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Studio & private clients

Yoga Instructor

Teacher training is a business you buy, not a job you get.

Typical pay

$25k-$65k

How you get in

200-hour teacher training, 2-6 months

Outlook

Saturated at the studio level; private and corporate work is the opportunity

Yoga instructors lead classes at studios, gyms and privately. Teacher trainings are widely marketed and easy to enter; building enough classes and private clients to make a living is the part nobody advertises.

A day in the life

  1. 5:45aOpen the studio for the 6am class
  2. 6:00aTeach the morning flow
  3. 8:00aYour own practice, which stops being optional
  4. 11:00aPrivate client session in their home
  5. 2:00pPlan sequences and record content for social
  6. 6:30pTeach the evening class, close up

How to get in

200-hour teacher training

Duration

2-6 months

Cost

$2,000-$5,000

Credential

RYT-200 registration with Yoga Alliance

  1. Complete a 200-hour training with a school whose style you actually practice
  2. Register as an RYT-200 and get liability insurance
  3. Take any class you can — subbing is how you build hours and a following
  4. Understand studio pay per class rarely supports a full income on its own

Private and corporate clients

Duration

1-2 years after certification

Cost

$500-$3,000 for insurance and equipment

Credential

RYT-200 plus liability insurance

  1. Build a following through studio classes first
  2. Convert regulars into private clients at several times the studio rate
  3. Pitch corporate wellness programs, which pay well and book in blocks
  4. This is where the job becomes financially viable

Specialize with advanced training

Duration

1-3 years

Cost

$3,000-$12,000

Credential

RYT-500, or therapeutic and prenatal specializations

  1. Complete a 300-hour advanced training for the RYT-500
  2. Specialize in prenatal, therapeutic, or trauma-informed practice
  3. Work with clinical referrals and specific populations
  4. Specialists compete on expertise rather than on price

What people love

  • · Certified in a few months
  • · Private clients pay several times studio rates
  • · Flexible around another job
  • · Genuinely aligned with a practice you already have

What wears people down

  • · Studio pay per class is low and rarely rises
  • · Split schedule — early mornings and evenings
  • · No benefits; you are almost always a contractor
  • · Market is saturated with newly certified teachers

From people doing it

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