A wellness coach can have a wide range of career opportunities, including working at fitness spas, health and wellness centers, or even in-home support groups. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that from 2016 to 2026, employment for all health coaches and personal trainers is projected to grow by 22%, adding around 125,700 new jobs during this time period.
A wellness coach acts as a health adviser and performs a range of duties. They may help people develop healthy habits, provide them with counseling, and maintain an effective exercise program. Wellness coaches are expected to earn an average annual salary of $50,965 as of May 2017, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Salary For Wellness Coach Overview
Wellness coaching is a growing industry, and it’s no surprise—it’s a job that can be done from anywhere in the world, and it requires minimal training. That said, there are still plenty of ways to make sure you’re getting paid what you deserve. Here’s what you need to know about wellness coach salary.
First, let’s start with some of the basics. A wellness coach is someone who helps others improve their health and well-being through coaching or mentoring. Depending on where they work, they might also have medical training or a background in psychology. They can be hired by individuals or by companies or organizations to help employees improve their lifestyle habits and preventative healthcare practices.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t have any specific information on what a wellness coach makes per hour; however, they do say that the average wage for all coaches was $42,770 in 2017—and that number has likely gone up since then! We’ve also seen reports that wellness coaches make between $15-$30 per hour. That means there’s plenty of room for negotiation when it comes to salary as well as benefits packages like health insurance coverage and paid time off (PTO).
What is a Wellness Coach’s Salary
onsidering a career as a Wellness Coach or Health Coach and wondering how much you can expect to earn? Let’s start with the simple answer: According to PayScale, the average salary for a Wellness Coach is approximately $44,090 a year.
However, for Wellness Coaches, salary and income averages can be deceiving. That’s because you can make a lot more—or a lot less—depending on how much you work (many coaches only work part-time and have other jobs), if you are accredited or certified, your background and how long you’ve been coaching, your business goals, and your flexibility.
So, before you start planning around a specific salary and deciding whether or not becoming a Wellness, Health, or Life Coach is for you, we’re going to cover some important factors you should consider.
Factors That Influence A Wellness Coach Salary
1. Do you plan to coach full-time or part-time?
There are a wide variety of Wellness Coaching jobs, and one of the best things about this amazing career is the flexibility it offers. This is especially true when you are a self-employed Wellness Coach.
You get to choose where and when you work, how many clients you take on, and how much you will charge. So if you have the resources to quit an existing job and devote all of your time and energy into wellness coaching full-time, that will be a great option for you!
When we train coaches in our Become a Health & Life Coach (Wellness Coach) program, we teach them to design coaching packages starting at $150 per session to start and provide all the tools to do so.
But if you want to keep your existing position (and salary) and ease your way into coaching, many people choose to do that too. Many new Wellness Coaches find that being able to keep their old job while building up their client base is key to making it all possible—they never have to sacrifice income, and often even end up with a little extra income during the transition period.
What’s really great about becoming a wellness coach is that you can choose how much to charge people, lower or raise your prices according to what works for you. And best of all, there’s no limit to how much you can make!
2. Do you have professional training or certifications?
Wellness Coaching, also sometimes known as Health Coaching, is a fast-growing career that attracts all kinds of educated and talented individuals, from a diverse array of backgrounds. And the skills and experience you gained before starting your journey into coaching can have a significant impact on your earning power. Generally speaking, you do not need to be certified to be a health coach, but, for the most part, getting certified by an accredited wellness coach program can boost not only your credibility but also your earning power.
For instance, dietitians who add Wellness Coaching to their skillset offer a unique one-stop service where clients can get dietary guidance, along with the tools, strategies, and support they need to stick to a healthy eating program.
As a result, it’s not uncommon for them to charge a premium. The same holds true for personal trainers—if they can help people stick to a workout routine and a healthy lifestyle, they’re more likely to attract potential clients and charge a premium.
Many students use certified Wellness and Health Coaching as an add-on or upsell to their current profession since they already technically have a client-base.
Contributing Factors That Can Increase a Wellness Coach’s Salary
In addition to certification, Wellness Coaches with specific backgrounds in areas like dietetics, personal training, fitness, nutrition, yoga, or healthcare may also be seen as having additional credibility, which can increase earning power.
This might be especially true in a healthcare setting. For example, a Wellness Coach with a nursing background will likely be perceived as more qualified by both the healthcare professionals they work with and the patients they serve. This could not only give them an edge in getting the job, but it could also get them a higher salary.
Do Coaches Need a Health Background to be Successful?
A big part of being a successful Wellness Coach is knowing how to promote yourself and run a profitable business. So it makes sense that those who have run their own business, or with a sales and marketing background, will also generally find success as a coach.
