After qualifying as an exercise to music instructor, many exciting possibilities and opportunities lie ahead, particularly when it comes to getting a job.

While it’s a critical part of the journey, completing an exercise to music course is just a small step in the journey of achieving freestyle aerobics greatness. It probably goes without saying that you enrolled onto an ETM course intending to eventually teach classes in a gym or design bespoke choreography and launching your own brand (or both and everything in-between). It’s exercise to music jobs and employment opportunities that this in-depth career article is going to cover.

We’ll explore the very basics, the various aerobics instructor opportunities available, a few effective ways to widen your client base and all-important information about pay and salary. By the end of this guide, you should have a clear idea of the direction to take with your exercise to music career.

Freelance exercise to music instructor jobs

Without a doubt, the most popular employment route for new exercise to music instructors is the freelance one and it’s true for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it’s just the situation that offers the most in terms of flexibility.

Many choose to work in the fitness industry because it’s such a departure from the typical Monday – Friday, 9-5, you’d find with other roles in other sectors. Essentially, being a freelance instructor means you are your own boss and you’ll be able to choose the days, hours and locations that suit you best. Particularly if you’re hiring out your own facilities to teach classes, within reason, you’ll also be able to charge what you want per class.

It’s important to bear in mind that if you are heading down the freelance route, there are certain things you are going to be solely responsible for. As previously mentioned, if you are hiring out facilities, those are costs you’ll have to carry. Music licensing, equipment (such as a headset microphone) and insurance and all things you will have to consider.

The situation is slightly different if you’re looking to teach in gyms, health clubs and private studios. Yes, insurance is still a must, but in terms of what you could earn, this is likely to be a fixed price that’s paid on a per-class or per-hour basis. That’s not to say what you earn when you first qualify as an exercise to music instructor can’t or won’t increase over time.

As you develop, gain experience and essentially make a name for yourself as an instructor, there’s every chance you could negotiate a higher rate. To maximise income and their client base, many freelance exercise to music instructors choose to teach at multiple fitness facilities.

Regardless of where you plan to teach freestyle exercise to music classes, one of the best bits of advice offered to new instructors is to offer yourself as cover for other instructors. Holidays and sickness will naturally happen, so being able to step in at short notice will put you in great stead with gyms and health clubs. You could likely start as an instructor providing cover and eventually find yourself teaching classes on a more regular basis.

Gyms, health clubs and leisure centres are natural starting points for your job search but they are by no means the other places you can deliver exercise to music classes. The following list is far from exhaustive but it should give you some inspiration and ultimately confidence that there is ample work available for you.

• Hospitals and care homes
• Schools, colleges and universities
• Domestic and/or international fitness retreats
• Cruise ships
• Online classes via Zoom, Gymcatch or other platforms
• Boutique group exercise studios

Other exercise to music instructor opportunities

As we have explored in our in-depth guide aimed at initially helping you become an exercise to music instructor, there are essentially two forms of ETM classes you could teach: unbranded/freestyle and pre-choreographed/branded.

As soon as you complete your exercise to music instructor course and you’re qualified, you’re free to teach unbranded classes. If you’re looking to upskill and teach branded programmes, you will need to undertake additional training. Pole fitness, The Jungle Body, Zumba, LES MILLS and Clubbercise are all incredibly popular programmes that could really help open up new opportunities for you.

ETM is also a great introduction to the wider world of group exercise. Thinking back to getting your foot in the door by providing cover, if you’re also able to teach other disciplines such as a yoga or Pilates, you’ll be able to make yourself almost indispensable as an instructor.

Finding exercise to music instructor jobs and opportunities

The most obvious place to start a job search for many new instructors is the internet. We live in a golden age of job boards (both fitness-specific and generic), recruitment agencies and other platforms and resources designed to help you find employment. However, more options aren’t always the best thing.

A casual Google search for “exercise to music jobs” or “fitness instructor jobs” is going to bring back thousands of results and that’s a lot of sifting through. Not only that but many training providers have taken to listing their exercise to music courses on job sites under the auspices that it will then lead to employment. That’s not exactly going to be helpful to you if you’re already qualified and looking for your first job.

So, instead of a generic search, think about looking for opportunities in your specific area alongside the names of specific employers you’d like to work with. It’s the fastest way to narrow things down and ensure you’re only bringing up relevant vacancies.

Of course, instead of searching for potential employment opportunities, there’s always the option of creating them for yourself. In your local area, do some research into potential venues you could hire out to run classes from. Do your due diligence to assess the competition, gauge potential demand and look at gaps in the market.

Another place to turn to for advice and inspiration are those who have been there and done it before. Many of the world’s leading exercise to music instructors, including Kardy Laguda, have become household names by creating their own high-energy and original choreography and classes.

For HFE exercise to music graduates, CV Connect is another potential avenue. This innovative platform essentially brings employers to you, cutting out the need for potentially time-consuming job hunting. Unlocked in the Learner Engagement System (LES) as soon as you’ve completed your exercise to music qualification, all you need to do is upload a CV, search for employers in your area and then make direct contact. If your chosen employer likes what they see, they’ll be in touch with you directly.

Pay and salary for exercise to music instructors

According to figures from PayScale, the average hourly rate for aerobics instructors is £7 per hour with the top rate being £14. This equates to £14,600 to £24,500 a year.

It’s important to note that these figures are just guidelines, not absolute fact. Pay and salary for exercise to music instructors can depend widely on several factors including how many years experience you have.

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