If you are looking to embark on an exciting and rewarding career working as a career coach, one of the first questions you will have is how much do career coaches earn?
The career coach average salary depends on many factors, including your location, the type of career services you will offer, and whether you will work for a company or run your own business.
You can view the career coach average salary here or perform a job search.
Who employs Career Coaches?
Career coaches work independently, running their own business, or for a company in the profit or not-for-profit sector. Potential employers in the not-for-profit space include universities, colleges, and schools. Most career coaches work for an academic institute earn a career coach salary that fits in the lower end of the earning scale.
The minimum average salary of a career counsellor working in education, falls into the £18k per year salaries bracket. This equates to approximately £350 per week or £10 per hour for those who work a 35 hour week.
A career coach working for a private organisation, usually hired by HR to either nurture personal development or help departing employees search for work after a job loss, can earn significantly more.
The maximum average salary for senior career coaches is £41.5k. This salary equates to approximately £800 per week or £23 an hour for those who work 35 hours per week.
What does a Career Coach do?
Career coaching will help you progress your career or transition into a new job. They will not directly find jobs for you, but they will help you develop a strategy for finding jobs, build your confidence, and increase your understanding of what employers in your profession are seeking.
Career services might, for example, include helping you write a CV, resume, or cover letter or develop your social media profile to highlight your professional experience and business skills. Interview preparation, suggesting related jobs, helping you negotiate a job offer, and recommending what you should do after you are employed, also fall within the services of career coaching.
Coaching skills and qualifications
If you are looking to work within the coaching industry as a business employee, or by opening a career coaching practice, these qualifications will help you quantify your skills:
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Qualification in Career Development (QCD)
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Level 4 Diploma in Career Information and Advice
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Level 4 Diploma in Advice and Guidance
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Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance and Development
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Level 4 Employability Practitioner Higher Apprenticeship
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Level 6 Career Development Professional Higher Apprenticeship
Furthermore, once you have completed your training, you could join the Career Development Institute’s UK Register of Career Development Professionals.
Top skills for those offering career services and aiming for an above average salary include:
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Counselling and active listening
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Patience and the ability to remain calm
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Understanding, empathy, and sensitivity
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Knowledge of teaching or psychology
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Computer proficiency
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The ability to work well with others
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Adaptability
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Excellent business acumen
Careers Coach responsibilities and duties
To earn an average salary or more, the majority of clients and companies will expect you to be proficient in completing duties such as:
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Coaching individuals and groups
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Discussing learning and training opportunities
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Promoting equal opportunities
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Exploring abilities, traits, and interests, and how they may relate to careers or a profession
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Giving talks on various business topics
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Helping clients decide if they should search for a new job or industry or stay where they are
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Researching the labour market and creating written careers information
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Building relationships with clients, universities, and employers
Career Coaches vs Life Coaches
Career and life coaches help their clients navigate aspects of their lives. Understanding the differences between the roles will help you direct your job search strategy if you want to be employed as a coach. Knowing the differences will also help you search for the right type of coach, if you are hiring one.
A career coach focuses on helping their clients achieve their career goals. They may provide advice on securing a job with a company that is hiring, how to behave during a job interview, negotiate a better salary, or start a business.
A life coach focuses on overcoming personal challenges, such as developing a better work-life balance. They may help their client set priorities, find their purpose, become resilient to life challenges, and improve their mindset.
For more information on life coaching and how to achieve success, read What Is A Life Coach And How Can One Help Me With My Career?
Should I become a Life Coach or Career Coach?
You should search for jobs life coaching if you wish to help people improve their lives and embark on a journey of self-discovery. You should direct your effort and search for careers coaching work if you want to maximise your potential salary, gain the necessary qualifications, and help professionals by providing actionable advice.
Career coaching FAQs
Here we answer the rest of your career coaching and job search questions.
What do Career Coaches earn?
The average career coach salaries range from £18k to £41.5k.
How much should a Career Coach charge?
Fair compensation and pay for a person working as a career coach is somewhere between £10 and £23 an hour.
How much can I earn as a Life Coach?
A life coach salary can be as much as £41,500. To secure a salary figure in this region, you will need an excellent resume that quantifies your past success. Your job search strategy should include searching for employment on job boards, company career pages, and through career-based social media networks, such as LinkedIn.
Should You Hire a Career Coach?
Career and personal growth are hard to achieve without support, training, and coaching. If you have unfulfilled aspirations, a career coach will help you formulate a career path, provide discipline, highlight the job skills you need to develop, and hold you accountable for agreed upon actions.
How much does a Career Coach make in the United Kingdom?
The average salary of a career coach in the UK is just over £25.5k.
Where can a Career Coach earn more?
Larger companies may offer better salaries and the highest salaries are found in Yorkshire and Humber, Scotland, London, and the South East. Your earning potential can be even greater if you open your own practice.
Who employs career coaches?
A business’s Human Resources department may hire career coaches if they are letting a number of staff go. Their client base also includes individuals looking to progress with employers or by those who make a living as an entrepreneur.
Career advice
For further career advice we recommend reviewing our career pages listed below:
