How Much Do Life Coaches Make Where You Live?

While it's true that money can't buy happiness, it is an important dimension of wellness that can offer a tremendous level of confidence and comfort—especially if you’re contemplating an exciting (and potentially scary) career change.

Before you start investing your energy into deciding whether or how to leave behind your current job—and the perceived financial security that comes with it—it makes all the sense in the world to take a step back and explore whether a career as a life coach is in financial alignment with your ideal life vision. We see (and value!) your spirit of curiosity and couldn’t be more excited to support you in your journey of discovery.

What we’ve witnessed is that unless you’re stepping away from a high six-figure salary, your quality of life is unlikely to be significantly affected as a life coach (financially, that is 😉). And if you're transitioning from a below-average salary, infinite opportunity awaits you! However, regardless of where you currently fall on the salary scale, there's one facet of your life where you are likely to feel an impact if you decide to take the leap: your happiness and life satisfaction.

As a professional life coach, you get:

• The intrinsic value of doing fulfilling and important work
• The freedom to set your own hours and schedule
• The option to work with the clients you choose
• The flexibility to attend your kid’s soccer game or walk your dog after lunch
• An above-average salary that will allow you to live comfortably within your means

Notice how we listed the salary talk last? It was an intentional choice. Becoming a certified life coach is about far more than the money you can make—AND it's understandably still an important part of many people’s decision-making process so it deserves to be addressed.

Before we get to the raw figures though, there are a few important factors it'd be helpful to consider.

What Determines a Life Coach Salary?

Similar to other professions, how much you can expect to make as a life coach will depend on many of the following factors:

• Where you live: In certain states like New York and California, you can expect to make a much higher salary than in states like Utah and Nevada. With that said, the cost of living in these areas tends to offset any earning discrepancies.
• How much you want to work: Are you interested in coaching full-time or as a “side hustle” to supplement your existing income? How much you want to make (and therefore, how much you want to work) is a personal decision that varies significantly from person to person—we’re all unique! We encourage you to spend some time reflecting on your ideal career vision and the part you feel coaching might play in making it a reality.  
• Your experience/confidence: It's a common limiting belief that new coaches aren't likely to earn as much as more seasoned coaches. And while that may be true for some, we believe this has more to do with a person's coach training and confidence in their coaching abilities than simply their number of years of experience. That's why our program is designed to not only equip you with the skills you need to succeed (including ample support in addressing your own inner blocks so you can achieve your ideal career vision) but also the confidence it takes to charge an amount that supports the life you want.
• Your qualifications: Those who complete an accredited coach training program and fulfill their life coach certification requirements are designated “certified life coaches.” By earning your CPC (Certified Professional Coach), your ELI-MP (Energy Leadership™ Index Master Practitioner), and your COR.E Dynamics™ Specialist Certification through iPEC’s comprehensive Coach Training Program, you’ll become a masterful coach AND be able to charge your clients more for your services.
• Your coaching specialty: While there are many coaching niches to choose from, some are more sought after than others. Choosing an in-demand area of specialization can attract more people who want your coaching services, and as a result, increase your salary. At iPEC, we offer four specialty tracks (life coaching, health and wellness, executive and leadership development coaching, and sports and performance coaching) so you can feel confident you’re choosing a growing, in-demand niche to establish your coaching career around.
• The number of clients you have: This one deserves some clarification because early on, you might assume having more clients means making more money. But any experienced life coach will tell you this isn’t always the case. Sometimes having only a few high-touch clients can be a more profitable (and personally fulfilling!) approach.
• Your efficiency: Not all your time will be spent working with paying clients. In fact, the average life coach spends about half their time working with clients, while the other half is spent on non-paid activities like marketing and bookkeeping. So naturally, the better you get at managing your systems, the more time you’ll have to spend with your clients.

To learn more, we encourage you to explore our related post on the 3 factors that influence a life coach’s salary. It includes a plug-and-play formula you can adjust for your unique life and salary goals!

How Much Do Life Coaches Make in the United States?

If you’ve somehow managed to avoid temptation and read all the way to this point, congratulations! 🎉 It’s finally time to talk numbers. So, what is a life coach salary? Here’s roughly what you can expect to make in each U.S. state.

All U.S. salary figures compiled by https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/index.htm

How Much Money Do Life Coaches Make Internationally?

The beauty of becoming a life coach is that no matter where you live, your skills will always be in demand. With our globally-recognized training programs, internationally-accepted accreditations, and the technological wonder of virtual training, you can make a great living as a life coach no matter where in the world you call home.

All international salary figures compiled by https://www.salaryexpert.com/salary/

Are You Ready to Start Earning as a Life Coach?

Were the salary figures above what you expected or did they surprise you? Remember, these numbers are all just averages—what you make will be entirely up to YOU!

So, while transitioning from one career to another can feel daunting, having the awareness of real-world facts and figures suddenly makes things seem a lot more doable, doesn't it?

When you’re ready to take the first step toward your true calling, we recommend downloading our free guide for support on choosing a coach training program. Inside, you’ll learn more about iPEC’s Coach Training Program and how to compare different certifications to discover the right path for you.