Last week, we published our short list of careers in fitness for gym buffs looking to get paid for their time in the gym. We had tons of readers respond with questions and heard one more than all of the others.

We are so happy you asked! There are a plethora of options to choose from that can keep you in the industry you love while also capitalizing on your skill set.

There are many great opportunities and careers in fitness for someone with a background in writing, marketing, social media, sales or management, and we’ve got all the details on how to take the next step into your fitness career.

What You’ll Do: Pitch, research, develop, and publish content for the health and fitness industry. If you have writing experience or a background in journalism, this is a great career in the industry that allows you to work from home, set your own hours, and be your own boss.

Writers will work directly with a website or publication editors to create articles that are a great fit to their audience, and are typically hired as a freelance position, so it can part or full-time.

Training or Certifications You’ll Need:  Different websites and publications will require different credentials, but generally you’ll want to have samples of your work (even if it’s just a link to a personal blog), and be prepared to write an audition piece for the website.

Other helpful expertise can include writing for keywords, SEO, and marketing experience. Hubspot offers a free Inbound marketing certification that includes loads of current information on how to create unique, compelling content that is optimized for search engine functionality.

Compensation:  As there are literally dozens of fitness publications and thousands of websites across the internet (including ours) what you’ll make as a writer or blogger depends entirely on who you write for and what you produce.

Most publishers online will pay per word, though some will negotiate a flat fee per article. Print publishers have a similar pay scale, though they may also offer you an additional fee if you agree to have your work published online as well. Finally, some websites will offer additional bonuses if you generate content that promotes a large influx of new traffic, typically determined by unique visitors or keyword visits to your article. In general, expect to make between $0.02 and $0.06 per word for online work (so $20-$60 for a 1,000-word article), and between $0.05 and $0.10 per word for print work ($50-$100 for 1,0000 words).

Where to Look for Jobs: Start with online job boards like Indeed or Craigslist and search for keywords like “freelance writer.”  You can also reach out directly to websites you frequent to see if they are looking to bring on new writing staff. Finally, marketing agencies are an amazing resource for freelance writers.  Agencies typically have dozens of clients in different sectors and could be looking for a specific niche of writer to create blog or website content for one of their clients. Inquire with marketing firms with a large online presence to see if they’re looking to grow their freelance staff, and be sure to include your areas of interest and expertise in your (grammatically perfect) cover letter.

What You’ll Do:  As a social media connoisseur, you’ll be active on many different channels and will post content, photos, and videos about fitness, health, and wellness while also working diligently to grow your fan and friend base in each medium.

If you develop enough followers, companies may be willing to pay you for posts where you wear or use their product and give a favorable review of your experience. Some companies will pay a flat-rate per post while others will compensate based on likes, shares or comments. This can be a full or part-time position, but they key is growing a fan base and then interacting with that base, which can be quite time-consuming when you get into the 10,000 follower range required to monetize the position.

Training or Certifications You’ll Need: While there is no formal degree or education required, it can be helpful to know the basics of how to take a great photo and write and strong caption. There are additional courses on marketing and social media management best practices that can really enhance your presence in your online space.

Compensation: Compensation for sponsored posts can vary wildly. Some companies will pay per 1,000 followers (usually in the $5-$10 per thousand rate), while others will pay a flat-rate for sponsored posts. Larger, well-known companies tend to pay more, but will also only connect with true social media influencers with a large following. Yahoo Tech estimates Instagrammers with 10,000 followers make roughly $700-$900 per sponsored post.

Where to Look for Jobs:  Successful social media personalities with sponsorship posts actively engage the companies they’re looking to work with to begin the partnerships.  Be prepared to send over a social media resume, and make sure all of your accounts are publicly viewable so that companies can get a feel for your social media portfolio. If you’re still working to build followers, consider being an ambassador for a company that suits the theme and interests of your posts. It’s a great way to gain more followers, and while ambassadors don’t traditionally get paid, they do get offered things like free products or product discounts.

What You’ll Do:  You will work for a company and be paid a commission or a portion of sales to market and sell their products. These types of positions are everywhere. From protein shakes to fitness programs, health camps to race registrations, there are literally hundreds of ways to get paid in the fitness space. Popular multi-level marketing companies that come to mind in this space are ones like Beachbody, It Works, Mona Vie, and more.

Typically, the company will want you to use their products as well as sell them, and there may be some start up costs required. The position can be full or part-time, and you’ll set your own hours and in many cases will develop your own prospect lists to sell to based on friends, family, and your social network.

Training or Certifications You’ll Need: Depending on the product you’re looking to sell, some companies will require an online or in-person certification to get up and running with their product or service. In many cases, having excellent networking skills will help you to make the most of the opportunity, so participating in online networking circles or events in your community (Chamber of Commerce, trade shows, festivals, etc.) is a good idea.

Compensation: These positions are usually commission based, with employees receiving a percentage of sales from their products, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t make a lot of money doing it. In 2014 alone, popular health and wellness company Isagenix had 15 different salespeople (or couples) reach millionaire status through selling their products, and in this video from 2014 we see 22 millionaires on stage through the Beachbody program.

Where to Look for Jobs: Possibly the best part about this one is that it is crazy easy to get started in this space. Find a company that you like and believe in (probably one whose products  you’re already using), and contact them about becoming a rep. Even better, if you were introduced to a product or service through someone else, reach out to them about selling the product.  hat way, they will earn a bit of commission for bringing you on board and you’ll have the support of an established coach and team behind you to get you up and running with best practices for success.

Be prepared that many companies are going to want you to use their products before selling them, so if you’re not already involved as a consumer, be prepared to make an investment in product to get started.

What You’ll Do:  Train athletes to excel in the sport specialty in which you coach. This position can be a position in a gym (think an Endurance coach at a CrossFit box), but more often it is outside of a facility. You may choose to coach at the youth, high school, or adult level, and can get certified for anything from soccer to triathlon. Know that the higher the level, the greater the pay (generally speaking), but you will also be required to have more education, experience, and there will be significantly more competition for the job (like in a collegiate football program). Depending on the type of coaching you’re considering, the position can be full or part-time. Most coaches associated with schools will work full-time while independent coaches who create individual plans for adult athletes (like in the example of triathlon coaching) can set their own hours and could choose to work part-time.

Training or Certifications You’ll Need: The type of education, training, and certification required for your desired position will depend entirely on the position itself. At a youth or high school coaching level, often times coaches are teachers who have experience playing the sport and volunteer their time. However, schools that have robust, competitive programs may choose to hire a stand-alone coach to simply focus on growing the program. Many schools will also require additional institution-specific training, teaching degrees, and continuing education.

Coaches who have their own businesses will need to obtain certifications relevant to their area of expertise, like an L1, in order to enhance their credibility and grow their client base. Organizations like USAT, Road Runners Club of America, US Masters Swimming, and more have certification options for coaches looking to enhance their skills. Most independent coaches will also benefit from some basic business knowledge, as well as basic web design skills to set up and manage their online presence.

Compensation: According to these stats from U.S. News, sports coaches earn just over $39,000 annually on average across the country. In the case of independent coaches outside of a salaried position with a school system, the earnings vary significantly based on the rates charged and the number of clients you’ll work with.  In general, these types of coaches will have tiered pricing available for their services, and will take on athletes based on time and availability.

Where to Look for Jobs: Check out postings for your local school system if coaching youth athletes are where your interest lies. If you’re looking to coach adults and have expertise in an area, visit local group training sessions to network with possible clients. Group rides, masters swims, or group runs can be a great place to meet athletes who want to take their training and racing up a notch for the season.