Why does the salary for parenting coaches vary?

Some variable factors such as where you live, your level of experience and how you want to work with clients, can affect rates.

For example, what you charge when you have just completed your parent coach certification will not be the same as what you charge when you have more experience under your belt.

Likewise, different markets will allow for different rates. Clearly, if you choose to offer parent coaching to local clients in Los Angeles you will likely charge a different fee than if you are living and working in rural Louisiana.

The best part is—because of your ability to work virtually from anywhere, you are not limited to working locally!

These pricing strategies are all guidelines and not rules. If, like some of our coaches, you are coming from a professional field where you have an already established reputation, you may begin charging at a higher level than someone who is newly building one.

Some parent coaches have other professional designations prior to joining the field. They may be pediatricians, early childhood educators, psychologists, teachers, therapists, doulas or social workers. For others, completing the parenting coach certification might be their first time working in this industry.

Therefore, your initial rates may naturally vary initially according to your existing confidence, experience and networks—and your rates will continue to adjust with you as you grow.

How do I know what to charge?

I love this question and it is certainly one of the most frequently asked. As you know the answer can vary greatly—so when we work with our parent coaches to help them determine their rates, we walk them through this exercise to find two numbers:

1. Give some thought to what coaching program you’d like to offer your clients (length of commitment etc.).
2. Consider the economic situation in the market you are in (if you are choosing to stick to one area).
3. Connect to the value of the work you offer. Really think about and connect with the outcomes for families who work with you. What is it worth to go from frustration, distance and conflict within your family to a connected, loving and fun relationship? What would parents be willing to pay for this outcome?
4. Now close your eyes with this in mind and picture yourself at the top of your game as a parent coach. You are skilled, confident and experienced. You have testimonials and a list of very satisfied clients. What would you want to charge per session at this point? (This number should feel like a stretch.) Hold that number...
5. Now close your eyes and imagine a number that you would feel really good charging right now. This number will likely be a generous offer to your clients, an easier yes for them, and a great way for you to get your business started and get paying clients immediately. (For example – your top number might be $2400 for the 12 weeks, but to begin with, you would feel amazing charging a client $600 for the same 12 weeks.)
6. This part is key: make sure that when you offer your first clients the incredible opportunity at your lower number, that you let them know that you will be charging your higher number. This ensures that they don't refer people to you at your introductory price—and has a secondary benefit of letting them know the true value of the work that they're receiving at a generous discount because they're getting in with you early.
7. From your starting point number, you will incrementally increase your prices as you can feel within yourself that your expertise is growing, and that the lower price is no longer in alignment for you.
8. If you have a desired financial goal you want to reach, now you can reverse engineer it! Figure out how many hours you would need to work and see if it matches. If not, this is the perfect time to get creative and imagine the possibility of adding additional offers (such as group programs) in the future, or a timeline for raising your rates to meet those goals.

"Ok, I get it… but what is the actual number range of earning potential for parent coaches?"

Let’s get down to actual numbers. 

Our parent coaches are practicing all over the world. In their businesses they’re delivering everything from our 12 week ready-to-go program as soon as they graduate, to group offerings, to their own courses, membership sites and corporate offerings. The opportunities for you to take this work out into the world are only limited to your imagination!

Let’s stick to the most common offering where our coaches begin—offering individual sessions. At the upper end, our coaches charge up to $3500 USD for our 12-week transformational parenting program. We also have coaches in different markets offering it for a lower price that fits the economy and who they are serving. Somewhere between $1200 - $2400 for 12 weeks (generally a weekly one hour session) seems to be the widest average. Choosing to run an online parent coaching business will allow you to be more flexible with your rates in some cases.

When you’re just starting out, you want to make your initial 12-week coaching practice affordable, so that it’s easier for potential clients to say YES! This is especially true if you haven’t had your own business before. We recommend that new coaches start charging about $50/hour, making your price for our 12-week program $600. With just 6-7 clients under your belt, you’ll have earned your tuition back! (Exciting, right?) 

Having a steady stream of clients and charging what works for the market you're in creates a business that allows you to love your life and enjoy all the freedom, fulfillment and financial benefits you hope for. The numbers matter, but they’re not the only consideration!

How can I earn the most as a parent coach?

If you are eager to do more, some of the ways you can increase your earnings as a Parenting Coach are:

• Increasing your skills and confidence through experience and continuing education

• Running group coaching programs once you have experience serving individual clients

• Working on the value you place on the work and charging accordingly (this is HUGE)

• Offering your services to agencies or businesses that can provide you with ongoing work

• Getting yourself out there! Offering talks, workshops, parenting retreats, and other unique offerings

• Offering online parent coaching so you can expand your reach into other markets

• Writing a book, creating a course or selling products online (this is more advanced and we recommend you wait until you have a full practice of individual clients before doing this!) 

What does this all mean for you?

Whether you’re looking to add a steady stream of additional income to your family for things like exciting vacations, looking to build an empire as a go-to parenting expert, or simply looking for deeply fulfilling work that allows you to create your own schedule and work as much or as little as you wish, becoming a parent coach is an incredible opportunity.

And don’t worry if your family life isn’t exactly picture perfect (or even if the challenges run deep) at the moment. One of the most incredible gifts that this work offers is that you get to go through this immersive transformation for yourself first.

You begin by learning all kinds of new perspectives, scientific research, skills and revolutionary approaches to raising children that transform your family first. It’s all done in line with your personal values, beliefs and specific desires for your children and your life as a parent. 

If you feel called to do this kind of work, I invite you to check out this video about all this rewarding career has to offer here. 

Meet Your Author, Katie Owen

Jai Business Coach & Marketing Mentor

As a former practicing therapist turned copywriter and marketing strategist, Katie is passionate about the intersection of marketing and mindset. Katie embodies the practices of taking the simple actions, consistently over time, that create epic results.

A master storyteller, Katie works with our coaches to refine their message, increase their visibility and get clients!