owners earn $50,000–$86,000 per year, and the first year or two can be lean. But the ceiling is real. Owners who pick the right model, price with confidence, keep their members, and run tight operations regularly break six figures.
The biggest difference between owners who stay stuck at $40K and those who reach $150K+ isn't luck or location.
It's whether they've built a business that runs on systems or one that runs on their personal effort. The ones who invest in automation, tracking, and team-building free themselves up to focus on the decisions that actually move the needle.
If you're early in your gym ownership journey, focus on retention and operational efficiency before chasing more members.
If you've been at it for a while and your income has plateaued, look at your pricing, your systems, and where your time actually goes each week. The answers are usually there.
Part of staying in the black is knowing where your money is best spent to increase your return on investment. The best software pays for itself in the time and value you get out of it. Gymdesk more than pays for itself, but you can try it free for 30 days to be certain.
