Searches for what online personal trainers earn rarely find a reliable answer, because the answer depends on three things the trainer controls: the price, the number of clients and the costs. Coaching revenue is the money the business earns from selling its services. The amount the owner takes home depends on costs, obligations, payment timing and how the business is structured. A monthly sales total does not answer the question on its own.
This guide shows how to separate the two figures and how to estimate your own.
Track sales agreed, cash collected and the costs of operating and delivering the service. Use clear labels so one number does not silently stand in for another.
If clients pay in instalments, the full agreement value may exceed the cash received that month. Refunds and failed collections also affect the position.
Advertising, software, payment processing, contractors and professional services all affect what remains. Founder delivery time also affects capacity, even when it is not a separate supplier bill.
Use the business's actual records and relevant professional advice for accounting and owner-payment decisions.
The figures below are invented to show the method. They are not a typical result and not a complete accounting model.
Suppose a coach charges £147 for the first six weeks followed by £97 a month, has 25 continuing clients and signs five new clients in the month.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| 25 continuing clients at £97 | £2,425 |
| 5 new clients at £147 | £735 |
| Cash collected | £3,160 |
| Advertising | £800 |
| Software and coaching app | £150 |
| Payment processing | £95 |
| Delivery support from a contractor | £500 |
| Remaining before tax and owner pay | £1,615 |
The coach in this example might describe the month as "£3,160 in sales". The amount available to pay themselves is close to half that, and tax, savings for quieter months and any professional fees still come out of it. Change any input and the result changes. Lower ad costs or more continuing clients move the figure quickly in either direction.
Run the same table with your own price, client numbers and costs. That is the only accurate answer to how much you will make.
A strong collection month may need to fund work delivered later. Review expected collections and upcoming commitments alongside the current balance.
Use a forecast with visible assumptions to understand quieter periods and changes in the client base.
When reviewing ads, use acquisition economics. When planning delivery, use capacity. When considering personal withdrawals, use the business's financial position and appropriate advice.
Keeping the measures distinct makes the business easier to understand. It also stops you building personal plans around a sales figure that does not represent available income.
Related guide: How to plan the operating costs of online coaching.
For the wider process, read our guide to delivering and retaining online coaching clients.
Use the planning and business resources to organise your next steps.
Get the free Propane Blueprint *DISCLAIMER: The sales figures stated above and in this training are our personal sales figures or sales figures of our clients. Please understand our results are not typical. We're not implying you'll duplicate them (or do anything for that matter). The average person who buys any "how to" information gets little to no results. We're using these references for example purposes only. Your results will vary and depend on many factors including but not limited to your background, experience, and work ethic. All business entails risk as well as consistent effort and action. If you're not willing to accept that, please DO NOT register for this training.
This site is not a part of the Facebook website or Facebook Inc. Additionally, This site is NOT endorsed by Facebook in any way. FACEBOOK is a trademark of FACEBOOK, Inc.