We surveyed 186 nutrition coaches to learn about their business structure, financial metrics, client relationships, pain points, and marketing.
Key Takeaways From This Study
Here’s a summary of the most interesting findings and key statistics:
- Most people seeking nutrition coaching are female. Of the clients, 65% are female, and 35% are male.
- 80% of female clients work with female coaches.
- The two most popular goals clients have are (1) body composition improvements and (2) healthier eating habits.
- 73% of nutrition coaches check in with their 1-on-1 clients once a week. 10% check in twice a week.
- 54% of nutrition coaches are part-time. Among these coaches, 54% desire to transition to full-time, with the main barrier being “still building their client base.”
- 85% of nutrition coaches are self-employed, with no differences between genders or age groups, full-time or part-time.
- On average, nutrition coaches work with 21 clients, but they want to ideally work with 54 clients.
- 41% of nutrition coaches offer only online coaching, 16% only work in person, and 43% offer both.
- Many nutrition coaches cite online group coaching as a major opportunity; only 16% offer it now, but 43% want to.
- 34% of nutrition coaches say they acquire most of their clients through word of mouth, with the second main source being Instagram.
- 51% of nutrition coaches say the first point of contact for clients is a direct message on social media.
- 57% of coaches require a minimum number of weeks for a client to sign up for, and 58% of those that do require 12 weeks minimum.
- The average length of client retention is 11 months.
- 76% of nutrition coaches say “improving my online marketing” is an opportunity for growth.
- The average annual income for nutrition coaches is $27,000 USD. Full-time coaches earn $47,000 USD and part-time coaches earn $9,000 USD, on average. Those who offer group coaching online earn the highest.
- 80% of the industry’s total revenue comes from 1-on-1 coaching.
- The #1 strategy nutrition coaches use to determine their prices is by starting with a lower initial cost and increasing it as they get more clients
- The average cost of online 1-on-1 coaching is $254 USD per month.
- 40% of coaches plan to increase their prices in 2024 by 10-15%. This means a 7.3% overall price increase on the market.
- Myths that clients read in the media are the #1 challenge for nutrition coaches, followed by marketing & business development.
- 61% of nutrition coaches already worked in the health and fitness field before specializing in nutrition.
- Nutrition coaches invest $960 USD per year on average in continuing education.
- Podcasts were ranked the #1 way nutrition coaches keep updated on nutrition-related topics.
- Gut health and digestive wellness were ranked the #1 topic nutrition coaches want to learn more about.
**Learn more about the study, its recruitment and collection methods, and limitations
COACHING PROFILE & MOTIVATIONS
-
There are more female than male nutrition coaches.
- The average age of nutrition coaches is 39 years.
- Two thirds of clients are female and a third are male.
- Helping people achieve their goals and feel better is the #1 motivation.
- The biggest challenges facing coaches are “nutrition misinformation that clients read in the media” and “marketing/business development”.
- In the next 5 years, nutrition coaches expect a growing popularity of the industry, and further shift to online coaching. They expect AI to impact the industry both in a positive and a negative way.
What is the gender and age composition of American nutrition coaches?
There are more female than male nutrition coaches: 56% are female, and 42% are male.
The average age of nutrition coaches is 39 years.
Most coaches fall into the 30-39 years age bracket (41% of coaches).
Amongst the youngest coaches (aged under 30), there are more males than females (55% vs 43%).
What is the proportion of male and female clients?
Two-thirds of clients (65%) are female, and a third (35%) are male.
In general, clients prefer the coach to be the same gender as they are: amongst female coaches, 80% of their clients are females, and amongst male coaches, 54% of their clients are male.
7 things coaches enjoy most about their work
What are the biggest challenges for Nutrition Coaches?
61% of nutrition coaches say that nutrition misinformation that clients read in the media/influencers is one of their biggest challenges.
58% of coaches say business development (building clientele) – is one of their biggest challenges.
Secondary challenges are Inflation/economic circumstances, motivating clients/client compliance, and lack of financial stability.
These are true both for freelancers and coaches employed by a company.
How do coaches see the industry changing in the next 5 years?
Coaches expect a growing popularity of the industry, and a further shift to online coaching.
They expect AI to impact the industry both positively and negatively.
Coaches expect greater need for specialization, personalization, and more holistic approaches.
They fear more misinformation and more competition.
