Recruitment Statistics in Fitness in the UK

Are you thinking of joining the fitness industry? Great for you.

Compared to 2010 when 131,800 people worked in fitness, over 190,000 people are working in the fitness industry in the UK as of 2022.

This shows that more people are embracing working in this industry. The UK is the third largest health and fitness market, contributing over £70 billion to the global GDP.

The sports and fitness sector has grown in all regions of the UK, and this growth has facilitated the increase in demand for more fitness roles.

Although the greater number of fitness jobs are in London, this is because of the large population size compared to other regions in the UK. There are different fitness careers available in the UK, each of which shares a common trait – using nutrition and exercise to improve physical health.

Are you interested in finding out more about the recruitment statistics in fitness? If yes, keep reading.

This article will discuss the different fitness hiring statistics across a few fitness careers in the UK.

So, let’s get right to it.

General Fitness Recruitment Statistics

1. There are more than 190,000 people employed in the fitness industry across the UK.
2. The coronavirus pandemic resulted in more than half of the fitness workforce losing their jobs.
3. In 2019, the sport and fitness labour market covered over 500,000 roles.
4. The unemployment rate in the UK was over 3% in 2020.
5. Over 70% of candidates lack the skills needed for fitness jobs.
6. Most fitness jobs require a minimum Level 3 qualification.
7. London and South East UK have the highest number of fitness job listings.

Fitness Instructors Recruitment Statistics

8. Over 65,000 fitness instructors are working in the UK as of 2022.
9. The average annual salary for fitness instructors in the UK was over £20,000.
10. Over 55% of fitness instructors are self-employed, while over 20% are full-time and part-time employees.
11. London has the highest number of employed fitness instructors (15,000), followed by South East England and East England.
12. Fitness instructor recruitment is predicted to grow to over 67,000 by 2027.
13. The top fitness instructor industries include sport & recreation, education, legal, accounting, health, and others.
14. Over 60% of the fitness instructors in the UK are female, while 36.2% are male.
15. Fitness instructors in London earn the highest compared to other regions in the UK.

Nutrition and Dietician Recruitment Statistics

16. There are over 9,000 registered dieticians in the UK.
17. The NHS continues to be a top position for newly skilled dieticians.
18. The number of dietician job placements has decreased by over 25% since 2021.
19. Many dietician graduates are getting jobs outside the NHS, like the food industry, sports nutrition, media, health, and education.
20. To get a job, dieticians need to have an accredited Nutrition and Dietetics degree or an equivalent.
21. Dieticians can earn up £53,000 depending on their specialist band level in the NHS; band 5 earns up to £31,534, band 6 earns up to £39,027, and band 7 earns up to £45,839.
22. London, Birmingham, Leeds, and Manchester are the top UK locations to find dietician jobs.
23. Over 100 locum dietician opportunities are available in different regions in the UK.
24. Nutritionists in the public sector usually earn £15,000 to £25,000, while those in the private sector earn £20,000 to £25,000.
25. Most employers usually expect nutritionists to be registered with the Association for Nutrition.
26. Dietician jobs’ year-on-year pay has been reduced by 5.2%.
27. Most dietician job placements are for healthcare and sales jobs.
28. The UK’s top 5 companies hiring dieticians are the NHS, Elysium Healthcare, HCRG Care Group, and Fresenius Kabi.

Physical Therapist Recruitment Statistics

29. There are over 31,000 practising physiotherapists in the health sector in the UK.
30. The average annual salary for a physical therapist is £39,000.
31. Starting salaries for physiotherapists in NHS Band 5 span from £27,055 to £32,934, while senior physiotherapists can earn up to £40,588.
32. Over 45% of physiotherapists are part-time employees, 40% are full-time, and over 10% are self-employed.
33. London is the region with the highest number of recruited physiotherapists in the UK, followed by South East England and North West England.
34. It is projected that by 2027, there will be over 70,000 physiotherapy jobs.
35. The health sector is the top industry that recruits physiotherapists, followed by residential care, sport, and others.
36. Over 80% of physiotherapists are female, while 16% are female.
37. London, Wales, West Midland, and Scotland have the highest-earning physiotherapist.
38. Physiotherapists are required to have at least a level 3 qualification.
39. About 70% of registered physiotherapists work for the NHS directly.
40. The supply of physiotherapists does not meet the demand in the UK.
41. Physiotherapists must be skilled in elderly care, mental health, orthopaedics, paediatrics, intensive care, and women’s health.
42. Physiotherapists are needed in a wide range of establishments, from hospitals, health centres, schools, care homes, sports clinics, and charities.

