How much should you charge as a health coach? 

Today, you’ll learn a powerful health coach pricing formula. 

Specifically, you’ll learn: 

• How to price your health coaching packages
• What the average hourly rate is 
• When (and how) to increase your rates

Want to learn more? Read on!

Key takeaways: 

• Your pricing depends on your market and your results
• Make 2X your current salary 
• The average hourly rate for health coaching is $40 (but $100-$200/hour is very doable for self-employed health coaches who help clients get results)
• Start with a three-month package and price it at $1,500
• Increase your rates once you have a few testimonials 

How much should you charge as a health coach?

How much a health coach should charge depends on several things. 

Specifically, you’ll want to look at three factors: 

1) What is the average market rate? 

2) What type of transformation do you offer? 

3) What’s your goal? 

Let’s take a closer look at each of these. 

What are others charging?

Do you already have an idea how much other health coaches are charging for their programs?

If the answer is no, it’s time to do some thorough market research.

Now, you can certainly charge more than most coaches. After all, health coaching prices can vary from a few hundred to many thousands of dollars. 

But you need to understand how much the market is willing to pay. AKA your specific client segment. 

A good place to start is to do some online research.

Look at what other health coaches are charging, especially those who are working with the same types of clients. 

Also, check out online forums to see what clients and health coaches say about pricing. 

You’ll get an idea of what your market will bear. 

But this is just a starting point. 

Your pricing depends on the results people can get from your coaching program. And that’s what we’ll look at next. 

What kind of transformation are you offering?

Ultimately, people pay for the transformation you offer. 

How does your coaching change them for the better? And what remarkable results will they walk away with?

Whether it’s…

• Shedding unwanted weight (and keeping it off!)
• Fitting into old favorite clothes (indefinitely!)
• Feeling fitter (and remaining fit!)
• Ending bad habits and developing healthier ones
• Enjoying precious moments with children or grandchildren
• Breaking free from the shackles of maladies, such as prediabetes

Basically, you help your clients to either feel better, be better, or have more. If possible, all three combined.

As evidence, a study conducted by the University of Illinois revealed the following:

In a focus group of 23 women who enrolled in a health coaching program, all lost weight. But only those who were accountable were able to keep it off.

That’s the kind of impact you can make.

And the type of results that will help you charge more for your health coaching services. 

What’s YOUR goal?

Your health coach pricing has to align with your personal goals. Otherwise, it won’t be sustainable.

What do you aspire to achieve?

For example, is your ultimate goal to replace your current job and build a successful coaching business? 

Then you’ll want to aim for revenue that’s twice your current salary. This way you’ll be able to cover taxes and expenses.

By setting this financial target, you can reverse-engineer your path to success.

How many clients do you need and at what price to reach your current desired income?

Now that you understand the things that affect your price, let’s take a look at some useful pricing strategies.

The different health coach pricing strategies 

What are your pricing options?

You have four different strategies to choose from: 

• Necessity pricing
• “You choose” pricing
• Pricing per session
• Monthly pricing

Here’s how each strategy works… And the best strategy for your health coaching business.  

I also talk more about them in this short video:

Necessity pricing

Necessity pricing refers to charging what’s needed to replace your current salaried income with your business revenue.

It’s a term I created, so you won’t find it on Google (yet).

With necessity pricing, the question you need to answer is: “If I were to have 10 clients, what price would I need to charge to make 3 months’ worth of my old income plus expenses and taxes?”

The answer is your required monthly health coach salary.

For example, let’s say you’re used to earning $4,000 a month at your job. Then, you would calculate how much you should charge your 10 clients so that you could earn $24,000. (2X your salary so that you cover business expenses.)

In this case, that would be around $2,400 per client.

This pricing strategy is important to get started. 

But it shouldn’t be the endpoint.

“You choose” pricing

The ‘You choose’ pricing is the final stage in terms of pricing strategies.

As the name suggests, it means that you choose what you charge.

