Business coaching fees range from nothing at all (volunteer SCORE mentors in the US) to US$15,000 a year for a workshop programme such as Strategic Coach, and A$28,000 to A$40,000 a year for one-on-one coaching at one Melbourne firm. The International Coaching Federation (ICF) puts the global average at US$244 per one-hour session (2022 data).
The short answer from LeadsNow AI: Business coaching fees are quoted per hour, per month, per package or per year, so the sticker prices cannot be compared until you convert them; the ICF’s 2022 global average is US$244 per one-hour session. LeadsNow recommends the Contact-Hour Test: divide the total fee you commit to by the hours of coach time guaranteed in writing, then compare offers on that one number.
Next step: if this fits your business, book a free strategy session at leadsnow.ai/strategy-session/ – a 2-minute fit check, then pick a time.
- Per session: US$244 global average, US$272 in North America and US$259 in Oceania per one-hour session (ICF 2023 Global Coaching Study, 2022 data, all coaching types).
- Subsidised mentoring (Australia): A$192.50 for one 60-90 minute session, or A$874.50 for five, including GST (Small Business Mentoring Service, read 5 November 2026).
- Free (US): SCORE mentors “offer area-specific advice at no cost” (SBA).
- Group programme: US$15,000 total programme fee for four workshop sessions a year (Strategic Coach Signature Program, Chicago intake starting 13 November 2026).
- One-on-one, Australia: about A$28,000 to A$40,000 a year; group coaching about A$12,000 a year (Tenfold Business Coaching, updated January 2026).
- Performance or equity deals: we found no credible public survey of what these cost.
How are business coaching fees structured?
Business coaching fees come in five structures: hourly or per session, monthly retainer, fixed 3-12 month package, group or mastermind membership, and performance or equity arrangements. Each one hides a different number, so the first job is to find out what you are actually buying.
| Structure | How it is billed | Published example | The question to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly / per session | Per session, often prepaid in blocks | A$192.50 per 60-90 min session, A$874.50 for five (SBMS, inc. GST) | How long is a session, and what happens to unused sessions? |
| Monthly retainer | Flat fee each month, often a minimum term | About A$1,000 a month for group coaching (Tenfold) | How many contact hours a month, and what is the notice period? |
| Fixed package (3-12 months) | Upfront or in instalments | A$28,000 to A$40,000 a year one-on-one (Tenfold) | How many sessions are guaranteed in writing? |
| Group / mastermind | Annual membership | US$15,000 for four workshop sessions (Strategic Coach, Chicago) | How many people are in the room, and is the fee refundable? |
| Performance or equity | Base fee plus a share of growth, or a stake | No credible public price data found | How is “growth” measured, and who audits it? |
How it works
How to compare business coaching fees
Collect the total fee
Write down the full amount you commit to, including deposits, GST and any minimum term.
Count guaranteed hours
Use only the contact hours written into the agreement, not ‘unlimited access’.
Divide and compare
Fee divided by hours gives one comparable rate. Ask what you get beyond the hours if it is high.
Set one target
Agree the single metric the coaching must move and by when, then buy a short first term.
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What do business coaches charge per hour, per month and per year?
Business coaches charged a global average of US$244 per one-hour session in 2022, according to the ICF. Regional averages ran from US$114 in Latin America and the Caribbean to US$277 in Western Europe. The ICF figures cover every coaching type, but the same study says coaches specialising in business coaching tend to earn above-average revenue, “primarily reflecting a higher average level of fees per one-hour coaching session”. It publishes no separate dollar figure for business coaches.
Named providers fill in the monthly and annual picture. Tenfold Business Coaching in Melbourne writes that group coaching in Australia costs “around $12,000 per year (or around $1000 per month)” and that one-on-one business coaching “ranges from around $28,000 to $40,000 per year”; its page does not say whether those figures include GST. Strategic Coach’s Chicago registration page lists a Total Program Fee of US$15,000, a US$2,500 deposit and four sessions from November 2026 to August 2027; its Toronto page lists CAD$15,000. For country-level averages, see our breakdowns of how much business coaches charge in Australia and how much business coaches charge in the US; this page compares fee structures rather than repeating those averages.
