Certified Personal Trainer

Most trainers are told "build your own clientele" and left to figure it out. We do the opposite.

The Fit Lab is a small, private, results-driven training studio in San Diego. Our clients don't come to us to "get a workout in." They come because they want a real transformation, and they stay because we deliver it.

We're hiring a full-time trainer who wants to build a career, not fill a few open hours, and we're willing to invest in them like it.

This is not a gig. It's a path: Trainer → Lead Trainer → Studio Leader → learn to run (and potentially own) a gym.

Who You'll Learn From

The Fit Lab was built by a 2008 Canoe Olympian who became a trainer, then a gym owner. For 11 years we've helped San Diego clients get real, lasting results, and now we have plans for expansion. That means we aren't hiring to fill a shift. We're hiring the people who will help build the next chapter, and who will be trained to lead it.

You'll be coached by someone who has competed at the highest level, has coached thousands of sessions, and has built and run a successful gym. You'll learn how great training works and how a great gym works.

What Makes This Role Different

• A full, stable schedule. Your clients are already here. No chasing leads, no empty hours, no hustling for pay.
• Above-average pay. $4000 - $6000 base, paid bi-weekly, with bonus/commission on top when you perform.
• A real onboarding program. Your first 90 days are structured: shadowing, our coaching system, feedback, and a mentor.
• A team that has your back. Small team, no ego, shared wins. You will never be thrown on the floor alone.
• A growing studio with room to move up. After 11 years we're expanding, so leadership roles are real and they're coming.
• We teach you the business. Interested in owning a gym someday? You'll learn it directly from an Olympian-turned-owner who has done it: client retention, sales conversations, programming, operations, and leadership.
• Clients who show up and want results. Motivated, committed people with real goals.
• Benefits: Paid time off. Professional Development and CEC Reimbursement

What You'll Do

• Lead 1-on-1 and small-group training sessions using The Fit Lab method
• Build client programs and track progress, so people see and feel their transformation
• Run initial consultations and help new clients start strong
• Keep clients motivated, accountable, and coming back
• Contribute to the culture: show up for your team, your clients, and the studio
• Grow into new responsibilities as you prove yourself

Who You Are

You're the trainer who lights up the room. You love this work, and it shows. You're outgoing, warm, and confident, and clients feel it in the first five minutes.

Every tier has:

• A current CPT certification (NASM, ACE, NSCA, ISSA, or equivalent) and CPR/AED, or the ability to get CPR/AED before your start date
• Real passion for helping people change their bodies and lives
• Strong communication skills. You coach, motivate, and build trust.
• A desire for a full-time career in fitness**,** not a side job or a stopover
• A team-first mindset and a coachable attitude
• Curiosity about the business side of fitness, and ambition to grow into leadership or ownership

We're hiring across three tiers. Tell us which one fits you:

Tier 1 – Trainer (1+ year of coaching experience)

• You coach confidently and have trained real clients, but you want a system and a mentor to sharpen you
• You'll go through our full 90-day onboarding
• Pay:$4k - $5k (monthly base + bonus and incentives)

Tier 2 – Lead Trainer (3+ years of coaching experience)

• You're ready to run a full schedule with little hand-holding and have a track record of client results and retention
• You'll run consultations and help onboard new trainers
• Pay: $5k -$7k (monthly base + bonus and incentives)

Tier 3 – Head Trainer/Operator (5+ years of coaching experience, plus management and high-ticket sales experience)

• You've coached at a high level and want to lead. You've managed people, a team, a program, or a department, and you're ready to do it here
• You've closed high-ticket sales (premium training packages, memberships, or programs) and are comfortable leading a consultation from first conversation to signed client
• You'll mentor the team, run consultations and sales, help shape our training standards, and train directly toward studio leadership and ownership as we expand
• Pay: $6k - $10k (monthly base + bonus and incentives)

Not sure where you land? Apply anyway. We place people based on how they coach, not just their years.

You are NOT:

• Looking to fill a few open hours around another job
• Someone who wants to coach alone and never be told how
• Someone who needs to be a "star" at the expense of the team

Our Hiring Process

• Apply on Indeed and send a LOOM Video
• Loom Video is a short 5min about you, what tier you are, and why you would be a great fit.
• Short phone/video chat (15 min)
• In-studio interview and a mock session with a team member (45–60 min)
• Paid working trial day
• Offer

We move fast. Strong candidates hear from us within [2] business days.

Ready to Build Something?

Apply now. If you're the kind of trainer who wants to be great at this, and wants to be part of a team that's building something, we want to meet you.

The Fit Lab SD is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds.

Pay: $25.00 - $35.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40.0 per week

Benefits:

• Continuing education credits
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance

Work Location: In person