How much do yoga instructors earn?

[lightnesspixie]

Just that really

thats like asking how much hairdressers earn.

the answer will depend on how good they are, how fancy their clientele are and what their operating costs are and how often they work.

I happen to know 3 yoga instructors and they would all give you very different answers.

one is self employed and runs 'village hall classes' as a second job to secondary supply teaching, one is employed 'full time' by a gym company but works really odd split shifts and another is a business owner who runs a private wellness/ health club that does facials and other stuff to and caters for the well to do.

I think it’s quite difficult to earn a proper living. Plus the hours can be funny and there’s expectations to run retreats etc.

I looked into it, but decided it wasn’t worth the risk and time and money to train. I would bloody love to do it though!

Not yoga but I have a friend who runs a Pilates studio in SW London. I think lots of her day time classes are pre and postnatal classes. As far as I am aware she makes a decent amount.

How many classes a week will you do? How many people to a class? How much will your studio hire be? What about council tax, utilities, advertising etc? What part of the country? How much will you charge?

My osteopath doesn’t Pilates classes, it’s a sideline, she makes most of her money from her therapy.

The instructors in all of the classes I do all have other jobs too - full time or part time.

Even the owner of the local very swanky yoga studio works part time as a TA in a school.

It’d be very easy to sit down with a calculator and work out how many classes and/or 1:1 sessions you’d need to do (and fill) each week, minus your costs, to earn what you’d consider to be a proper living.

Fuck all, is the short answer, unless they are a famous yogini in their own right with a big name brand.

Friend charges £60 an hour, picks and chooses her clients, seems pretty happy with her lot.

That's an 'how long is a piece of string' question.

We go into it for love, not money and certainly where I am, it's never going to make anyone rich. I teach a few classes a week because I enjoy it and love seeing the benefit it brings to people. Those who have traditional training will probably be versed in Yoga's 8 limbs which include moral principles like not being greedy/avaricious.

Once I factor in prep, insurance costs, marketing etc, my hourly take-home isn't much above NMW. But I only teach a few classes a week with occasional workshops.

Those who become teacher-trainers and run retreats can earn more and I guess someone in a wealthier area who runs a studio could do well.

There's also been a growth in yoga teacher business mentors - no idea how lucrative that is

Not a lot to start with but if they buildup a good practice with dedication clients then they can earn quite well. I have a relation who does 3 evening classes for up to 20 at 12 per class. She also does private pregnancy yoga classes for 60 per hour and a half.
She also organises weekend retreats which can be 300-500 per person. Obviously the retreats have some expenses for her. But she makes quite a bit from it.

The only thing I will say is that the training costs are expensive and it does take a good few years to build it up. It's not going to happen instantly and you would be at a loss for the first few years I imagine if you're paying off training.

Like others, I think this is very much a "how long is a piece of string" question.

I imagine not very much but then if you do classes every day abs in different places maybe you earn more