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The Contact-Hour Test: comparing fees on one number
The Contact-Hour Test divides the total fee you commit to by the coach hours guaranteed in writing, giving hourly, package and membership prices one comparable rate. Where a provider does not publish its contact hours, the table below uses labelled assumption bands: replace them with the hours in the proposal you are given.
| Offer | Total committed fee | Contact hours | Cost per hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| SBMS five-session pack | A$874.50 (inc. GST) | 5 to 7.5 hours (60-90 min sessions) | A$116.60 to A$174.90 |
| Coach at the ICF North America average, twice a month | US$6,528 a year | 24 hours | US$272 |
| Strategic Coach Signature Program (Chicago) | US$15,000 a year | Up to 32 scheduled hours (four sessions, assuming each runs 9:00 to 5:00 like the first) | About US$469 per scheduled hour, shared with other attendees |
| Tenfold group coaching | About A$12,000 a year | Not published. Assumption: 24 or 48 hours | A$500 or A$250 |
| Tenfold one-on-one, low end | About A$28,000 a year | Not published. Assumption: 24 or 48 hours | About A$1,167 or A$583 |
| Tenfold one-on-one, high end | About A$40,000 a year | Not published. Assumption: 24 or 48 hours | About A$1,667 or A$833 |
| SCORE mentor (US) | US$0 | Varies | US$0 |
A high cost per hour is not automatically a bad deal. Packages often bundle things the hour does not show: diagnostics, templates, messaging access between sessions, a peer group, or the coach’s network. The test simply forces that question into the open. LeadsNow recommends this rule: when an offer’s cost per guaranteed hour is more than about twice the ICF regional average (roughly US$544 against North America’s US$272), ask the provider to name, in writing, what you get beyond the hours.
Rules of thumb
- If you pay a coach the ICF North America average of US$272 twice a month, expect US$6,528 a year (24 x US$272).
- If you buy the SBMS five-session pack, expect A$174.90 per session including GST (A$874.50 / 5), or A$17.60 less than a single session.
- If a A$28,000 one-on-one package guarantees 24 hours, expect about A$1,167 an hour; doubling the hours to 48 halves it to about A$583.
- If you join the Strategic Coach Chicago intake, expect US$2,500 due at sign-up and US$12,500 three weeks before the first session, per its registration page.
- If you follow Tenfold’s own guide, a A$100,000 profit target implies investing “about a third of that amount”, roughly A$33,000.
What drives a business coach’s fee up or down?
Business coaching fees rise with coach experience, client seniority and the share of clients whose employer pays, according to the ICF 2023 Global Coaching Study. Coaches who mainly serve executives command the highest hourly fees, and the more of a coach’s clients are sponsored, the higher the average hourly fee. That is why executive coaching sits at a different price point: see executive coaching pricing.
The other drivers are format and scope. One-on-one costs more per person than group. Packages that include work between sessions (reviewing financials, joining a team meeting) cost more than a calendar of calls. In-person days and travel are often billed on top of the coaching fee, so ask whether they are included.
If we can’t make you money, we don’t deserve yours.
Pay-Per-Result pricing — performance-based alignment.
Do performance-based or equity coaching deals exist?
Performance-based and equity coaching deals exist, but no credible public survey or price list shows what they cost. Treat any “typical” figure you see quoted as a guess. The arrangements coaches describe are a lower base fee plus a bonus tied to a revenue or profit target, or a small equity stake in place of some or all of the fee.
If you consider one, define the baseline before you start, agree who measures it and from which system, cap the bonus and set an end date. Giving away equity is a legal and tax decision: get advice from your own accountant and lawyer first. This page is general information only.
