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Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors Salary in Santa Cruz, CA

In the 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS dataset, Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors in Santa Cruz, CA have a median annual salary of $60,580, with 370 recorded jobs in this area. Recorded earnings range from $37,120 at the 10th percentile to $117,890 at the 90th percentile.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · Data year: 2025 · Last updated: 2026-09-22

Salary overview

Median annual salary

$60,580

Data year: 2025

Hourly median

$29.13

Employment

370

Source

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS

Salary distribution

$37,120
10th
$48,560
25th
$60,580
Median
$92,270
75th
$117,890
90th

Local compared with national

Santa Cruz, CA

$60,580

Median annual · 2025

United States

$47,160

Median annual · 2025

The Santa Cruz, CA median is 28.5% above the national median in the available dataset (a difference of $13,420).

Top skills

  1. 1.InstructingImportance 4.0
  2. 2.Service OrientationImportance 3.8
  3. 3.SpeakingImportance 3.6
  4. 4.Active ListeningImportance 3.3
  5. 5.Learning StrategiesImportance 3.1
  6. 6.Social PerceptivenessImportance 3.1
  7. 7.Reading ComprehensionImportance 3.0
  8. 8.Critical ThinkingImportance 3.0
  9. 9.Active LearningImportance 3.0
  10. 10.MonitoringImportance 3.0
  11. 11.CoordinationImportance 3.0
  12. 12.Judgment and Decision MakingImportance 3.0

Career information

Education and experience

Typical education
Post-Secondary Certificate
Experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Job zone
3

Technology used

  • Appointment scheduling software
  • BioEx Systems Exercise Expert
  • BioEx Systems Fitness Maker
  • BioEx Systems Nutrition Maker Plus
  • Blink
  • DaySmart Software Appointment-Plus
  • DietMaster Systems DietMaster
  • Email software
  • EZFacility Trainer Management System
  • ICTraining
  • Intuit QuickBooks
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint

Common tasks

  • Observe participants and inform them of corrective measures necessary for skill improvement.
  • Offer alternatives during classes to accommodate different levels of fitness.
  • Monitor participants' progress and adapt programs as needed.
  • Plan routines, choose appropriate music, and choose different movements for each set of muscles, depending on participants' capabilities and limitations.
  • Evaluate individuals' abilities, needs, and physical conditions, and develop suitable training programs to meet any special requirements.
  • Instruct participants in maintaining exertion levels to maximize benefits from exercise routines.
  • Teach and demonstrate use of gymnastic and training equipment, such as trampolines and weights.
  • Explain and enforce safety rules and regulations governing sports, recreational activities, and the use of exercise equipment.
  • Teach proper breathing techniques used during physical exertion.
  • Maintain fitness equipment.

Related careers

Occupations recorded as related in the dataset. A relationship does not imply a guaranteed transition.

Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors salary in other locations

Other occupations in Santa Cruz, CA