How do you see the Nutrition Coaching landscape changing in the next 5 years?
EDUCATION
-
The majority of nutrition coaches have a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree.
- On average, they have 6 years of coaching experience (since becoming a Certified Nutrition Coach).
- The most common way to becoming a nutrition coach is from being a sports/personal trainer, but for almost half of coaches it was a complete career change.
- Coaches invest 960 USD per year on average into continuing education.
- They keep themselves updated about nutrition-related topics mainly via podcasts and education courses.
- RDN, PNL1 and NASM are believed to be the best recognized certifications.
- The most interesting topics are currently Gut health/digestive wellness, Sports nutrition and Nutrition for mental health.
What level of education do nutrition coaches have?
40% of coaches have a Bachelor’s and 30% have a Master’s degree.
Self-employed coaches and coaches employed by a company have similar education levels.
How many years have they been coaching?
On average, nutrition coaches have 6 years of experience.
The most typical length is 3-4 years of experience (27% of coaches).
Female coaches started their coaching career earlier (6.5 years ago on average) than male coaches (4.9 years ago). This suggests that the profession first became popular more amongst females.
What was their history before coaching?
61% of nutrition coaches have already worked in the health & fitness field before becoming a nutrition coach (40% were personal trainers or other type of sport/fitness instructor),
For 39%, it was a career change (most commonly from a business sector, e.g., management, finance, marketing – 15% of current nutrition coaches).
How much money do they invest annually in continuing education for nutrition coaching?
Coaches invest 960 USD per year on average.
Those with 5+ years of experience invest almost the same as those with less experience, so education is continuous.
Those with 10+ clients invest more than those with fewer clients (860 USD vs 1,060 USD).
What sources do they use to keep themselves updated about nutrition-related topics?
The most popular sources of information are podcasts (78% of nutrition coaches regularly listen to them) and continuing education courses (72% of coaches do them – more typically females).
65% of coaches read scientific journals, 58% attend conferences and webinars (typically females), and 53% read websites and blogs about the topic (typically males).
Which certifications are best recognized?
The best-recognised certification is Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree: 61% of coaches mention it amongst the top 5 certifications.
The other most recognized certificates are Precision Nutrition (PN) Level 1 Nutrition Coach, and National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) Certified Nutrition Coach and Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) with advanced degrees. Those employed by a company and those who are self-employed rank certificates in the same
What topics are they interested to learn about?
The top 5 topics are:
- Gut Health and Digestive Wellness (62% of nutrition coaches are interested to learn about it)
- Sports Nutrition and Performance (58% of coaches)
- Nutrition for Mental Health (57% of coaches)
- Managing Emotional Eating (50% of coaches)
- Nutrition and Aging (46% of coaches)
Which of these topics are you interested to learn about?
SERVICES
-
The vast majority of nutrition coaches focus on “Weight Management” and “General Healthy Eating”. Popular specializations are “Muscle Building/Bodybuilding”, “Sports Nutrition”, “Women’s Nutrition”, and “Mindful Eating”.
- Clients’ most common goals are “Body Composition Improvement” and “Healthier Eating Habits”, but also many aim for “Weight Loss” and “More Confidence”.
- Almost all coaches offer 1-on-1 nutrition coaching, and a third of coaches offer group coaching.
- Besides nutrition-related coaching 3 in 4 coaches also offer training/fitness coaching. Many offer coaching related to sleep habits, stress management and mental health.
What specialties do coaches have?
78% of nutrition coaches focus on “Weight Management” and “General Healthy Eating”.
About half of nutrition coaches focus on “Muscle Building/Bodybuilding”, “Sports Nutrition” (more common amongst coaches under-30), “Women’s Nutrition” (mostly female coaches), and “Mindful Eating”.
About a third of coaches focus on “Health Condition Management” (typically coaches aged 46+ yrs), and “Men’s Nutrition” (almost only male coaches).
One coach offers 5 specialties on average.
What is the most common goal of clients seeking out coaches?
The two most common goals are “Body Composition Improvement” and “Healthier Eating Habits” – over 60% of coaches say that most of their clients have these goals.
45-55% of coaches say that most of their clients want “Weight Loss”, “More Confidence”, “Higher Energy”, or “More Knowledge”.
The least often sought goals are “Weight Maintenance”, “Muscle Gain”, and “Gut Health Improvement”.
