How much money can I make as a yoga instructor? Image credit: AdobeStock
Why does this happen in a world of healing and constant giving like the yoga world?
You should know that it is a little bit difficult to earn a sustainable living by ONLY teaching at yoga studios. One major way to survive is to diversify your income stream by earning outside the studio.
It is a known fact that most people did not get into yoga for the money. Still, that doesn’t necessarily mean full-time yoga teachers should be living on the street. One’s passion should be able to give them a decent living. Read this interesting article here.
One of the factors that devalue the yoga industry is free yoga. It is admirable that people want to share yoga to help others, but the unintended consequence is that people are willing to pay lesser for it. Imagine if Apple gives iPhone for free; what would be its worth? Becoming a yoga teacher takes time, effort, and money.
Answering the question of how much a yoga teacher can make is somewhat challenging. According to a CNN report, the average income for yoga teachers was estimated at $62,400 USD per year. However, that figure has been proven to be incorrect. The current average estimate is far below that figure. This is because a higher population of teachers in this industry is on the low-income side.
Yoga teacher earnings vary tremendously from top to bottom; while most teachers earn less than USD 30K per year, others earn up to $300,000 or more.
In 2016 only 22% of Yoga Studios reported over $100,000 in gross income, that is about 1 out of 5. (Source: Ipsos Public Affairs 2016 Yoga in America Study). That is for the entire studio, before considering the cost of rent, labor and utility bills.
Teachers on the top-earning list all have one thing in common, and that is, they have most of their income source coming from outside the studio. They get remunerated from a combination of Training, Workshops, Online sessions, and many more. These Instructors have additional skills apart from yoga; they know how to market themselves online.
Learning how to make money as a yoga teacher should be included in the teacher training program.
There are different categories of opportunities opened to yoga teachers. We can simply group them as 1. Beginner-friendly 2. Intermediate 3. Advanced income opportunities
As a yoga teacher, you are in business for yourself, and it is helpful to think like one. Those who succeed often have an entrepreneurial spirit.
It takes time, effort and skills to become successful as a yoga teacher.
How much you can earn annually as a yoga teacher has a lot to do with your entrepreneurial mindset.
Yoga teaching as a creative art will not support you initially. Look for a supplemental income source.