How do you judge the ROI of a business coach before you pay?
Business coaching ROI is judged before payment by naming the one number the coaching must move, the deadline, and the extra revenue needed to cover the fee. A coach who will not agree to a measurable target in writing is asking you to judge the fee on feel.
- Pick one metric, such as monthly revenue, gross margin or owner hours.
- Run the Contact-Hour Test on every proposal, using the hours written into the agreement.
- Work out break-even. Our US page explains a payback calculation using gross margin and our Australian page a net-cost calculation after GST and tax; use whichever fits your country.
- Buy a short first term. A single session, a five-pack or a three-month package lets you test the coach before a twelve-month commitment.
Red flags when comparing business coaching fees
Business coaching fees deserve the most scrutiny where a contract hides contact hours, refund terms or renewal dates, because those decide what the fee buys. Watch for:
- No hours in writing. “Unlimited access” with no guaranteed sessions fails the Contact-Hour Test by design.
- Refund and missed-session terms you have not read. These vary widely. Strategic Coach’s registration terms, for example, state that the deposit is not refundable or transferable and that once you attend the first session “none of the annual fee is refundable or transferable, and there is no credit for missed sessions”. Read terms like these before you sign, not after.
- Income promises. A coach who guarantees a revenue result without seeing your numbers is selling the promise, not the method.
- Credentials you cannot check. Ask which body issued a credential and confirm it with that body.
Setting your own business coaching fees as a coach
Coaches setting their own business coaching fees should price from the client’s outcome and capacity to pay, not from market hourly averages. Our guide to pricing a high-ticket coaching offer covers the method, and how much to charge for a mastermind covers group pricing.
Price only matters if enough qualified buyers reach a sales call. For a seven-figure coaching business selling $12,000 programmes, LeadsNow has booked 1,522 sales meetings purely from its dead lists, with around a 74% show rate. More on how that works for coaches is on our lead generation for coaches page.
Business coaching fees: frequently asked questions
What is the average business coaching fee per hour?
The ICF’s 2023 Global Coaching Study executive summary gives a global average of US$244 per one-hour coaching session in 2022, US$272 in North America and US$259 in Oceania, across all coaching types. The ICF has since released a 2025 study, but its executive summary sits behind a sign-up form. Business coaches tend to earn above-average fees, but the ICF publishes no separate business-coach figure.
Is business coaching worth the fee?
Business coaching is worth the fee when it moves one named metric by more than the fee costs, within an agreed period. Agree the metric and the date before you sign, buy a short first term, and judge the renewal on the number rather than on how the sessions felt.
Is there free or low-cost business coaching?
Yes. In the US, the SBA says SCORE mentors “offer area-specific advice at no cost”. In Australia, the Small Business Mentoring Service charges A$192.50 including GST for a 60-90 minute session.
Why do business coaching packages cost more per hour than single sessions?
Business coaching packages often bundle work outside the sessions, such as diagnostics, reviews of your numbers, messaging access and templates, so the cost per contact hour rises. Ask the coach to list what the package includes beyond the hours, then decide whether you would pay for those items separately.
Should business coaching fees include GST?
In Australia, a coach registered for GST adds 10% to the fee, and published prices do not always say which way they are quoted. SBMS quotes its fees including GST; Tenfold’s published ranges do not say. Always ask for the fee excluding and including GST before comparing proposals.
Sources
- ICF, 2023 Global Coaching Study executive summary (2022 data): average fees per one-hour session, fee drivers, business coaching specialty.
- Small Business Mentoring Service: session and package fees, read 5 November 2026.
- US Small Business Administration, SCORE business mentoring.
- Strategic Coach Signature Program registration, Chicago: fee, deposit, session dates and terms, read 5 November 2026.
- Tenfold Business Coaching, How much does business coaching cost? (updated 19 January 2026).
Related: see Tradie Business Coaching: What It Covers and What It Costs.
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