Job Description and Salary of a Wellness Coach

• There are some schools that offer wellness coaching as a minor discipline.
• Technically, you need not have a college degree for this designation; however, you would have a better chance if you have in undergraduate degree in nutrition, health and fitness, health education, nursing, or even psychology. If not, at least undertake short-term courses in any of the above subjects.
• You can also choose elective subjects, like communications, behavioral science, counseling, or sociology.
• You need to have specific knowledge about certain diseases, like weight management, pre-post natal care, and chronic conditions.
• It would be beneficial to undertake a certification from the American College of Sports Medicine. You need to renew the same after three years.
• You will also need certification in CPR, First Aid, Child Abuse Prevention training, etc.
• You will need some experience in athletic and fitness training, and be knowledgeable about chronic pain, depression, etc. as well.

• In general, the salary of a wellness coach varies in between USD 25,000 to USD 70,000. A regular wellness coach is paid an average of around USD 40,000.
• Some of the coaches work on a per-hour basis; the hourly rate approximately varies between USD 9 to USD 39, averaging at USD 20.
• There are a number of factors that heavily affect the pay; some of them are enlisted below.

Employment Sector

• Wellness coaches are employed by hospitals, clinics, private health management and wellness companies, gymnasiums, etc. Some of them have their own business, while some offer one-to-one service.
• Hospitals and clinics pay you as per your experience – initially, you might earn around USD 25,000, and with the demands of the profession catching up, you may earn up to USD 40,000 and more.
• If you work as a consultant or a coordinator for a health management company, you may easily earn between USD 50,000 to USD 70,000.
• A wellness administrator in a health organization will fetch you around USD 65,000 and more.
• If you own a health and wellness coaching business, there is no limit to how much you can earn; it will depend on how many clients you have.
• As a wellness trainer, you may earn around USD 45,000.
• Wellness program managers in health organizations and private companies earn as much as USD 75,000.
• If you work on a one-to-one basis as an independent contractor (with experience), you may charge between USD 100 to USD 150 per hour.

Location

• Salaries vary widely as per locations.
• A wellness coach may earn between USD 30,000 to USD 45,000 in states, like Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Delaware, Florida, Tennessee, Indiana, North Carolina, Wyoming, etc.
• The salary range is between USD 50,000 to USD 60,000 in states, like New York, Texas, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Ohio, Georgia, Washington, etc.

Education and Experience

• There are no second thoughts about this – a higher education and more experience will fetch you a better salary, regardless the field.
• If you have a bachelor’s degree and certification, you will earn more than someone who has a high school diploma.
• Hospitals and private coaching centers also consider education as a major factor while recruitment.
• If you have the correct certification, additional courses, and some experience, you will earn more than USD 30,000 right the beginning. If not, you will definitely begin your career with USD 25,000, but if you do not update yourself with the latest education, you may not progress in your career.
• Even when you start your own business, your clients will check your experience first.
• Ordinarily, freshers in this field work under an experienced coach, and may earn very less while training. As they get employed in a hospital setting, they earn between USD 25,000 to USD 30,000.
• An experience of 5 years fetches approximately USD 40,000, while a decade of experience may fetch anywhere between USD 50,000 to USD 65,000.
• Generally, coaches branch out after 10 years – some have their own business, while some join private health management companies. An experience of more than 10 years may fetch up to USD 75,000 and more.

• Reportedly, this field has a fairly decent work outlook. The BLS predicts a job growth rate of more than 13% for this field over the next decade.
• In fact, the career growth for similar designations, like nutritionists and dietitians, is expected to increase by 21%. This is much higher than the average growth for other occupations.
• The job is not very demanding, but of course, there is a high level of commitment and responsibility, and requires you to be very cautious.
• If you work as an independent wellness coordinator/consultant, you will earn much more and have the convenience of your own business setting and work hours.