How do health coaches make money? And what are the highest earners doing that other coaches can learn from? Whether you want to understand how coaches earn a salary, boost your own health coaching income, or generate some passive income on the side, we’ve got you covered.
In this article – learn seven ways that smart health coaches make money & boost their income (without working every hour of the day).
We’re a specialist health and wellness marketing agency with 15+ years of industry experience, so we know first-hand what works (and what doesn’t!). We’ve helped health coaches and wellness studios to successfully promote their businesses, so our strategies are tested and proven.
How much do health coaches earn?
According to US salary data from Glassdoor, the average health coach salary was $56,327 in 2023. In the UK, health coaches earn around £25,644 ($32,452) on average according to Indeed. But this is before taxes, insurance, and business operating expenses so isn’t a reflection of what health coaches actually take home.
This video does a good job of explaining this if you’re interested in learning more…
The good news is, you don’t have to settle for an average income. With some strategic planning and smart repurposing of existing materials, health coaches can increase their income and generate extra revenue for their business. So, let’s look at how health coaches make money and practical ways to increase income…
How do health coaches make money?
Most health coaches make money by working with private clients to help them reach their health goals, or getting paid by an employer (such as the NHS in the UK). Some coaches also make money by consulting, selling products, or running a blog that generates affiliate and advertising revenue. Let’s explore the different ways that health coaches make money and what the highest earners do to boost their income…
Learn which fitness marketing strategies produce the best results (so you can focus on what actually works).
1 – Coaching Clients One-To-One
Let’s start with the most common method – working with patients or clients on a one-to-one basis. This is where health coaches get paid to help individuals achieve their wellness goals. It might be an hourly rate for individual coaching sessions, package deal for several sessions, or salary from an employer.
While working with clients in one-to-one sessions is the most common way that health coaches earn money, it’s not necessarily the most efficient. When coaches want to increase this type of income, they typically need to raise their prices, work more hours, or ask for a pay rise from their employer.
However, many health coaches feel this method is the most rewarding since they get to build a relationship with clients and see their progress. Working with people one-to-one can be particularly satisfying when they make a breakthrough or achieve a health goal they’ve been working towards for some time.
2 – Health & Wellness Consulting
Consulting can be a lucrative income opportunity for health coaches. This is where coaches are paid a fee for their insights, advice, or solutions, either by an individual or company. Consulting is usually done on a day-rate basis which means health coaches can earn more than they would for hourly sessions.
With the corporate wellness industry growing rapidly and many businesses recognising the value of workplace health offerings, health coaches are well-positioned to help. Consulting for companies on launching a new employee wellness offering or strategies for managing stress can be ideal ways to earn extra income.
3 – Bundle Existing Health Templates
Selling health-related template bundles is an easy win for health coaches yet it’s often overlooked. Many coaches even give away their resources for free without realising the value they hold!
If you’re a professional health coach, then it’s likely that you’re already using templates with your existing clients. You probably have food diaries, exercise trackers, meal plans, fitness assessments, wellness questionnaires, and a host of other resources. So, why not bundle these into a paid package?
Template bundles are an ideal product to sell at a low price point and act as a stepping stone to the rest of your offering. They introduce people to the quality of your services and provide an opportunity for you to up-sell.
There are plenty of people who will try to go it alone on their wellness journey. Templates help to support them in getting started and guide them in the right direction.
But you can also promote your health coaching services too by including calls to action like ‘if you want more customised plans and tailored advice, you might like my coaching service’. Following up with email welcome sequences and regular wellness-themed newsletters can also help you upsell to these customers.
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4 – Offer Health Coaching Package Add-ons
Another way to boost your health coach income is to sell add-ons for your existing packages. You could supply bonus resources that enhance the core coaching package but aren’t essential to it. For example, it could include relevant fitness books, online fitness classes, a supplement bundle, and a water bottle to aid adequate hydration.
This is a great way to provide additional value for your health coaching clients while also making extra money too. Add-ons like these can help people along their wellness journey so that they’re better equipped and more likely to reach their goals successfully.
You might also like… Personal Trainer Salary Boosting Ideas.
5 – Negotiate Commissions
Are there products or local businesses that you regularly recommend to clients? Perhaps there’s a particularly good yoga studio that you know of or specific multi-vitamin that you like. If so, then there may be an opportunity to earn a commission from the recommendations you’re already making.
These businesses may be willing to pay you for the warm leads that you’re sending their way. So, why not ask if they’d be willing to come to an agreement of some kind? Or sign up for a health-related affiliate program. Just remember that as a health and wellness coach, it’s vital to retain your professional integrity so only recommend services that are genuinely beneficial.
If you run a coaching blog, then you might also like this article on how to boost revenue from your health and fitness website.
Learn which fitness marketing strategies produce the best results (so you can focus on what actually works).
6 – Sell Health Coaching Ebooks
Selling health and fitness ebooks is an easy way to help more clients and earn extra income too. They allow you to share your coaching knowledge and expertise with a larger number of people. As with template bundles, ebooks can also get potential clients into your sales funnel and provide upselling opportunities for coaching packages.
What’s your coaching specialty? Is there a topic that you know more about than the average bear? Are there any trends in the health industry that you are (or could become) an authority on? If so, it may make an excellent ebook.
Once you’ve written the ebook, you can sell it via Lulu, Amazon, or your own website using a tool like Podia. At this point, the work is done and revenue is generated passively going forward.
It’s a great way to supplement your health coaching salary consistently without having to continually put in extra hours. Books also help to diversify your income so that you’re not overly reliant on one revenue stream (especially important when a recession is looming).
7 – Teach Health & Wellness Workshops
Teaching workshops is a fantastic way to earn extra income and help more people in the process. Gyms, community centers, and universities will all pay to have health experts come in and give talks. Alternatively, you can secure space and then charge people to attend instead.
Are you using Instagram as part of your marketing strategy? Then make sure you’re using the right health coach hashtags to promote your business.
How Health Coaches Can Earn More Money
With these revenue-generating ideas, you can boost your health coaching income on a consistent basis. Taking on consulting gigs can be a fantastic way to get paid for your knowledge and expertise on a higher scale than one-to-one sessions. Templates and ebooks are excellent passive revenue generators and act as a stepping stone to higher-ticket products. Add-ons increase the value of your offering and commissions allow you to get paid for recommendations you’re already making. Teaching workshops will expand your reach, enhance your credibility, and provide a salary boost too.
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Your All-in-One Toolkit to Attract, Engage & Convert More Clients
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Your All-in-One Toolkit to Attract, Engage, and Convert More Clients – Tailored Specifically for Fitness Businesses Like Yours!
The Fitness Marketing & Lead Generation Roadmap is a comprehensive resource designed for gyms, personal trainers, and online fitness businesses. It’s packed with video workshops, marketing templates, step-by-step guides, cheat sheets, and more. We cover:
- Fitness Marketing Strategy: Build a solid foundation and plan for success.
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- Content Marketing: Create compelling content that resonates with your audience.
