Career-PathGPS
← All education and training
Career

Fitness and Wellness Coordinators

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeModerate pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Manage or coordinate fitness and wellness programs and services. Manage and train staff of wellness specialists, health educators, or fitness instructors.

Kinds of work

  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $69,770 Median per year · $33.54/hr Most earn $44,910–$118,710

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Track attendance, participation, or performance data related to wellness events.
  • Recommend or approve new program or service offerings to promote wellness and fitness, produce revenues, or minimize costs.
  • Develop or coordinate fitness and wellness programs or services.
  • Maintain or arrange for maintenance of fitness equipment or facilities.
  • Prepare or implement budgets and strategic, operational, purchasing, or maintenance plans.
  • Evaluate fitness and wellness programs to determine their effectiveness.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
6% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 2,000 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Self-employed (their own business)56.2%
  • Personal care services8.5%
  • Fitness and recreational sports centers5.7%
  • Other personal services2.2%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Fitness and Wellness Coordinator is not usually a first job out of school. Most people earn a bachelor's degree, then spend about 2 to 4 years working in fitness or wellness roles before coordinating programs and staff.

  1. Bachelor's degree in kinesiology, exercise science, or health promotion

    4 years

    You learn how the body moves, how exercise affects health, and how to plan wellness programs, which forms the base for the rest of the path.

  2. Exercise Trainer or Group Fitness Instructor

    1-2 years

    You lead workouts, work with clients or groups, and learn how programs run day to day, which builds the hands-on experience coordinators need.

  3. Fitness and Wellness Coordinator

    2-4 years of total prior experience

    You manage or coordinate fitness and wellness programs and services, and you train and supervise staff such as wellness specialists, health educators, or fitness instructors.

Where it can lead

  1. Training and Development Manager

    4-6 years of experience first

    You move from running wellness programs to leading training and development across a whole organization, which usually takes management experience and a strong record of building staff skills.

  2. Social and Community Service Manager

    4-6 years of experience first

    You oversee several community health or wellness programs and their budgets and teams, which typically requires proven program leadership and sometimes more education.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take health, biology, and physical education classesThese classes give you a foundation in how the body works and how healthy habits are built.
  • Join a sports team or fitness clubBeing active in a team teaches you teamwork, motivation, and how to encourage others.
  • Volunteer at a recreation center or community eventHelping run activities for kids or adults gives you early experience leading groups.
  • Get a starter job at a gym, summer camp, or youth sports programWorking directly with people in a fitness setting shows you whether you enjoy the day-to-day work.

In college

  • Major in kinesiology, exercise science, or health promotionThese majors cover exercise, nutrition, and program planning, which match the core of this career.
  • Earn a personal trainer or group fitness certificationA certification is often required for fitness jobs and proves you have practical training.
  • Work or intern at a campus wellness center or recreation departmentYou gain real experience planning programs and may get to supervise student staff.
  • Take courses in management, public speaking, or communicationCoordinators lead people and present ideas, so these skills help you move up.
  • Join a student health or fitness organizationLeading or planning events for a student group builds experience you can list on a resume.

Tips for getting started

  • Get certified as a personal trainer or group fitness instructor while you are in school. Many employers ask for one, and it shows you can lead people safely.
  • Look for part-time jobs at gyms, recreation centers, or campus wellness offices. Supervising even a small team early on helps you build the leadership skills this career needs.
  • Ask professors or local wellness leaders for an informational interview. They can tell you what coordinator jobs look like where you live.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

Related careers