The Health Coaching industry is booming, and that means health coach salaries are too!
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 60% of adults in the United States have a chronic health condition1, and that number continues to rise.
So, how does this affect Health Coaches?
Health Coaches are uniquely positioned to help manage the current healthcare crisis in the US and worldwide.
In fact, according to a study on chronic diseases in the U.S., effective management of chronic illnesses requires “creating actionable insights about patients and coaching them toward healthier choices.”
That sounds like Health Coaching to us!
Naturally, as evidence like this continues to prove the benefits of Health Coaching, the demand for Certified Health Coaches will go up.
And as demand goes up, guess what else goes up?
Health Coach Salaries!
In fact, one of our very own Functional Diagnostic Nutrition (FDN) Practitioners more than doubled her previous corporate income within two short years of graduating from our functional health certification program.
Then she went on to triple it the following year!
This kind of financial success is not uncommon for our graduates.
Yet, we still get asked:
“Can I really make a profitable career as a Health Coach or Functional Practitioner?”
And our answer has never been more clear!
It’s a resounding YES. 🙌
Why Health Coaching Makes a Great Career.
Our main topic today is Health Coach salaries & earning potential, but it just wouldn’t feel right to gloss over some of the other foundational benefits that come along with this career path first.
Things like:
Changing 👏 People’s 👏 Lives 👏
As a Health Coach or Practitioner you get to help people transform their lives from the inside out. No matter what symptoms your client is struggling with, you have the tools & expertise to help them move forward in a positive direction.
That’s something money can’t buy 😉
But, we get it – MONEY is important too!
And we aren’t shy when it comes to talking about health coach salaries.
At FDN, we believe you should be able to help people AND make a good salary for yourself.
In fact, FDN Founder, Reed Davis, says if you aren’t making 6-figures 12 months into your career, then you’re doing something wrong!
But, of course there are some factors to consider, so let’s dive in.
How Much Do Health Coaches Make: A Few Factors
1. Full-Time vs. Part-Time and the VALUE You Can Provide
The beauty of becoming a Health Coach is that it’s usually pretty easy to set your own hours. If you’re planning to work for an established healthcare clinic, there are plenty of part-time opportunities available.
Or, if you start your own business as a Health Coach or practitioner, *you* are the boss, and get to decide how many hours per week you want to work.
However, how much you make will be largely dependent on the hours you put in.
That is, unless, you provide a step-up in terms of value – and that’s exactly what you can provide to your clients as an FDN Practitioner (more on this later).
One of our FDN graduates shared how she started out running her health coaching business as a side hustle while still at her corporate job. She was surprised when working part-time still brought in $5K in one month. This led to her eventual transition into a full-time Health Coach, earning well over 6-figures.
Key Takeaway: Health coach salaries are dependent on how much you want to work. If you’re looking to make a good living while working fewer hours, you’re going to want to consider more specialized training such as the FDN certification, which will allow you to charge more for your services.
2. Work For Yourself or Someone Else?
Whether you want to work in a brick & mortar wellness clinic, or start your own virtual health coaching business, becoming a health coach provides you with many opportunities.
While it does take time to build momentum when starting your own business, doing so definitely offers higher earning potential compared to working as a Health Coach at an established clinic.
For example, a Health Coach working for a company such as Premise Health makes an average salary of approximately $72,0003, whereas it’s not uncommon for our graduates to make 6-figures per year working less than 40 hours per week. In fact, we have some FDN Practitioners making upwards of $70,000 per *MONTH* running their own online businesses.
Key Takeaway: Time is a precious commodity, and you want to choose a path that will allow you work-life balance while still making good money. Both of these factors are possible as an FDN Practitioner. Not only does it allow you the opportunity for a six-figure income, but starting up your own business as a certified FDN Practitioner welcomes the kind of flexibility that gives you back more time.
3. Business Model & Experience
If you do decide to start your own health coaching business, the amount you’re able to earn is going to depend on how you structure your business.