You’ll notice that you’ve reached this stage if you have: 

• Worked with many happy clients
• Collected compelling testimonials
• Get lots of inquiries from prospective clients

It can take some time to work yourself up to this level. But I can gladly tell you that it probably isn’t as long as you think.

Many of my students have found themselves in this desirable position within a few short months or after their first 10 clients.

At this point, you have earned the privilege to choose your own path.

And you get to forge one that aligns with your aspirations, values, and financial goals.

This is where the true beauty of having your own business lies.

So, seize this opportunity with confidence!

And back it up with your undeniable expertise and unique ability to deliver extraordinary outcomes.

I talk more about raising your rates here:

Pricing per session

When we first start out, it can be enticing to work with pricing per session. But soon enough, the pitfalls of this approach become obvious.

According to Glassdoor, the average hourly health and wellness coach salary is ~$40. 

Now, keep in mind that this average health coach rate includes both employed health coaches and independent business owners like yourself.

As a business owner, you have the opportunity to break free from the constraints of average rates.

When done right, you could easily charge between $100 and $200 per session.

But I don’t recommend charging per session.

Let me explain: 

Pricing per session can inadvertently position your value solely by the hour. 

This approach undermines your ability to guide and support your clients effectively.

True transformation requires commitment. And relying on an hourly framework can hinder the long-term success of your clients and limit your capacity to deliver sustainable results.

Remember how your business’ value is all about the transformation you provide?

Well, charging per session won’t help with that.

Keep reading to see what you can do instead.

Monthly pricing

Instead of charging per session, you could charge per month. This is called a retainer rate.

Now, the downside of this pricing strategy is that it can become harder to maintain a balanced work-life balance.

While you would agree beforehand on what support is included each month, boundaries can get somewhat fuzzy with this type of pricing.

That’s why I recommend working with packages. 

And here’s how you price your own health coaching packages. 

How to price your health coaching package

I’m a firm believer that working with packages is the best health coach pricing strategy.

Let me explain why.

With a package, you have a specific goal in mind that will be reached within a specific time frame.

Your value is no longer linked to the hours you put in. Instead, it’s linked to, you guessed it, the transformation you provide.

By shifting the conversation away from the supposed value of your time, you can focus on something far more impactful.

Packages emphasize the results your client will achieve and the value they hold for them.

So, forget health coach pricing per hour or per month, and put together a package instead.

Before we look at how to price packages, let’s first understand why you should ask for a premium price. 

Understand the psychology of pricing to set the right price

In the coaching world, there’s a big myth that needs to be dispelled: 

Lower prices do not necessarily lead to more clients or profit.

In fact, research studies have shown that we value and appreciate expensive things more.

This is called the “marketing placebo effect,” and it’s essentially our brain’s reward center playing a little trick on us.

When you set a higher price, you signal a level of quality and expertise.

An additional benefit is the psychological shift that your clients experience. If they perceive your offerings as valuable, their commitment to the process increases.

After all, if they’re investing this much money into it, they have no other choice than to really make it happen, right?

Similarly, a higher price can filter out people who may not be fully committed or ready for the transformative experience you provide.

Good enough reasons not to undervalue yourself, right?

Next, let’s look at health coach package pricing. 

Three-month health coaching package

This is what I recommend clients to start with.

Here’s why.

When I embarked on my own pricing journey many years ago, I felt confident. I bravely ventured into the market with a $,5,000 coaching package. But despite my expertise and enthusiasm, the clients weren’t rolling in.

I received rejection after rejection. 30 in a row, to be exact!

And one potential client even judged me based on my appearance, saying I looked like I was 12 years old and could therefore never coach them.

I soon realized I had to lower my prices. At least temporarily.

But I thought lower prices were bad?

Yes, dirt-cheap prices are a no-go.

But while you should never ever undervalue yourself, adapting to market demand is crucial too.

Selling your package at $100 is way too low. Yet starting out at $5K might currently still be a little too high.

Instead, opt for $1,500.

For now, at least.

