Wellness studio business
Instructor pay per class.
Enter the attendance, what each attendee pays and four ways to pay the instructor. See what each model costs the studio and what it earns the instructor per paid hour.
Pay differs by model, not by class. With 12 attendees at $22 ($264 revenue), a $45 flat fee, $4 per head, $25 + $3 per head above 5, or 20% of revenue pays $45, $48, $46 or $52.80. Per-head and share pay rise with attendance; a flat fee does not.
Your numbers
Result
Worked example
12 attendees at $22 bring in $264. Flat fee: $45. Per attendee at $4: 12 x $4 = $48. Hybrid of $25 base covering the first 5 attendees plus $3 for each of the other 7: $25 + $21 = $46. A 20% share: $52.80. With 60 minutes of class and 30 unpaid minutes of prep and travel the instructor is paid for 1.5 hours, so the flat fee works out to $30.00 an hour and the 20% share to $35.20.
How it works
Flat fee is the same at 3 students or 20. Per attendee is attendees x rate. Hybrid is base + (attendees - threshold) x rate, never below the base. Revenue share is revenue x share %.
Effective hourly rate = pay / (class minutes + prep minutes) x 60. Counting prep and travel shows what a class really pays.
Compare the models at a low, a typical and a full attendance by changing the attendees field. Check that the pay you set meets any minimum wage or contractor rules that apply to your instructors; this page does not assess that.
Sources and basis (checked 2026-10-08): arithmetic on the numbers you enter. No outside data or published rate is used, so every default is a placeholder to replace with your own. This is a planning estimate, not accounting, legal or tax advice.
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FAQ
How much should a studio pay a yoga or pilates instructor per class?
There is no single rate. It depends on city, experience, class size and whether the instructor is an employee or a contractor. Use this page to see what a given pay model costs at your real attendance.
Is per-head pay better than a flat fee?
Per-head pay shares the attendance risk: the studio pays less for an empty room and more for a full one. A flat fee gives instructors predictable income and the studio keeps the upside of a full room.
What is a hybrid instructor pay model?
A base amount that covers the first few students plus a per-attendee amount above that threshold. It protects the instructor in small classes and rewards growth.
Why count prep and travel time?
Unpaid setup, planning and travel are part of the job. Dividing pay by class time alone overstates the hourly rate.