So, having some business savvy definitely helps.
There’s a lot that goes into starting & running a profitable health coaching business.
Things like:
- Developing a signature health coaching program
- Pricing strategy & online marketing
- Creating engaging social media content
- Implementing time-saving business systems
- Basic bookkeeping and tax preparation
Being strategic about your business model allows you to earn more money – plain & simple. For example, selling single health coaching sessions for $75/hour is not likely going to provide a dependable salary you’re happy with. You’ll constantly be fishing after clients, and wondering how much money to expect that month.
At FDN, entrepreneurship is woven into our culture, and we share our business expertise with students in addition to training them in functional health & wellness.
We help them figure out all kinds of stuff! From how to price their health coaching packages to the nitty-gritty stuff, like liability insurance!
Upon graduation, we also have a monthly membership available that provides graduates with ongoing business support & resources.
Key Takeaway: Health coach salaries are going to depend on whether you’re working for yourself vs someone else. If you want to start your own business and maximize your earning potential, choose a health coaching program that is passionate about helping their students build thriving businesses.
4. Are You Certified?
Believe it or not, there is currently no standard set for Health Coaches in terms of required accreditation. However, being certified gives you a competitive edge and develops trust with your clients.
Besides, you want to feel good about the information you are putting out there.
Being certified by a well-known, reputable organization allows you to charge more. There are so many great programs out there, and choosing the right health coaching certification program is something that only you can decide for yourself! Everyone has different needs, budgets and availability.
Key Takeaway: Health coach salaries are going to depend on whether you are certified or not. Obtaining a certification with FDN definitely sets you ahead of the rest! So much so that many doctors employ FDN Practitioners at a rate of $100-$130 per hour.
Health Coach Salaries vs. FDN Practitioner Salaries.
A typical Health Coach in the U.S. averages a base salary of $48,236.4 But, some certified Health Coaches can easily double that.
As mentioned earlier, FDN Founder, Reed Davis, tells his graduates that:
“If you’re not making $100,000 your first year, you’re doing something wrong.”
And that’s not even with full-time work. Reed encourages his students to carve out plenty of time to do the things they love most in life, whatever that is for them.
Health Coach Salaries Summary.
No matter the certification you receive, you are going to improve the lives of many, and like we mentioned at the very beginning, that’s worth a lot!
Buttt, becoming an FDN Practitioner definitely allows you to charge more.
Why?
RESULTS.
Real, lasting results.
And what does this mean for you?
Better results = higher pay.
It means you’re able to charge more for your services, and feel good about it because you have a track record of getting real results for your clients.
So how are FDN Practitioners able to get these kinds of results?
The FDN program teaches students how to develop highly-personalized protocols based on very specific functional lab tests that most Health Coaches simply do not have access to.
Not only are you able to order these labs as an unlicensed practitioner, you are trained as a health detective & equipped with the programs and tools necessary to get to the bottom of your client’s symptoms.
The bottom line is that the training puts you in another league compared to conventional Health Coaches.
Ready to Look Beyond Health Coach Salaries?
Now that you’ve explored health coach salaries & know how much you can make as a Health Coach or Functional Practitioner, it’s time to take the next step!
If you’re ready to change lives (including yours), we’d love to chat with you.
Book a free call with one of our Course Advisors here.
We’re friendly, we promise!
Resources:
1. “Chronic Diseases in America.” CDC, https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/infographic/chronic-diseases.htm. Accessed 17 August 2022.
2. “An Empirical Study of Chronic Diseases in the United States: A Visual Analytics Approach to Public Health.” NCBI, 1 March 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5876976/. Accessed 17 August 2022.
3. “Premise Health Health Coach Salaries in the United States.” Indeed, https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Premise-Health/salaries/Health-Coach. Accessed 17 August 2022.
4. “Salary: Health Coach (August, 2022).” Glassdoor, 13 December 2021,
https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/health-coach-salary-SRCH_KO0,12.htm. Accessed 17
