Want to put your skills to good use by becoming a leadership coach but don’t know how much you can expect to earn?

We get it! Leadership coaches are different from executive coaches or life coaches. As such, you can’t expect the same numbers to apply to you.

No worries—we’ve crunched the numbers, so you don’t have to.

Keep reading to discover the following:

• What affects your rates as a leadership coach
• How much does a leadership coach make
• The difference between employed and self-employed leadership coaches

3 Factors That Affect Your Rates as a Leadership Coach

So, what does it take to make your coaching business profitable? Here are three important factors that will impact your rates.

Your Credentials

Do you have what it takes to help people level up their leadership skills?

When someone hires you as a leadership coach, they won’t just pay for your time—they will pay you for your expertise.

If you have a recognized certification from a reputable organization, such as the International Coaching Federation (ICF), it will raise your earning potential. 

It’s even better if you can go for a specialized training program that emphasizes leadership and executive coaching as opposed to life coaching.

This will help you develop the skills you need to help your clients overcome their leadership challenges, which is the result they want to invest in. 

Your Track Record

There’s a reason coaches like Tony Robbins charge $1,000,000 per year to work with clients—they have a solid track record of creating results for people.

When you’re the “sure thing,” people will be willing to spend more to work with you.

The more testimonials and case studies you can accumulate from past clients, the more you can justify your leadership coaching rates. 

Your Offer

Which of the following coaches would you be willing to pay more:

Get leadership support in 1-hour sessions weekly!

Or:

Become an effective leader in 90 days.

We’re willing to bet you’d pay more for the second coach.

Why?

The first coach sells coaching sessions, while the second sells an outcome. When you’re developing your coaching packages, think of how you can position yourself as someone who can help your clients reach the outcome they want.

Your coaching offer will determine how much people are willing to invest in your services and, consequently, how much you can make.

So How Much Does a Leadership Coach Make?

Firstly, it depends on their location. For example, in the United States alone, leadership coaches make $86,010 on average per year. However, this number is 10% higher in California and 5% lower in Texas.

On the other hand, Glassdoor tells a different story—their numbers suggest an average salary of $93,497 per year. 

Remember that your income can look different if you have a leadership coaching business. Self-employed coaches must pay their own taxes, but they can also deduct business expenses to reduce their taxable income.

That’s not all—self-employed leadership coaches must account for non-billable hours when calculating their hourly wage!

For example, if you charge an average of $100 for a one-hour session, does that mean you’re making $100 per hour? Not at all!

Instead, you must look at the total number of hours you work on your business. Let’s say your week looks something like this:

• 12 one-hour coaching sessions at $100/session
• 5 hours of admin work
• 10 hours of marketing

In total, you’re working 27 hours and making $1,200 each week. But you’re also spending $300 monthly on various expenses, which works out to $75 weekly. 

That means your actual hourly wage is:

($1,200 – $75) / 27 = $41.67 per hour

That number is much closer to the national average—and we haven’t factored in sick days and vacation time!

So, how much should you charge as a leadership coach? That depends on:

• Your specific revenue expectations
• How you compare to other coaches
• How much people are willing to pay for your services

The advantage of being self-employed is that you get to set your own rates. But remember that the higher your rates, the stronger your offering and positioning will need to be.

FAQ

How Much Can I Make as a Leadership Coach?

Leadership coaches generally make between $94,000 to $167,000 per year according to Glassdoor. These numbers can largely vary depending on your experience, clientele, and location.

How Do You Qualify as a Leadership Coach?

You can build expertise in leadership coaching through accredited certification programs combined with leadership experience and coaching skills. 

How Much Should I Charge for Leadership Coaching?

Rates vary, but most leadership coaches in the US charge $100 to $500 per session, depending on experience and market demand.

Make a Sustainable Living as a Leadership Coach

Now you know what you can expect to make as a leadership coach.

These are just ballpark figures, and there’s no limit to what you can make. You can earn $0 or $1,000,000 but, most likely, somewhere in between.

One of the ways you can increase your hourly rate as a leadership coach is to spend fewer hours on admin work. And there’s no easier way to streamline your leadership coaching business than by using Paperbell.

It’s an all-in-one client management platform that handles bookings, payments, contracts, and more. It lets you create, sell, and deliver your coaching packages online. Plus, it’s crazy simple to use. Try Paperbell with your first client for free!

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in April 2023 and has since been updated for accuracy.