This rate helps you garner the social proof you need to attract more clients, while also allowing you to actually make a decent living.

In essence, you sacrifice a little bit of short-term profit for a whole lot of long-term gain.

(P.S. In case you’re curious, I was able to raise my price back up to $5,000 not much later and never had to drop it again! You can read the whole story here.)

I talk more about package pricing here:

Six-month health coaching package

Making your program longer is one of the easiest ways to open the door to $5,000 pricing and beyond.

So, if your three-month package has been well received by clients, why not extend it?

When contemplating your new health coach rates, the golden rule is to think about how it feels.

Pricing is not just a logical decision but an emotional one as well.

Reflect on the value you provide, the impact you make, and how your new rates align with your vision and aspirations.

Of course, your market must be able and willing to pay, but this is something that you will already have figured out through your extensive market research.

Group coaching package

Once you have around 10 private clients, you could scale your program by offering group coaching sessions. 

The pricing can be pretty straightforward, with $1,500 to $5,000 per person being a good range.

Check out this article for a more in-depth look into all the ins and outs of group coaching.

What to include in your package

While crafting a package, it’s common to get completely lost in figuring out the features that will be included, like PDFs and calls.

But if you’ve been paying attention, I’m sure you can already guess what you should place the spotlight on instead.

Exactly, the transformation your clients will experience. 

Create an irresistible offering that truly resonates with clients. And then figure out the extras that support them in getting those results.

Some examples of what should be included in your health coaching package:

• Number of coaching calls: I recommend one to two calls a month as this gives clients ample time for implementation.
• Communication channels: How will clients ask questions or communicate with you between coaching sessions? Think of communication platforms like Voxer, WhatsApp, or email.
• Tracker app: A tracker is a great tangible tool for both you and your clients to monitor their progress and transformation. It also helps with staying accountable.
• Fitness sessions
• Food plan

Health coaching package examples

Here are a few examples of possible health coaching packages:

• Focus on a specific strategy. For example, my student David helps people get healthy with the help of herbs. In this case, you’d help people use your strategy to get the results they want. 
• Help a specific group of people. My student Brenda helps busy women become the healthiest versions of themselves by helping them implement healthy weight loss and nutritional habits. 
• Create a package based on your unique methodology. My student Jamie experienced a car crash that made her feel drained and miserable. She was able to turn her life around and today, she helps other women implement habits in their lives to get great health results.

Frequently asked questions about health coach pricing

Do you need a health coaching certification to sell health coaching?

The answer is: Most likely not. Your success as a health coach hinges more on experience and tangible results than on certifications. For example, if you’ve worked as a personal trainer or a registered nurse, you probably don’t need an additional certification. 

Sure, some health coach niches may require certifications due to local regulations. For example, registered nutritionists generally need a degree to practice.

But most health coaches I’ve worked with didn’t kick-start their careers by acquiring degrees. Instead, they began by helping people achieve remarkable results, fueling the growth of their businesses along the way. 

What is the average rate for a health coach?

I don’t recommend comparing yourself to a so-called average health coach rate. Because the truth is that this depends on several factors: Your level of experience, your unique positioning, and the value you offer.

As mentioned earlier, I generally advise new coaches to price their first three-month package around $1,500. This serves as a starting point, taking into account the value you provide while acknowledging that you’re new to coaching. 

Next steps

There you have it! Now you know the best health coaching pricing strategies.

The key is finding the sweet spot where your rates:

• Align with the value you bring to your clients
• Resonate with your clients’ willingness to invest in their wellbeing
• Fit with your personal goals and income targe

However, deciding on your pricing is step one. 

You also need to figure out how to sell your offers to build a truly sustainable coaching business.

How? 

Get the guide to building a successful health coaching business to learn how to get paying clients and grow a business that lets you replace your 9-5: 

Read more: 

How to Become a Weight Loss Coach

The Best Health Coaching Certifications

How to Become a Nutrition Coach

How to Start a Wellness Coaching Business

How to Start a Nurse Health Coaching Business