Financial & Operations Research
Building on IHRSA’s long-standing commitment to provide its members with timely and useful data on the state of the health club business, the IHRSA Research Portal is the club operator's ultimate tool for financial and operations benchmarks.
You can receive a FREE copy of Portal results and related reports by participating in surveys. Just go to the IHRSA Research Portal at IHRSAResearch.com and login or create a complimentary account.
You can also access report archives through the IHRSA Research Portal for additional authoritative data.
Research Studies
Quarterly Index
The Index establishes a set of benchmarks for member companies' revenue growth as well as track the progress of the industry as a whole. The survey results provide benchmarks that will enable you to determine whether your revenue growth and profitability are in line with the industry norms each quarter.
IHRSA Profiles of Success
Purchase as an entire PDF or in sections!
The 2011 Profiles of Success provides detailed information about health and sports club operations including data for club revenues, expenses, pricing, equipment purchasing, and more. This year’s report includes expanded analysis on the fitness club industry, club operating benchmarks, financial performance, and more. New workbook pages allow for a comparison of your club’s financial performance with norms from similar participating clubs. Purchase Report
Employee Compensation and Benefits Report
Purchase as an entire PDF or in sections!
The 2011 IHRSA Employee Compensation & Benefits Report is the most comprehensive survey of the North American health club industry's compensation and benefits practices. New to this year’s report are two features: a human resources round table article and expanded data analysis. In the round table article, CEOs and HR directors from leading clubs share insight into HR challenges club operators face. A new executive summary provides analysis into job requirements and compensation data for industry-related job titles. This report provides employee compensation information for 50 common job titles (ownership, management, and staff), commission rates, and benefits practices (health benefits, retirement plans, vacation/sick leave, and other benefits). Purchase report
Financial & Operational Statistics
Payroll Management & Compensation
Data from 2010 IHRSA Industry Data Survey, Profiles of Success and 2011 Employee Compensation & Benefits Report. Learn More
Club Operating Benchmarks
Club Operating Benchmarks, Key Ratios, Industry Data Survey Sample Characteristics Learn More
Programming and Profit Centers
The Most Profitable Programs and Services Offered by Clubs. Learn More
Financial FAQs
*Unless otherwise noted, the answers below are taken from IHRSA’s Profiles of Success.
1. How much is spent on sales and marketing costs for a member?
Costs for sales and marketing per member are, on average, $101.05. Larger club companies often spend more as facilities those with 60,000 sq. ft. or more invested $213.28 per new member.
2. How much does payroll cost a mature club?
Total payroll, including salaries, wages and employee benefits, is on average the 40% of a club’s total revenue.
3. How much should I pay my personal trainers?
According to the IHRSA Employee Compensation & Benefits Report, select clubs pay full-time personal trainers an average of $28.81 per hour when conducting a training session. Responding clubs indicated that specialty personal trainers are paid an average of $33.42 per hour.
4. How much of club revenue should be derived from non-dues sources?
In 2010, leading clubs reported a median of 27.8% of total revenue being derived from non-dues sources. This percentage varied between 18.5% and 33% depending on club type and size.
5. What are some of the profitable non-dues revenue sources at leading clubs?
In health clubs, more than one out of four revenue dollars are linked to non-dues services such as personal training, Pilates, nutritional counseling, spa services, food and beverage, etc. Spa is a top-performer for leading clubs, while racquet offerings can account for up to 14% of total revenue among multipurpose clubs. Food and beverage accounts for 9.7% of total revenue for all clubs, children & youth programs 8.2%.
6. How much should be reinvested into fitness equipment and other capital expenditures at your club?
Leading clubs invest roughly 4% of total annual revenues, resulting in a median of $104,000. Of this amount, 1.1% ($34,000) is reinvested on fitness equipment, while the remaining part is mostly used for facility and ground purchases or improvements. Only 0.2% of revenues are designated for office equipment.
7. How much revenue do leading clubs generate per member?
The benchmark for revenue per member was $765.40 in 2010. This marks a marginal decrease from 2009, when median revenue per member totaled $773.20.
