Top-Earning Careers in Sports and Fitness (2025 forecast)
Want to know the hottest fitness jobs that'll rake in the dough? Check out these lucrative careers in the sports and fitness industry:
Top Earning Fitness Jobs
- Refereeing
- Average Salary: $64,542 per year (US)
- Job Description: Oversee sporting events, ensuring adherence to rules and managing paperwork.
- Qualifications: Varies by sport or league; typically includes experience in officiating and specific certifications.
- Dancing
- Average Salary: $70,319 per year (US)
- Job Description: Perform choreographed dance routines in various styles.
- Qualifications: Formal dance training and professional experience are often required.
- Group Fitness Instructor (with managerial roles)
- Average Salary (as Group Fitness Manager): Up to $55,952 per year
- Job Description: Lead group fitness classes and manage programs or employees.
- Qualifications: Needs certifications in group fitness, experience in managing classes, and potentially leadership or business coursework.
- ACE Certified Personal Trainer (CPT)
- Average Salary: $62,927 per year
- Job Description: Provide personalized fitness training for clients.
- Qualifications: Must obtain ACE CPT certification, have previous experience in personal training, and maintaining training knowledge through continuous education.
- Art Therapist
- Average Salary: $49,531 per year (US)
- Job Description: Use art to assist in mental health treatments and facilitating healing.
- Qualifications: Typically requires a bachelor’s degree in art therapy or psychology, completion of an accredited art therapy program, supervised internships, and passing the Art Therapy Credentials Board exam.
Get Qualified and Land Your Dream Job
Qualifying for these positions often involves a blend of education, certifications, and experience:
- Education and Certifications: Acquiring specific certifications, such as ACE (American Council on Exercise) for personal training, or from professional associations for group fitness instruction, is vital.
- Experience: Gaining experience through internships, volunteering, or starting at entry-level roles is essential.
- Networking: Building connections within the fitness and sports sector can lead to opportunities and further career advancement.
- Continuing Education: Staying updated on the latest techniques and trends through lifelong learning plays a crucial role in mastering your craft and expanding your expertise.
- In the sports and fitness industry, becoming an ACE Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) can offer a salary of around $62,927 per year.
- Group Fitness Instructors, particularly those holding managerial roles, can earn up to $55,952 per year in the health-and-wellness sector.
- Referees in sports often enjoy an average salary of $64,542 per year, but qualifications may vary by sport or league.
- Dancers who perform choreographed dance routines can expect an average salary of $70,319 per year, with formal training and professional experience being key qualifications.
- Art Therapists, who use art to aid mental health treatments, typically earn an average of $49,531 per year, and usually require a bachelor’s degree in art therapy or psychology, among other qualifications.
- To excel in these lucrative careers in fitness and sports, acquiring education and certifications is vital, such as the ACE (American Council on Exercise) certification for personal training or from professional associations for group fitness instruction.
- Building connections within the fitness and sports sector can open new opportunities for career advancement, making networking an important aspect of achieving your goals.
- Gaining experience through internships, volunteering, or entry-level roles is essential to landing your dream job in the sports and fitness industry.
- Staying updated on the latest techniques and trends through continuous education is critical for mastering your craft and expanding your expertise, not just in training and fitness-and-exercise, but also finance and careers, given the business aspects of these fields.
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