How Much Should a Personal Trainer Charge UK?

Why there is no single UK rate

Personal trainers work in very different ways. Some are employed by a gym, some rent space in a gym, some train clients at home or outdoors, and some coach online. Each set-up has different costs, so a price that works well in one can lose money in another.

The National Careers Service, the UK government careers service, does not give a pay figure for this job. It lists the average salary as "Variable", and typical hours as 32 to 34 a week, which vary and can include evenings, weekends and bank holidays.

We have not found an official, dated UK survey of personal training session prices, so this guide does not quote a typical rate. Ranges you see online are usually estimates that do not say how they were collected. Your own numbers are a far more reliable guide.

What affects what you can charge

Where you train. Gym rent, floor fees or a share of each session paid to a gym all change your costs. Mobile trainers pay in travel time and fuel instead.
Your local market. What clients nearby are used to paying, and how many other trainers they can choose from.
Experience and qualifications. Further training lets you serve clients other trainers cannot, for example people recovering from illness or living with certain medical conditions.
Session format. One-to-one, small group and online coaching each earn differently per hour of your time.
Session length. A 30-minute session and a 60-minute session need different prices.
Packages and commitment. Many trainers price a block of sessions paid upfront differently from a single session.
How full your diary is. If you are fully booked with a waiting list, your price may be too low.
Your costs and tax. Your price has to cover everything in the next two sections before you take home anything.

How to work out your rate from your own numbers

Pick a monthly take-home target. The amount you want to keep after business costs.
Add up your monthly business costs. Gym rent, insurance, CPD, equipment, travel, software, marketing and card fees.
Set money aside for tax and National Insurance. See the GOV.UK figures below.
Count the sessions you can sell. Be honest about quiet weeks, holidays, illness and cancellations.
Divide. Add your take-home target, your costs and your tax set-aside, then divide by the number of paid sessions a month. That is your minimum price per session.
Check it against your local market. If your minimum is more than local clients will pay, change the model rather than cutting the price: try small group sessions, packages, online check-ins or lower costs.

The PT pricing calculator does the sums for you. You enter a monthly take-home target, sessions per week and monthly business costs. It adds your target and costs together, divides by your sessions a month (sessions per week times 4.33), and rounds the hourly rate up to the nearest £5. It also suggests a 5 session package at 5% off, a 10 session package at 10% off and a 4 session monthly pack at 15% off, which the client pays each month.

The calculator does not include tax or card fees. Add your tax set-aside from step 3 to your take-home target before you enter it, so the hourly rate covers it. Nothing is saved unless you choose to leave your email for PT business tips.

Costs to include before you set a price

Gym rent, floor fees or a commission paid to a gym
Insurance. GOV.UK notes that sole traders are personally responsible for the debts of the business, and points to business insurance for more protection. See our guide to personal trainer insurance
Qualifications, CPD and first aid. The National Careers Service says it is usual to hold a first aid certificate that includes CPR
Background checks if you work with children or vulnerable adults
Equipment, kit and travel
Software, website and marketing
Card payment fees (see below)
Unpaid time: programming, admin, messages, travel and marketing
Time off. GOV.UK says self-employed people do not get holiday or sick pay when they are not working, so your prices have to fund your own time off

Tax and National Insurance to plan for (2026 to 2027)

This is general information, not tax advice. These GOV.UK figures apply to the 2026 to 2027 tax year (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027). Income Tax bands are different in Scotland.

Tax and National Insurance to plan for (2026 to 2027)
Item	GOV.UK figure for 2026 to 2027
Personal Allowance	£12,570 of income with no Income Tax
Basic rate Income Tax	20% on taxable income from £12,571 to £50,270
Higher rate Income Tax	40% on taxable income from £50,271 to £125,140
Class 4 National Insurance	6% on profits over £12,570 up to £50,270, and 2% on profits over £50,270
Class 2 National Insurance	Treated as paid if profits are £7,105 or more. Below that you can choose to pay voluntary Class 2 at £3.65 a week
VAT registration	You must register if taxable turnover for the last 12 months goes over £90,000

Personal Allowance
GOV.UK figure for 2026 to 2027
£12,570 of income with no Income Tax
Basic rate Income Tax
GOV.UK figure for 2026 to 2027
20% on taxable income from £12,571 to £50,270
Higher rate Income Tax
GOV.UK figure for 2026 to 2027
40% on taxable income from £50,271 to £125,140
Class 4 National Insurance
GOV.UK figure for 2026 to 2027
6% on profits over £12,570 up to £50,270, and 2% on profits over £50,270
Class 2 National Insurance
GOV.UK figure for 2026 to 2027
Treated as paid if profits are £7,105 or more. Below that you can choose to pay voluntary Class 2 at £3.65 a week
VAT registration
GOV.UK figure for 2026 to 2027
You must register if taxable turnover for the last 12 months goes over £90,000

Sources: gov.uk/income-tax-rates, gov.uk/self-employed-national-insurance-rates and gov.uk/register-for-vat, checked 7 October 2026. Figures change each tax year on 6 April.

