Gyms and fitness studios in California: 6,234 locations, +5.7% jobs
Official counts for gyms and fitness studios in California, 2026 Q1: how many there are, whether they are adding jobs, what they pay, and how California compares with the other states. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, refreshed each quarter.
California against the country · 2026 Q1
| California | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Gyms and fitness studios with employees | 6,234 | 47,160 |
| Per 100,000 residents | 15.8 | 13.9 |
| Jobs | 91,949 | 674,922 |
| Jobs, year over year | +5.7% | +4.0% |
| Locations, year over year | +6.5% | +4.0% |
| Average weekly wage | $507 | $443 |
| Rank among states, density | 12 of 50 | |
| Rank among states, job growth | 11 of 50 |
What the numbers say
California has 6,234 gyms and fitness studios with payroll, employing 91,949 people. At 15.8 per 100,000 residents the market is close to the national average, number 12 among the 50 states with published data. Jobs grew +5.7% over the year, ahead of the national +4.0%.
Average pay at gyms and fitness studios in California is $507 a week, 14% above the national figure of $443. Budget labor from this number, not from a national guide.
Over five years, from 2021 to 2025, the number of gyms and fitness studios in California moved +11.4%, from 5,397 to 6,013.
Gyms and fitness studios in California, annual average
- 20215,397
- 20225,518
- 20235,668
- 20245,725
- 20256,013
Jobs at gyms and fitness studios in California
- 202158,387
- 202273,246
- 202380,442
- 202485,012
- 202589,770
What counts as "gyms and fitness studios" here
Fitness and recreational sports centers: gyms, health clubs, yoga and pilates studios, boxing and CrossFit boxes, and other facilities for exercise. The code is NAICS 713940. BLS counts establishments that report payroll, so a one-person business with no employees is not in these figures; in trades with many solo operators the true number of businesses is higher.
Before you open one in California
A statewide figure tells you which way the wind blows. It does not tell you whether the corner you are looking at has the households, the income and the gap in competition to support one more. A counts the gyms and fitness studios within reach of one address in California, reads the county trend from the same BLS table, and scores the plan. The saturation check does a city-level version for free.
Questions people ask
How many gyms and fitness studios are there in California?
BLS counted 6,234 gyms and fitness studios with employees in California in 2026 Q1, employing 91,949 people. Owner-only businesses with no payroll are not in that count. That is 15.8 per 100,000 residents, against 13.9 nationally.
Are gyms and fitness studios growing in California?
Yes. Jobs at gyms and fitness studios in California changed +5.7% over the year to 2026 Q1, and the number of locations changed +6.5%. That ranks California 11 of 50 states for job growth in this business type. Over five years the location count moved +11.4%.
Is California a crowded market for gyms and fitness studios?
California has 15.8 gyms and fitness studios per 100,000 residents, close to the national average, ranking 12 of 50 states. Density is a statewide average; a Neur report counts the competitors around one address.
Gyms and fitness studios in every state
Densest first. The number is gyms and fitness studios per 100,000 residents in 2026 Q1.
Other business types in California
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private sector, NAICS 713940, 2026 Q1 (quarterly) and annual averages (five-year series); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-year population estimates. This page is generated from those feeds and rewritten when a new quarter publishes. All 14 business types in California · Growth ranking for California · Gyms and fitness studios by state