How to Set Your Coaching Rates With Confidence (and Stop Undercharging)

Most coaches don’t undercharge because they’re “bad at business.”

They undercharge because they’re doing math in their head… while also trying to be a great coach… while also trying to be a nice person… and they don’t want to sound “salesy.”

I’ve been there.

You set a price that feels fair, a parent says “cool,” and you walk away thinking, “Wait… did I just give away my time?” Or worse—your schedule fills up, you’re working nights and weekends, and you still can’t pay yourself like a pro.

This article will help you set coaching rates with confidence using real numbers, simple steps, and examples you can copy. And yes, we’ll talk about how to price personal training, personal trainer rates, and private training pricing without guessing.

Also: the more you grow, the more admin work shows up—texts, Venmo, reminders, invoices. Platforms like AthleteCollective handle your scheduling, payments, and client management so you can focus on what you do best—coaching.

Coaching rates aren’t just “what others charge” (it’s what you need to stay in business)

A lot of coaches price like this:

“The gym down the street charges $60, so I’ll do $50.”
“I’m new, so I should be cheap.”
“Parents can’t afford more than $40.”

That’s normal… but it’s backwards.

Your coaching rates have to do three jobs:

Pay your business costs (insurance, equipment, facility time, software)
Pay you for your coaching time and your admin time
Leave room for taxes and growth (so you don’t burn out)

If your rates don’t do those three things, you’re not running a business. You’re running a busy hobby.

If you’re still getting your foundation set up, these two guides help a lot:

The simple “3-part” formula for private training pricing

When people ask me how to price personal training, I give them this simple formula:

Your rate = Costs + Pay + Taxes (plus profit)

Let’s break that down in plain language.

Costs (what it takes to deliver the session)

Common monthly costs for a private coach or trainer:

Insurance: $15–$60/month (varies a lot)
Background check (youth): often $20–$100/year
(More here: do you need a background check to coach youth sports?)
Facility rental: $20–$80/hour (or more)
Equipment replacement: $20–$100/month
Software/scheduling/payment fees: $0–$100+/month
Marketing: $0–$300/month (even basic stuff adds up)

Pay (what you want to earn)

This is the part coaches skip.

If you want to make $60,000/year and you plan to coach 20 hours/week for 48 weeks, that’s:

20 hours/week × 48 weeks = 960 coaching hours/year
$60,000 ÷ 960 = $62.50 per hour

That’s just your pay for coaching hours—not including admin time, cancellations, or taxes.

Taxes (the part that surprises people)

If you’re self-employed, you’re often setting aside something like 20%–30% of profit for taxes (federal/state/self-employment depends on your situation). You don’t need to guess—plan for it.

This guide is worth bookmarking: the complete tax guide for private sports coaches and trainers

Real personal trainer rates: what the numbers can look like (with examples)

Let’s get practical. Here are a few realistic examples of personal trainer rates and coaching rates, based on different setups.

Example 1: New coach training at a public park (low overhead)

Facility cost: $0
Insurance + software + equipment: $120/month
Sessions per month: 40 sessions (10/week)

Cost per session: $120 ÷ 40 = $3/session

Now let’s talk pay. If you want $50/hour after costs, and you plan for taxes:

Target pay: $50
Costs: $3
Taxes buffer (say 25%): about $13

Simple rate: $50 + $3 + $13 = $66/session

So a clean starting rate might be $65–$75 per hour.

Example 2: Coach renting an indoor facility (higher overhead)

Facility rental: $45/hour
Insurance/software/marketing: $200/month
Sessions per month: 60 sessions

Monthly fixed costs per session: $200 ÷ 60 = $3.33/session
Total cost per session: $45 + $3.33 ≈ $48.33

If you want to earn $60/hour coaching:

Pay: $60
Costs: ~$48
Taxes buffer (25% of pay-ish): ~$15

Rate: $60 + $48 + $15 = $123/session

That coach charging $120–$140/hour isn’t “expensive.” They’re just doing the math.

Example 3: Trainer doing semi-private (2 athletes at once)

Let’s say you rent the same $45/hour facility.

You charge $70 per athlete for a 60-minute semi-private session.

Revenue: $140/hour
Facility: $45
Other costs: ~$5
Net before taxes: ~$90/hour

Now you can earn strong money without parents paying $120 each.

If you want to build this model, read: group training sessions: how to run them and charge more per hour

A second scenario: pricing when your schedule is the problem (not your skill)

Here’s a totally different situation:

You’re not struggling to get clients. You’re struggling to fit them in.

Your 4–8 pm slots are packed. Saturdays are packed. You’re turning people away… but you’re still charging your “old” rate from when you were trying to get your first clients.

That’s a pricing signal.

When demand is high, your rate should go up (or your offer should change)

You have a few good options:

Raise your base rate for new clients
Create packages (so you get paid up front and reduce cancellations)
Offer small groups at peak times
Add off-peak discounts (midday sessions for homeschool kids, college athletes, etc.)

A lot of coaches get stuck because they’re juggling texts, DMs, and payment reminders. Instead of running your business, you’re chasing it.

