Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors
SOC Code: 39-9031
Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors carries a 25% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $46,180 and +11.9% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 370,100 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 25% AI exposure, Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors sits 12 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 15% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
68/100
Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $46,180
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A+ +11.9%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A 25% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Fast growth (67 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
25% Among the lowest lower than 85% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 39-9031) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Observe participants and inform them of corrective measures necessary for skill improvement.
- 2. Offer alternatives during classes to accommodate different levels of fitness.
- 3. Monitor participants' progress and adapt programs as needed.
- 4. Plan routines, choose appropriate music, and choose different movements for each set of muscles, depending on participants' capabilities and limitations.
- 5. Evaluate individuals' abilities, needs, and physical conditions, and develop suitable training programs to meet any special requirements.
- 6. Instruct participants in maintaining exertion levels to maximize benefits from exercise routines.
- 7. Teach and demonstrate use of gymnastic and training equipment, such as trampolines and weights.
- 8. Explain and enforce safety rules and regulations governing sports, recreational activities, and the use of exercise equipment.
- 9. Teach proper breathing techniques used during physical exertion.
- 10. Maintain fitness equipment.
Key Skills Required
- Instructing
- Service Orientation
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Learning Strategies
- Social Perceptiveness
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
Knowledge Areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Psychology
- Biology
- Administration and Management
- Sales and Marketing
- Communications and Media
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors?
Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors has an AI exposure score of 25%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors is projected to grow by 11.9% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 370,100 workers.
What skills are needed for Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors?
Key skills for Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors include Instructing, Service Orientation, Speaking, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors earn?
The median annual wage for Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors is $46,180, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors?
The typical entry-level education for Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Short-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors?
Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (25% here).
- Dermatologists · AI exposure 25%
- Firefighters · AI exposure 25%
- Funeral attendants · AI exposure 25%
- Helpers--pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters · AI exposure 25%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+11.9% here).
- Computer network architects · growth +11.9%
- Animal caretakers · growth +12.1%
- Respiratory therapists · growth +12.1%
- Recreational vehicle service technicians · growth +11.5%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 23 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Exercise trainers and group fitness instructors side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).