Coach Income Calculator
Most trainers underprice because they count billable hours that do not exist. This works the other way round: from the income you need to the rate that produces it.
Your results
Tax rates, social contributions and allowable business expenses differ substantially by country and by how you are set up. This is arithmetic, not tax advice — speak to an accountant.
The arithmetic error behind most underpricing
The usual approach is to find out what other trainers charge and sit slightly below it. That produces a rate with no relationship to what you need to earn.
The specific error is almost always the same: counting billable hours that do not exist. A nominal 40-hour week actually contains roughly:
- −6 hours: programme writing and check-ins
- −4 hours: admin, invoicing, messages, scheduling
- −3 hours: marketing, content, enquiries
- −3 hours: travel between clients or locations
- −2 hours: your own training
- −2 hours: CPD, reading, planning
Which leaves about 20 hours to deliver sessions — before unfilled slots and cancellations you do not charge for. A trainer charging €40 and planning for 35 sessions a week is planning for €1,400 and will earn closer to €800, before tax, rent and insurance. That gap is the entire reason the job feels unsustainable.
What to do with the number
The output is your minimum viable rate — the price below which the business does not work regardless of how many clients you have. Anything above it is margin. Round up, not down.
What justifies going higher, roughly in order of strength:
- Demand. A full diary with a waiting list is the only justification clients never argue with.
- Specificity. "I coach post-natal return to strength" commands more than "personal training". Narrow beats broad on price.
- Demonstrable results, documented with permission.
- Service quality around the sessions — written programmes, structured check-ins, progress tracking, fast replies.
- Qualifications. Real, and weaker than trainers expect. Necessary for credibility and insurance; rarely what clients pay a premium for.
And raise rates annually with six to eight weeks' notice, new clients first, stated once without apology. A small yearly increase is easier for everyone than a large one every four years. The full treatment is in setting your rates as a personal trainer.
Common questions
How much should a personal trainer charge?
Enough that your realistic session count covers your income target, tax and costs. Work backwards rather than matching local competitors.
How many sessions a week can I sustain?
Most coaches sustain 18–25 long term. Above 30 is possible in bursts and burns people out.
Should I plan for 52 working weeks?
No. Plan for 46 — you will be ill, take holiday, and clients disappear in August and late December.
What if the required rate is above the local market?
Either reduce costs, raise your realistic session count, or differentiate enough to charge it. Underpricing is not a solution, it is a slow-motion problem.
Related calculators
Track the numbers, not just calculate them
MyFitsy stores your weight, measurements and every session, so the figures above become a trend instead of a one-off.
