Pilates and Profits: Unveiling the Secrets of Pilates Instructor Salaries
Before I started teaching Pilates, I was a boutique manager. My contract detailed my salary, vacation time, health benefits, retirement plan, etc., every year. I knew how much my paycheck would be every other Friday. And I knew how I could earn more through commissions. When I considered making the decision to start teaching Pilates professionally, the advice I received about how much to charge was: “a little less than the teacher who has been teaching for 6 months longer than I have.”
This advice did not work for me. Setting rates based on people in my surroundings may make sense. But it does not take into account my personal needs, schedule, or goals. Worse yet, when I found out who she based her rates on and who that person based theirs on, I learned that the person at the “top” hadn’t raised their rates in 7 years!
I was determined to earn what I needed to be able to teach full-time and not feel like I was “guessing” everything. Although it took a bit of math, I managed to figure it out. Since then, I have been sharing this with everyone because understanding your compensation as a teacher/owner is integral to being able to show up and teach! Even if you’re not doing it for the money. The ability to say “no” to teaching a class or “yes” to a weekend getaway depends on knowing how much you are actually earning.
First of all, making a living from teaching is absolutely possible. Secondly – and I hope this information helps you see it – there is money in Pilates. How much you earn depends on several things. One of them is who you consider yourself to be. Are you an employee, a sole proprietor, or a studio owner?
No matter where you currently see yourself, read through each scenario in this two-part series, as your situation may change. You may transition from one role to another depending on the needs of your life.
Where are my employees?
The fact is: you won’t be able to set your own rates, and you will likely receive a paycheck of 25-40% of what the studio charges for a session. But for that risk and the costs of running a business, they are also not yours. Hooray! Depending on where you live, if you teach 30 hours a week and earn an average of $35 an hour, you could earn $50,000 a year, including 4 weeks of vacation! In this case, if you want to earn more, you often have to work more. However, the costs and stress of running a business do not fall on your shoulders.
Yes! You are 100% essential to the studio. And your fabulousness makes clients feel seen. But this is not your business. Find a studio whose values and goals align with yours. Come in, rock the sessions, and log out from work!
Are You Working Solo?
You can set your own rates! You also have to wear ALL the hats. Website, administration, scheduling, teaching – you do it all! All expenses related to running classes with passion must be included in what you want to earn annually. You decide your salary, and then add all those expenses to it. Take the amount you want to earn and add your bills. This also means taxes. We will call this number gross income. Once you have it, you can use my handy free tool to determine how much you need to charge for each hour of teaching. So, how much do you want to earn?
I want to give you an example so you can see what is possible. Someone who charges $75 for a private session and teaches 25 hours a week for 48 weeks a year can earn $90,000 a year. If you want to earn more or work less, that’s no problem. It is relatively common to earn $75,000-$100,000 (or more) depending on how much you teach and how much you charge for classes. It’s important to know that YOU decide. This IS YOUR business.
Get ready to see what is possible for studio owners in part 2!
Note!
The text reflects the realities of the U.S. market, but the assumptions contained within can serve as great inspiration for creating your own calculations.
The text is a translation of the article https://thecore.pilates.com/pilates-and-profits-demystify-the-pilates-instructor-salary-part-1/
I’m Lesley Logan, a certified Pilates teacher with a passion for a holistic approach to health and well-being. I’ve been teaching the Joseph Pilates method since 2008, drawing my knowledge from the best, including one of his direct students, Jay Grimes. Besides teaching, I help instructors and Pilates studio owners grow their businesses through my programs, book, and platform, ProfitablePilates.com. My mission is to share my knowledge and inspire people to create businesses that are both fulfilling and profitable.