Kinesiology Recruitment Statistics

43. Entry-level kinesiology jobs are in high demand in the UK.
44. The average kinesiologist in the UK makes about £44,000 or a comparable £21 per hour.
45. An entry-level kinesiologist with less than three years of experience earns an average salary of £31,437.
46. Kinesiologists are in demand in sporting associations, sports clubs, schools, community care, rehabilitation clinics, care homes, the health sector, and recreation facilities.
47. The top-paying kinesiology jobs include fitness trainer, exercise coach, fitness trainer, fitness club manager, and sports director.
48. Most fitness clubs require their trainers to have kinesiology degrees.

Fitness Tech Engineer Recruitment Statistics

49. Fitness technology engineers are one of the highest-paid in the fitness industry.
50. This fitness career requires a degree in software engineering or biomechanics.
51. The average fitness technology engineer makes over £100,000.
52. Fitness tech engineers are in demand in different regions in the UK.
53. Fitness tech engineers are likely to work for tech companies and the government.

Sports Massage Therapist Recruitment Statistics

54. Sports massage therapists are in-demand.
55. Sports massage therapists are required to have at least a level 3 diploma in sports massage therapy.
56. The average sports massage therapist makes from £22,000 to £40,000 annually.
57. London, South, East, and the Midlands are the top regions in the UK with more sports massage therapy jobs.
58. Clinics pay entry-level sports massage therapists about £17,000.
59. The NHS is starting to demand sports therapists to work as rehab therapists, with starting salaries from £19,000.
60. Sports massage therapists are in-demand in sports injury clinics, leisure centres, research, sports development, higher education, hospitals, gyms, and sports clubs.
61. Some employees require sports massage therapists to have a degree-level qualification and to be members of The Society of Sports Therapists.
62. First aid certification is an essential skill for sports massage therapists to have.
63. There are over 100,000 sports therapy jobs available.
64. Densely populated cities like London have a higher demand for sports massage therapists than other regions.

Sports Medicine Recruitment Statistics

65. There are over 1000 sports jobs across the UK.
66. Demand for sports medical practitioners is projected to increase, with an expected 72,500 job roles filled by 2029.
67. The global sports market size is over $8 billion.
68. Sports medical practitioners have one of the highest job vacancies in the world.
69. The average salary for a sports medical professional ranges from £29,384 to £34,012, and it can increase to over £100,000.
70. Medical school education is needed for this career path.
71. Sports doctors are in demand in sports clubs and health facilities like private and public hospitals.
72. There are currently over five sports medicine job openings in the NHS.

Physical Education Teacher Recruitment Statistics

73. Physical education teachers typically make over £30,000.
74. The number of physical education teacher job placements has increased by 30% since last year, proving that they are in high demand.
75. The majority of the physical education teacher job listings are for graduate jobs.
76. The physical education teacher job pay has increased by over 20% YOY.
77. Simply Education, Birmingham City Council, Nord Anglia Education PLC, and Galloway Council are a few of the top companies that hire physical education teachers.
78. London has the highest number of physical education teacher job ads, followed by South East England and Yorkshire.

FAQs

• Are Fitness Jobs in Demand?

The growth of the sports and fitness sector in all regions of the UK has facilitated the increase in demand for more fitness roles. The Statista report proves this by stating that over 190,000 people are working in the fitness industry in the UK as of 2022.

• What UK region has the highest number of fitness job listings?

London and South East England have the greater number of fitness jobs in the UK, and this may be a result of the population in the region compared to others.

• What Qualifications do I need to get a Fitness Job?

Most employers require you to have at least a level 3 qualification, but it depends on the fitness career.