This is where a tool like AthleteCollective helps in a very real way: instead of juggling Venmo, texts, and spreadsheets, it lets parents book and pay online while you manage everything from one dashboard.

Private training pricing that parents understand (without long explanations)

Parents don’t need a 10-minute speech about your overhead.

They need clarity.

Keep your pricing simple

Pick one of these structures:

Option A: Single session

$85 / 60 minutes

Option B: Packages (most common)

5-pack: $400 ($80/session)
10-pack: $750 ($75/session)

Option C: Monthly training membership

1x/week: $320/month
2x/week: $600/month

Packages and memberships help your income stop bouncing around.

If you want help building packs that sell, use: how to create session packages that sell

A quick note on discounts

Discounting is fine when it has a reason:

siblings
team bundles
off-peak hours
longer commitments (10-pack vs single)

Discounting “because I feel bad charging” is how burnout starts.

Common mistakes coaches make with coaching rates (and how to fix them)

Mistake: Charging for the hour but forgetting the “hidden hours”

A 60-minute session is rarely 60 minutes of work.

You also do:

texting parents
planning
driving
setup and cleanup
notes and follow-ups

Fix: Build that into your rate. Or tighten your systems.

A good scheduling and payment setup helps a ton. Here’s a solid guide: how to set up a booking and scheduling system for private training

Mistake: Copying local personal trainer rates without matching the business model

A gym trainer charging $45/session might be:

paid hourly
not paying rent
not paying insurance
not paying marketing costs

You’re not the same business.

Fix: price based on your costs and goals, not their rate card.

Mistake: Being afraid to say your price out loud

If you feel weird saying your rate, it usually means one of two things:

you’re not sure what you deliver
you’re not sure how you got the number

Fix: use a simple script (I’ll give you one below) and base your number on math.

Mistake: No cancellation policy (so you eat the cost)

If you don’t have a policy, you’ll lose money to no-shows.

Fix: set a clear policy and put it in writing. Start here: private training cancellation policy template

How to price personal training step-by-step (simple and repeatable)

Here’s the process I’d use if I was starting over this week.

Decide what you want to earn per month

Pick a real number. Example: $5,000/month take-home before taxes (or whatever fits your life).

Estimate how many sessions you can actually coach

Be honest. If you can coach 15 sessions/week, that’s about 60/month.

Add up your monthly business costs

Example:

Insurance: $35
Facility: $45/session × 60 = $2,700
Equipment/software/marketing: $200

Total costs: $2,935/month

Do the math for your base rate

You want $5,000/month pay + $2,935 costs = $7,935
Now add taxes buffer (let’s say 25% of your pay goal = $1,250)

Total needed: $7,935 + $1,250 = $9,185/month

Divide by 60 sessions:

$9,185 ÷ 60 = $153/session

That number might shock you. But it’s honest.

Now you can make smart choices:

move to semi-private
find cheaper facility time
charge more at peak hours
offer 45-minute sessions at a lower price point
raise rates and work fewer hours

Pricing isn’t just a number. It’s a business design decision.

Use a simple rate script (so you don’t ramble)

When a parent asks, “How much do you charge?” try:

“My private training is $95 for 60 minutes. Most athletes do a 10-pack for $850 because it saves a bit and keeps them consistent. Want me to send the booking link?”

Short. Clear. Confident.

And when you send that booking link, make it easy for them to follow through. This is exactly why I like AthleteCollective: you can set your availability, take payments, and keep all client info in one place from day one.

Practical pricing examples you can copy (based on experience level)

These aren’t “perfect” for every town. But they’re solid starting ranges if you do good work and act like a pro.

Newer coach (0–2 years) with low overhead

30 min: $35–$50
60 min: $60–$90
10-pack (60 min): $550–$800

Established coach (3–7 years) with results + demand

30 min: $50–$75
60 min: $90–$140
10-pack (60 min): $850–$1,300

High-overhead setup (renting facility, paying staff, busy schedule)

60 min: $120–$200
Semi-private (2 athletes): $65–$110 each
Small group (4 athletes): $35–$60 each

If you want to compare private vs group profit side-by-side, this helps: how to price group training vs private sessions (with profit math)

What to do when a parent says, “That’s too expensive”

First: don’t panic and discount on the spot.

Try this:

Hold the line, then offer options

“Totally get it. Most families choose either a 30-minute session, semi-private with a friend, or a package to lower the per-session price. What works best for you?”

You didn’t argue. You didn’t apologize. You gave choices.

Also remember: some families aren’t your target client, and that’s okay. You can still be kind and professional.

If you’re trying to get more of the right-fit families, this is worth reading: what parents actually look for when hiring a private coach

Bottom Line: Key takeaways to stop undercharging and feel confident

Coaching rates are math + confidence, not vibes.
When you’re figuring out how to price personal training, start with your costs, your pay goal, and a taxes buffer.
Personal trainer rates vary because overhead varies. A coach renting a facility must charge more than a park coach.
If your schedule is full, raise rates or change the offer (semi-private, groups, packages).
Clear policies and simple pricing options make parents more likely to say yes.
Tight systems protect your time. If you’re tired of chasing payments and living in your text messages, set up your business on AthleteCollective so booking, payments, and client management run smoothly in one place.