Specific skills like sales, pricing of services, and knowing how to use social media to your advantage are especially helpful for Wellness Coaches. This is something the school you choose to get your wellness coaching certification from should be able to help guide you with.
Getting your Wellness, Health or Life Coaching certification from a trusted school, that’s ideally ICF (International Coaching Federation) accredited like Health Coach Institute, can also prove credibility
3. Who do you want to work for?
When it comes to Wellness Coaching Jobs , who you decide to work for will likely have a major impact on how much you earn.
Self-employed – Entrepreneur
Being self-employed as an entrepreneur is the most flexible Wellness Coaching option. However, it is also the most uncertain in terms of salary and benefits. That’s because the number of clients you have is entirely dependent on you! However, if you’re great at marketing yourself and managing a business, the sky’s the limit. But, if you prefer to have someone else doing the selling, working for a corporation or healthcare operation may be a better option.
Many students who choose Health Coach Institute’s (HCI) training came to us because they want to start their own business and do coaching part-time to supplement their income.
Others really want to go all-in on coaching full-time and quit their corporate grind, and choose HCI because of the tools inside the program that help you set up and launch your own fully booked coaching practice.
What’s great about training with HCI is also getting community support within the program and private mentorship with professional coaches throughout your training.
Corporate setting
Large corporations offer a variety of opportunities for Wellness Coaches, including counseling employees and operating on-site fitness, nutrition, and health programs.
Many gyms and schools hire Wellness Coaches with companies like Noom, Calm, and Headspace also hiring Health and Wellness coaches to support their customers and clients.
Corporate positions typically provide a competitive salary and benefits and are a great fit for those looking for more job security. They also take the pressure off to always be marketing and selling yourself, and you’re able to just focus on coaching.
Healthcare operations
Health care operations like doctors’ offices and hospitals are also a great fit for Wellness Coaches looking for job security and a way to gain access to a large number of potential clients in one place. Whether you work directly for the health care operation, or as an independent contractor on-site, the ability to get referrals is key to growing your client base and increasing your earning power.
Many corporations are paying $65,000 a year and up as a corporate holistic Wellness Coach.
The bottom line? Your salary as a wellness coach will grow with your experience and your skills.
According to Thumbtack, the hourly rate for Health Coaching jobs in the US can range anywhere between $50 to over $200 an hour. That’s a huge range. Add in the fact that most coaches offer 3 or 6-month programs, and pricing your services can seem a bit overwhelming. Just realize that there’s a lot of variability in pricing your services, and where you start isn’t where you’ll end up!
In order to build a client base, it’s not uncommon for new Wellness Coaches to start with rates on the lower end of the scale. However, as you attract more clients, build a reputation for yourself, gain more experience and confidence, and perhaps acquire new skills, you’ll be able to raise your rates in no time!
In addition, as you gain experience, you will likely adjust your business model to make it more profitable and attractive to potential clients. For instance, if you are coaching one-on-one, you might add online group sessions for an additional fee.
Or you might utilize new text or email technology services to stay in touch with clients or make billing easier. You may create your own online course, or monetize your wellness coaching on social media through sharing content on YouTube for example, as well. With so many ways to grow your Wellness Coaching business, only one thing is for sure—change will be part of the journey and the sky’s the limit for your earning potential!
Average Health Coach Salary
The Health Coach industry is growing rapidly – it’s estimated to be worth $7 billion today! – which means there’s an abundance of work for Health Coaches. A Health Coach’s salary can vary widely and depends on a variety of factors, such as location, client demographic, services provided, years of experience, if the Health Coach works part-time or full-time, and if the Health Coach is self-employed or employed by an organization.
According to popular job listing sites such as Glassdoor and ZipRecruiter, the average salary for a full-time Health Coach can range from $50,000 – $80,000 per year (based on over 1,000 salaries submitted to both sites). There are Health Coaches in the top 1% making seven figures!
The sky’s the limit for earning potential, and there’s major flexibility when building a Health Coach career that meets your personal and career goals. What works for one person won’t work for another—that’s IIN core concept of bio-individuality in action, and applies to how much a Health Coach will charge and earn.
Salary Difference by Location
Depending on where a Health Coach is living and practicing, their hourly rate or full coaching program rate will align with the cost of living in their particular location.
For example, a Health Coach living and practicing in New York City may be able to charge a higher hourly or program rate than a Health Coach outside of the city, according to ZipRecruiter. The cost of living in New York City is one of the highest in the U.S. and is reflected in higher salaries across the Health Coach and wellness industries.