What services do Nutrition Coaches offer?
Almost every coach (98% of them) offers 1 on 1 nutrition coaching.
The second most popular service is habit change (70% of nutrition coaches offer it), followed by nutritional education, e.g. workshops, webinars on various nutrition topics (46% offer it – more common amongst coaches with 5+ years of experience).
A third of coaches offer meals plans and group coaching (much more common amongst female coaches), and only a fifth offer challenges.
Do coaches offer other types of coaching outside of just nutrition?
Almost 9 in 10 nutrition coaches also offer some other type of coaching outside of just nutrition (even 85% of part-time nutrition coaches).
3 in 4 coaches (75%) also offer Training / Fitness Coaching, and more than a third also offer services for Sleep habits (44%), Stress Management (37%) and Mental Health / Emotional Wellbeing (35%).
Older coaches (31-45 yrs, and even more so 46-69 yrs old nutrition coaches) offer more types of services.
BEST PRACTICES
-
High-touch, high-cost services are more popular than low-touch, low-cost services.
- Almost all nutrition coaches do regular check-ins with clients, typically once a week. Most coaches do this via video call or text message/chat.
- Weight is still the most common used metric coaches use to judge clients’ success (almost every coach uses it). Most coaches also use measurements. Body fat percentage is the third most common.
- Coaches use several apps. For communication with clients, Zoom is the most popular. For scheduling, Google calendar is most widespread. For meal planning and tracking clients’ progress, most coaches use Cronometer**, while MyFitnessPal is second.
Do coaches offer high-touch, high-cost services and/or low-touch, low-cost services? And, if so, what do clients respond better to?
High-touch, high-cost services are most common (57% of coaches only offer this, and 37% offer both). Only 6% of coaches exclusively offer low-touch, low-cost services.
In line with this, 70% of coaches think that high-touch, high-cost services are preferred by their clients.
Does 1-on-1 coaching include check-ins? If so, what frequency and what form does this take?
Yes, 98% of coaches do regular check-ins, typically once a week (73% of coaches).
The most popular formats are video call (50% of coaches use it) or text/chat (48% of coaches us eit), but about a quarter to a third of NCs also use email, a specialized app or phone call.
What kind of metrics do they collect to judge clients’ success?
Traditional measurements are the most common: 93% of coaches use weight, 74% use measurements.
54% of coaches use body fat percentages, and 41% use fitness assessment.
Blood glucose and blood pressure are used by 1 in 4 coaches.
What tools/software/apps do Nutrition Coaches use in their work? Communication
Zoom is by far the most often used (62% of NCs use it), followed by Messenger (32%), WhatsApp, Instagram chat and Google Meet (22-27%).
What tools/software/apps do Nutrition Coaches use in their work? Meal planning and tracking client progress
Cronometer is by far the most often used app (60% of coaches use it)**, followed by MyFitnessPal (33% of coaches use it), Trainerize (10%), Practice Better (8%) and MacroFactor (7%). There are 15 other apps used by 5% or less of coaches.
**Part of respondents were collected via Cronometer’s app user database, therefore this is not representative
BUSINESS MODEL
-
Nutrition coaching is equally often done as a full-time job and as a part-time job.
- Half of part-timers actually wish to do it full-time, but most of them are still building their client base or are worried about the financial instability of freelancing.
- Full-time nutrition coaches work on 30 hours a week on average, part-timers work 11 hours.
- The majority of nutrition coaches are self-employed.
- Nutrition coaches have 21 clients on average (including 1-on-1 and groups). They work with 11-12 individuals (in person or online) and 18-21 in groups (in person/online).
- Most coaches already offer online services. Ideally, they would like to double their online client base, and many coaches also see opportunity in online group coaching
Is their nutrition coaching their primary source of income? Or is it a side project?
For almost half (46%) of all nutrition coaches, nutrition coaching is their primary source of income (full-time job).
Among those with 5+ years of experience, 59% work full-time, whereas amongst those with less than 5 years of experience, only 31% are full-time. This also suggests that it takes a few years to build a financially stable business in nutrition coaching.
Would part-time Nutrition Coaches prefer to work full-time, and if so, what are the barriers?
Amongst those who so it as a side project, 54% would prefer to work full-time.
Their main barrier is predominantly that they still need to build their client base (82% say so). The other main barrier is worrying about financial stability with a freelance job (mentioned by 51%).
