Knowing how much your competitors make from life coaching services is advantageous. You can then compare your pricing and modify it accordingly.
Not only the seasoned life coaches but also the ones who are starting their new businesses can set their prices according to the market to compete without underselling. In this article, you can find the average salary of a life coach based on geographic location, experience level, and niche.
Moreover, you can enhance your coaching business to increase your potential to charge more with tips in this article.
But before delving into the average salary of a life coach, let’s begin with the factors that affect a life coach’s salary.
Factors Influencing Life Coach Salary
1. Geographic Location
Geographical location plays an important role in influencing the life coach’s salary. The demand for life coaching is different in all locations. The demand in high-density and metropolitan areas is high, and as a result, you can charge more than in the less dense areas.
2. Niches
When you specialize in niches inside broad life coaching, you’ll be able to charge higher fees. Some niches are highly demanding, such as executive coaching, relationship coaching, or health and wellness coaching. So, you can leverage to charge more in those niches.
You can learn more about life coaching niches in this article: A Guide to Life Coaching Niches and How to Choose Yours.
3. Level of Experience
Your charge increases as you keep on adding experience in the field. Coaches with lots of experience and a proven success track record can increase their rate significantly. Your client will happily pay if you can demonstrate outcomes.
4. Training / Education
Training or education is not essential to start your coaching practice. However, getting certification and training helps you to stand out from the crowd. It gives you the power to charge higher than the competitors.
Also, coaches like you, having advanced degrees in related fields such as psychology or business, usually charge more from their clients.
If you are looking to get certification, be sure to go through our guide here: 8 Best Life Coach Certification Programs.
5. Client Base and Demand
Another factor that influences how much you can charge depends on the type of clients that you have. You can charge more if you work with executives, professionals, or individuals with high net worth. But you will find it challenging to charge such high fees to the general population.
6. Coaching Methodology and Tools
Coaching methods and tools you use in your practice can impact your coaching fee. You’ll be able to charge more if you use innovative techniques and assessment tools for rapid results.
You can use assessment tools like the Wheel of Life assessment tool to aid in your coaching service.
Your charging potential also changes depending on how you operate your business. For example, you can offer different prices for group coaching or one-on-one coaching.
7. Marketing and Branding
Effective branding and marketing plays a significant role in coaches’ salary. A well-crafted campaign can attract higher-paying clients. This process helps to increase your visibility throughout various platforms and earning potential as a result.
Now, let’s dive into the average salary that a coach can make.
Average Salary of a Life Coach
Based on Region
A life coach’s salary depends upon its popularity and frequency of use in different regions worldwide. You can see in the data below that there is quite a difference in salary between different geographical regions.
The following table is from the report by the International Coaching Federation in 2023.
| Region | Annual Average Income (USD) |
|---|---|
| Asia | 33,980 |
| Eastern Europe | 18,700 |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 22,900 |
| Middle East and Africa | 29,600 |
| North America | 67,800 |
| Oceania | 58,800 |
| Western Europe | 52,400 |
(Source: ICF Global Coaching Study 2023)
Region-wise, North America is the best place to earn as a life coach, whereas Eastern Europe has the lowest average income.
According to the U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, the table below shows the average salary of a life coach in different states. The highest average salary is in Washington state at $81,110, whereas the lowest average salary is in South Dakota at $48,950.
| State | Annual Average Salary (USD) |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 56,510 |
| Alaska | 67,430 |
| Arizona | 54,310 |
| Arkansas | 55,950 |
| California | 81,100 |
| Colorado | 60,790 |
| Connecticut | 71,920 |
| Delaware | 66,310 |
| Florida | 54,290 |
| Georgia | 61,910 |
| Hawaii | 58,220 |
| Idaho | 55,570 |
| Illinois | 60,660 |
| Indiana | 52,120 |
| Iowa | 56,310 |
| Kansas | 54,630 |
| Kentucky | 58,890 |
| Louisiana | 58,740 |
| Maine | 56,980 |
| Maryland | 71,240 |
| Massachusetts | 76,860 |
| Michigan | 58,800 |
| Minnesota | 62,780 |
| Mississippi | 50,850 |
| Missouri | 52,590 |
| Montana | 55,130 |
| Nebraska | 64,260 |
| Nevada | 60,550 |
| New Hampshire | 57,640 |
| New Jersey | 76,580 |
| New Mexico | 62,090 |
| New York | 71,160 |
| North Carolina | 52,120 |
| North Dakota | 57,080 |
| Ohio | 68,720 |
| Oklahoma | 52,300 |
| Oregon | 70,740 |
| Pennsylvania | 66,080 |
| Rhode Island | 66,760 |
| South Carolina | 53,100 |
| South Dakota | 48,950 |
| Tennessee | 54,130 |
| Texas | 60,690 |
| Utah | 56,770 |
| Vermont | 63,660 |
| Virginia | 70,020 |
| Washington | 79,180 |
| West Virginia | 51,220 |
| Wisconsin | 57,770 |
| Wyoming | 60,040 |
(Source: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS)
Based on Experience Level
Your salary as a life coach also differs according to your experience level. The more experience you have, the more your salary also increases. According to Salary Expert (November 21, 2023 data), the average base salary of an entry-level life coach is $66,694, whereas a senior-level life coach with experience of more than 8 years has an average salary of $116,883 annually.
Based on Niches
Life coaching is a broad field with various niches, such as career coaching, relationship coaching, executive coaching, etc. Your salary and the amount you can charge also depends upon the niche you adopt.
| Niche | Average Annual Salary (USD) |
|---|---|
| Product Coach | 153,698 |
| Executive Life Coach | 124,434 |
| Strategic Coach | 119,156 |
| Online Relationship Coach | 101,249 |
| Corporate Life Coach | 90,459 |
(source: ZipRecruiter, November 14, 2023)
Quick Tips to Increase Your Earning Potential
- Create high-quality, downloadable content like coaching templates, e-books, etc.
- Conduct workshops and seminars to showcase your expertise and attract more people.
- Write a book by sharing your insights and methods to increase your reputation.
- Be a public speaker to attract people and market your coaching service.
- Target the corporate sector by offering tailored coaching services.
- Offer group coaching occasionally, as it is more time-efficient than one-on-one coaching.
- Offer coaching packages instead of an hourly charge.
- Offer recorded courses instead of live sessions so clients can use the service conveniently.
- Organise intensive coaching and retreat programs for high ticket offerings.
- Provide guidance and mentorship to up-and-coming coaches.
- Engage your audience with a newsletter, blog, or podcast to generate and nurture leads.
Final Thoughts
The average salary of a life coach depends on various factors, as you know from this article. This comprehensive overview helps you to know the average salary that life coaches make.
Moreover, consider the quick tips to help you diversify your income stream. Try different niches and gather experience and credibility in order to increase your salary.
However, if you can deliver the results clients want, then you could make much more than the average life coach’s salary.
So, keep experimenting, keep evolving and happy earning!!!
