Been there done that and still doing it! Depending on your age, level of education and motivation, being a personal trainer can be a great way to bank a little extra cash or to make a full-fledged business.
BUT!! Beware, even if you can charge $70/hour, you still have to pay rent at the gym, pay for your own marketing and for liability insurance. Your clients can sue you. Seriously. If that sounds like a lot of trouble, then go work for a gym – your pay will be $7-$54/hour, but you won’t have to worry about the rest of that stuff.
Don’t expect to charge $70+ and hour until you have trained 1000 hours of clients. You’ll understand me when you get there – that’s only 3 hours a day for 1 year. But the 1000 hour mark distinguishes you from the wannabe gym rats to a professional.
I get $140/hour. I also have 8 years of experience and I have a very targeted niche clientèle.
When you are just getting started, go to a good local gym, talk to the trainers, ask what courses they used and what they would do differently.
FYI: get your own insurance just in case. It isn’t that expensive and if something happens . . . you could be on the hook for YEARS. No kidding!