Are they self-employed or employed by a company for nutrition coaching?
The majority (85%) of nutrition coaches are self-employed. There is no difference amongst genders, age groups or full-time/part-timers.
Are they a solo operation or do they work with freelancers to help with operations?
Overall, two thirds (63%) of nutrition coaches are a solo operation.
Among those who work for a company, 75% work with others to help with operations – most often nutrition professionals (39%) and personal trainers (39%).
Also, those with 10+ clients use these external helpers more (45% use at least one help) than those with fewer clients (25%).
How many hours per week do coaches work on their nutrition coaching business?
On average, nutrition coaches work 19 hours a week on their business. The most typical is to work less than 10 hours (33% of coaches) or 10-19 hours (29% of coaches).
Full-time coaches work 30 hours, part-time coaches 11 hours.
Coaches with 1-10 clients work 13 hours, coaches with 10+ clients work 25 hours on average.
Amongst the different services, those who offer group coaching online, work the most (28 hours per week).
How many individual clients do they typically work with?
On average, nutrition coaches work with 21 clients. The most common range is 1-5 clients (27% of coaches work with 1-5 clients).
Nutrition coaches with less than 5 years of experience have 14 clients on average (43% of them have 1-5 clients).
Those with 5+ years of experience have 28 clients on average.
How do the number of clients differ across coaching types?
Per service type, coaches (who offer the specific service) have on average 11 clients for individual coaching in-person, 12 clients for individual coaching online, 21 clients for group coaching in-person and 18 clients for group coaching online.
Do coaches operate their business online, in-person, or both?
41% of coaches offer only online services, 16% only work in-person and 43% offer both.
How do coaches work currently and how would they like to work ideally?
Mostly, coaches would like to increase their online client base.
82% of coaches already offer individual coaching online, but they would like to double their client base this way (from currently 12 clients to 24 clients ideally).
Also, many see opportunities in group coaching online. Only 16% of coaches offer it now, but 43% would like to offer it ideally. They would also like to widen their online group coaching client base from 18 to 44 clients per coach.
What’s the difference between the current and the ideal number of clients?
On average, nutrition coaches would like to work with 54 clients in total, which is more than the double of their current number of clients (21).
How many individual clients would they IDEALLY like to work with at a time?
Per service type, coaches (who would like to offer the specific service) most often would like to have 4-5 clients for individual coaching in-person, 6-10 clients for individual coaching online, 6-10 clients for group coaching in-person and 30+ clients for group coaching online.
MARKETING & GROWTH
-
Word of mouth is clearly the best way to attract clients, followed by Instagram.
- New clients most often contact coaches via direct messages on social media, or by email.
- More than half of nutrition coaches require a minimum number of weeks for a client to sign up, typically 12 weeks.
- Client retention is 11 months on average (however, the most typical range is 4-6 months: a third of clients).
- Nutrition coaches see opportunities for growth in 2 key areas: improving their online marketing, and networking with related professionals. But there are several other options many of them mentioned, too.
Where do coaches attract clients?
Word of mouth is clearly the best way to attract clients (34% of coaches say that they acquire most of their clients this way, and another 21% of coaches acquire many clients this way).
Instagram is the second main source, mainly for freelancers. Nutrition Coaches employed by a company also acquire many clients via the company.
Among social media platforms, Clearly Instagram is the best: 64% of coaches acquired at least some clients via Instagram, 50% via Facebook, 10% via YouTube and 5% via TikTok.
What is the first point of contact for clients?
A direct message on social media is the most common first point of contact (51% of coaches use it), followed by email (45%), text message (37%) and online contact form on the coach’s website (33%).
Calling or getting connected by an existing client in person are also common (28-29%).
Do coaches require a minimum number of weeks or month for a client to sign up for?
More than half of coaches (58%) require a minimum number of weeks to sign up for, most typically 12 weeks.
What is the average length of client retention?
The average length is 11 months, the most typical range is 4-6 months or 7-12 months.
Where do Nutrition Coaches see opportunities for growth or improvement in their business?
The two key opportunities are improving online marketing (76% of nutrition coaches see opportunity in this) and networking with related professionals to increase referrals (65% of coaches mentioned it).
Other good opportunities are cooperation with gyms and healthcare providers, increasing client retention and continuing education.