If you expect to pass the VAT threshold, plan early, because VAT then has to come out of your prices or be added to them. Check your own position with HMRC or an accountant.

Card fees and what you take home

Every card payment carries a fee, so build it into your price from the start rather than absorbing it later.

Stripe. Stripe's UK pricing page lists 1.5% + 20p for standard UK cards and 2.8% + 20p for premium UK cards (checked 7 October 2026).
FitDesk. No monthly fee. 0.7% on Stripe card payments through FitDesk, minimum 1p per card payment. Stripe's own fees still apply. Cash has no FitDesk fee.

As an illustration of the fees only, not a suggested price: on a £100 payment from a standard UK card, Stripe's fee is £1.70 and the FitDesk fee is 70p, so you receive £97.60. The FitDesk fee is rounded to the nearest penny, with a minimum of 1p per card payment. See how Stripe card payments for personal trainers work in FitDesk.

Packages, small groups and online coaching

You do not have to sell only single sessions. Common structures are:

Single sessions. Simple for new clients, and usually your highest price per hour.
Packages. A block of sessions paid upfront. Clients commit, and you are paid before you deliver.
Small group sessions. Several clients share one session, so each pays less while you earn more per hour.
Online or hybrid coaching. Programming and check-ins for a monthly price, sometimes with occasional in-person sessions.

Whatever you choose, write your prices down, say what is included and how cancellations work, and review them at least once a year. Our cancellation policy guide and template shows how to keep those terms fair.

When to review and raise your prices

Signs it may be time to review your prices:

Your diary is full most weeks.
Your costs have gone up.
You have gained new qualifications or a specialism.

Give existing clients clear written notice before a change. New clients can start on the new price straight away.

Get paid for the prices you set

Once your prices are set, FitDesk helps you schedule sessions, manage clients and get paid by Stripe card or cash. Clients pay by card through your own connected Stripe account, and Stripe pays the money out to your bank on its payout schedule. You can sell session packages, email an invoice with a payment link and record cash payments. No monthly fee. 0.7% on Stripe card payments through FitDesk, minimum 1p per card payment. Stripe's own fees still apply. Cash has no FitDesk fee.

If you are new to taking card payments, read how to take card payments as a personal trainer.

Sources

National Careers Service, personal trainer job profile: nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/personal-trainer (checked 7 October 2026)
GOV.UK, Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances: gov.uk/income-tax-rates (checked 7 October 2026)
GOV.UK, Self-employed National Insurance rates: gov.uk/self-employed-national-insurance-rates (checked 7 October 2026)
GOV.UK, Register for VAT: gov.uk/register-for-vat (checked 7 October 2026)
GOV.UK, Become a sole trader: gov.uk/become-sole-trader (checked 7 October 2026)
GOV.UK, Employment status, self-employed and contractor: gov.uk/employment-status/selfemployed-contractor (checked 7 October 2026)
Stripe, UK pricing: stripe.com/gb/pricing (checked 7 October 2026)

Frequently asked questions

How much should a personal trainer charge in the UK?

There is no official UK rate. The National Careers Service lists personal trainer pay as variable, because trainers set their own prices. Work out your minimum by adding your take-home target, business costs and a tax set-aside, then dividing by the paid sessions you can realistically sell each month.

What should I include when pricing personal training sessions?

Include gym rent or floor fees, insurance, qualifications and CPD, equipment, travel, software, marketing and card fees. Add a set-aside for Income Tax and National Insurance, and allow for unpaid time such as programming, admin and travel, plus weeks off for holidays or illness when you earn nothing.

How does the FitDesk PT pricing calculator work?

Enter your monthly take-home target, sessions per week and monthly business costs. The calculator works out the hourly rate and session package prices you need to charge to reach that target. It does not include tax or card fees, so add your tax set-aside to your target first. It is free to use.

Do self-employed personal trainers pay tax on their session fees?

Self-employed trainers pay Income Tax and National Insurance on their profits, after allowable expenses. For 2026 to 2027, GOV.UK lists a £12,570 Personal Allowance, 20% basic rate Income Tax and 6% Class 4 National Insurance on profits from £12,570 to £50,270. This is general information, not tax advice.

Should I build card fees into my PT prices?

It is sensible to plan for them. Stripe lists 1.5% + 20p for standard UK cards. FitDesk has no monthly fee and charges 0.7% on Stripe card payments through FitDesk, minimum 1p per card payment. Stripe's own fees still apply. Cash has no FitDesk fee. Check Stripe's page for current rates.

When should a personal trainer raise their prices?

Review your prices at least once a year, and whenever your costs rise, your diary is full most weeks or you gain new qualifications. Give existing clients clear written notice before a change. New clients can start on the new price straight away, so your rate keeps pace with your business.

Charge it, then get paid

Create an account, connect Stripe and sell the packages you have priced. No monthly fee. 0.7% on Stripe card payments through FitDesk, minimum 1p per card payment. Stripe's own fees still apply. Cash has no FitDesk fee.

Create your free account