Thread: Anyone Teach at a Health Club?

I was wondering what the "going rate" for bellydance instruction was in a health club?

There is a potention health club in my town that may be interested in offering bellydancing. I was wondering what I should suggest when she asks what the going rate is?

Any info / advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

I do not work at a health club but I know that most of the instructors usually do a percentage (like 70/30) or you are a salaried employee.

Though - that is what I have been told by other dancers.

Originally Posted by ravenadesigns

I do not work at a health club but I know that most of the instructors usually do a percentage (like 70/30) or you are a salaried employee.

Though - that is what I have been told by other dancers.

Like, I get 70, and the health club gets 30, or the other way around?

This article is from several years ago and rates will be different in different areas of the country, but it might be helpful: Michelle Joyce writes for the Gilded Serpent

I've gotten either $50 an hour or a 70/30 split (yes, I get 70).

I've spoken to clubs that wanted to pay me $20 or even less, but I never took those jobs.

I would consider a lower rate if I were going to be paid as an EMPLOYEE -- no self-employment taxes, the club pays in my social security, covered by their liability taxes, they buy the music and props for class, etc.

Clubs that want to offer the class for free to their members often expect you to take the same rate they pay their fitness instructors -- which is fine, but their fitness instructors are EMPLOYEES, not independent contractors, and the difference is tremendous.

I once took an on-the-payroll job like this that only paid $20 an hour, teaching bellydance and other fitness classes, but it wasn't worth it. They only wanted to pay me for my teaching hour, for instance, not the class planning time or even the time I spent chatting with students and answering questions before/after class (which is another half-hour of MY time for every hour I was being paid for!)

In my area, the fitness centers only hire employees and pay by the hour. Like Lauren said, it is great that they cover things like taxes, insurance, etc, but they do not pay well and they do not pay for any time spent preparing outside the classroom. As much as I love teaching, it's just not worth it.

Working through a community center or YMCA around here pays better but you have to cover your own expenses (taxes, insurance, etc).

Uhhh . . . . . sounding like a bad idea to me . . . . maybe I need to consider NOT doing this . . . sounds like a headache, really? The club I'm looking it would offer the class to their members for free, so I guess the 70 / 30 would not work . . . . I'd have to have the hire me to cover my insurance, etc. because I'd rather not deal with all that.

So, if they insure me, would $20 - $30 per hour be reasonable, or would I just be letting them take advantage of me?

Last time I tried a health club, they wanted to pay me $10 - $15 per hour. RIDICULOUS! But her argument was that she only pays her certified aerobics instructors $10, so she couldn't see paying me more since I have no certification. Yeah, needless to say, I did NOT take that job . . .

The club I teach at pays instructors anywhere from $18/hr (some of the new spin and aerobics instructors who are young and don't know any better) to $40/hr (only the director of the program gets this). I get $35/hr. I started out at $30/hr about 6 years ago and asked for a raise about 3 years ago.

We are all independent contractors - so, we do not have taxes taken out of our pay but we are covered under the general liability of the gym because the classes are included in the membership.

We also get use of the gym, which can be a big benefit if you would belong to a gym anyway. I usually only take the yoga class that is right after my bellydance class, but even one yoga class a week adds to the value of what I make! When I'm feeling motivated, I also go and use the treadmills and elipitcals.

I did a 60/40 split with a gym once and it was awful. The gym was not helping with the advertising at all (even going so far as to take down my flyers!) so the class had 2-3 people per week. I would leave with $6 or $7. It was not worth it, I quit after a few weeks. I would MUCH rather be on a set rate and not have to worry about getting people to class.

Bigger health clubs and gyms usually pay 35-40 dollars an hour, some may pay more if you have fitness certifications from ACE or AFAA. I think it varies depending on the club budget, and how many instructors they have on staff. In those cases you are hired on as an employee.

The advantage is that you also get club membership, and in some cases they offer health benefits, too.

Depends on what you're looking for,
Good Luck!

I worked as a health club as a salaried employee and was paid $35 each hour (only taught 1 one-hour class each week). I'm in southern California. (BTW, that $35 rate has been the same for over 8 years now.)

Lauren is absolutely correct: you should be compensated more if you are a contract employee, for all the reasons she mentioned. I would charge no less than $50 each hour if an independent contractor (if class is part of the club dues) or 70/30 split if members pay a separate class fee.

Deborah