PRICES & FINANCES
-
Revenue from nutrition coaching varies a lot. The average annual income is 27,000 USD, but more than half of coaches earn less than 10,000 USD a year. Those with 5+ years of experience earn 39.000 USD on average (3 times as much as those with less than 5 years of experience).
- Over 80% of the industry’s total revenue comes from 1-on-1 coaching, and 5% from group coachng.
- The most common pricing strategy is to started with a lower initial price and increase prices as they get more experience/more clients.
- For 1-on-1 coaching, the average price per session is around 100 USD, and the monthly fee is around 250 USD (it depends whether it’s in person or online). For group coaching, fees are lower.
- Almost half of coaches are planning to increase their prices next year, by 15% on average.
What is Nutritional Coaches’ annual income?
It varies a lot. 55% of nutrition coaches earn less than 10k USD a year. The average annual income is 27k USD.
Those with less than 5 years of experience earn 13k USD, and those with 5+ years of experience earn 39k USD on average (3 times as much!). Full-time nutrition acoaches earn 47k USD vs part-time coaches earn 9k USD. Those who offer group coaching online earn the highest.
There is little difference across gender and age or being a freelancer or employed.
What is the percentage split of revenue from the different services/products?
Over 80% of the industry’s total revenue comes from 1-on-1 coaching, and 5% from group coaching.
For those who offer group coaching services, only 50-60% of the revenue comes from individual coaching, and 23-26% comes from group coaching (in-person/online).
How do Nutrition Coaches determine their pricing strategy for their services?
It varies, but the top 3 most common strategies include:
44% of coaches started with a lower initial price and increase prices as they get more experience/more clients
40% of coaches researched the price of services by others
32% of coaches offer packages/discounts (more females than males: 41% of females, but only 19% of male coaches offer packages/discounts)
How do coaches charge for these services?
For individual coaching in-person, 42% of coaches charge per session, and 45% (also) offer a monthly fee. Per package is also popular, 38% of coaches offer this payment possibility*.
Per session payment is less popular for other types of services. For individual coaching online, monthly fee is the most common way of charging (65%).
For group coaching, per package and monthly fees are the only available options usually.
**Average package prices are not shown, because packages differ in length and services included.
How much do coaches charge for these services – per session?
Individual coaching in-person: average price: 94 USD, most typical range: 76-100 USD
Individual coaching online: average price: 112 USD, most typical range: 101-200 USD
Group coaching: it’s not common to charge per session
How much do coaches charge for these services – monthly fee?
Individual coaching in-person: average price: 282 USD, most typical range: 101-200 USD
Individual coaching online: average price: 254 USD, most typical range: 101-200 USD
Group coaching in-person: average price: 175 USD, most typical range: 100 USD or less
Group coaching online: average price: 98 USD, most typical range: 100 USD or less
How often do Nutrition Coaches adjust pricing?
Frequency of changing prices varies greatly. 19% of nutrition coaches have changed it in the past 3 months, but 22% never changed.
Do Nutrition Coaches plan to adjust pricing?
40% of coaches plan to increase their prices next year, most typically by 10-15%. (On average this means a 7.3% overall price increase on the market).
About The Report
The research was conducted by FeastGood.com. The study sought to understand the nutrition coaching industry, including the challenges, successes, and trends.
To date, a state-of-the-industry report for nutrition coaching doesn’t exist. The current study looked to fill that gap.
The outcomes of the study will hopefully be used to create coaching benchmarks for business/financial metrics, client success, and professional development, which will help both new and experienced coaches assess their businesses according to industry standards.
Results in this report are based on an online survey amongst 186 nutrition coaches in 2023.
Coaches were recruited using various sources:
- Precision Nutrition’s coach database
- Cronometer’s app user database
- Instagram followers via Greg Nuckols (Stronger By Science & MacroFactor Co-Founder)
- Instagram followers via Eric Helms (Co-Founder of Monthly Application of Sport Science)
- Performance Nutrition Network community members
Contact
For any questions about the study, please contact Avi Silverberg at editor@feastgood.com.
About FeastGood.com
FeastGood.com is a nutrition education website run by nutrition coaches, registered dietitians, and athletes who love to share their passion for working out and eating healthy.
Over 700 articles have been published on FeastGood.com related to macro tracking, losing weight, gaining muscle, and supplementation.
You can learn more about the team, editorial standards, and how we make money here.