Work out your minimum session rate from the income you want, your costs, and the sessions you lose to no-shows. For trainers, massage therapists, therapists, coaches, tutors, and more.
You should charge at least
per 60-minute session
$80 per hour
Your minimum price would drop to $77 per session - or you keep your price and earn more. Automatic reminders with a reschedule link are the simplest way to get there.
A simplified estimate. It doesn't replace advice from an accountant - taxes and deductible expenses vary by country.
Revenue needed = take-home income ÷ (1 − tax rate) + business expenses
Paid sessions = sessions per week × working weeks × (1 − no-show rate)
Minimum price per session = revenue needed ÷ paid sessions
The result is your floor - the lowest price at which your business pays you what you need. Most practitioners price above it to leave room for slow months, equipment replacement, and growth.
If you book 20 sessions a week and lose 2 to no-shows, you're paid for 18 - but you still prepared for, travelled to, or blocked out 20. Cutting no-shows in half can be worth more than a price increase. See how to calculate your no-show rate or use the no-show cost calculator.
Start with the take-home income you want per year. Divide it by (1 - your tax rate) to get pre-tax profit, then add your yearly business expenses. That's the revenue you need. Divide it by the number of sessions you'll actually get paid for in a year - booked sessions minus unpaid no-shows - to get your minimum price per session.
Use the number you actually book in a typical week, not your maximum capacity. Admin, travel, marketing, and breaks between clients all take time. Many solo practitioners find that 60-75% of their working hours end up as paid sessions.
Every unpaid no-show or late cancellation is a session you prepared for but didn't get paid for. The more you lose, the higher your price has to be to reach the same income. Reducing no-shows is often the easiest way to earn more without raising prices.
Subtract holidays, public holidays, sick days, and training from 52. Somewhere between 44 and 48 weeks is typical for self-employed practitioners.
Check local prices, but don't copy them blindly. Their costs, client load, and income goals are different from yours. Use this calculator to find your floor - the price below which your business doesn't work - then position yourself above it.
SlotSwift lets clients book online and sends a reminder with a reschedule link before every session - so fewer sessions go unpaid.
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