Certified Life Coach: What It Means and How to Become One

Key takeaways

As a life coach, you’ll use empathy, active listening, and problem-solving to help people improve their lives.

• The life coaching market in the US is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 5.05 percent between 2025 and 2033, with a projected value of $3.08 billion by 2033 [1].

• Many certified life coaches earn their certification from one of two credentialing bodies: the International Coaching Federation (ICF) or the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC). However, other independent credentialing organizations exist as well.

• You can become an entrepreneur and open a life coaching business by first choosing your certification path and then completing the necessary education and exams.

Learn more about a career as a certified life coach, including details on credentialing organizations and the steps you’ll take to become one. If you’re ready to start a life-coaching business, consider enrolling in Wharton’s Entrepreneurship Specialization. You’ll have the chance to learn how to conceptualize, design, and manage a new business in as little as four weeks. Upon completion, you’ll gain in-depth knowledge that will help you get your life-coaching business started.

What is a certified life coach?

A life coach partners with clients as they work toward a more ideal version of their life, often focusing on areas such as the client’s daily well-being, work-life balance, or relationships.

What is a life coach? Learn more about what a life coach does, how they may help their clients, and the different types of specializations they may have.

Coaching, as an industry, is unregulated, so there are no formal requirements for a person to become a life coach. However, there are a number of coach training programs that a person may opt to take to deepen their education and learn more about the best ways to work with individuals. A person who has gone through such training programs is considered a certified life coach.

Life coach certifications

In an unregulated industry, certification can be a vague concept. Any time a person declares themselves a certified life coach, it’s important to consider where they received their certification from.

Two widely recognized coaching credentialing bodies are the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC). However, there are also many independent certification programs available. Here’s a quick breakdown of the similarities and differences:

How to get certified as a life coach 

There are no formal education requirements for anyone interested in becoming a life coach, but 55 percent of life coaches hold a bachelor's degree, and 21 percent hold a master's degree [2]. Keep in mind that certification programs may set their own education requirements for applicants, such as requiring an associate degree in order to apply.

If you are pursuing a degree and want to explore areas of study that might be similar to life coaching, you may want to focus on social sciences or counseling. Some degree options to consider include psychology, business, or social work, as many popular coaching approaches implement methodologies and practices developed within those fields.

Build your coaching mindset with a personal growth course, such as The Science of Well-Being from Yale, Mindshift, or Finding Purpose and Meaning in Life from the University of Michigan.

Life coach salary and job outlook

According to Glassdoor, life coaches in the US earn a median total pay of $81,000 annually [3]. This figure includes base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation. Additionally, the job outlook seems positive. The total US revenue from coaching will likely increase to $3.08 billion by 2033, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.05 percent from 2025 through 2033, which may indicate growth in the number of practicing coaches as well as in client interest [1].

As a certified life coach, you will have a few options regarding how you would like to work. Some people work full-time on their own coaching business, others see coaching as a side hustle, and still others will seek employment as a coach within a larger organization, such as a company or school.

If you choose to run your own coaching business, either full- or part-time, you’ll have flexibility in deciding how much to charge. In general, coaches charge anywhere from zero to hundreds of dollars per session.

How to become a certified life coach

Your path toward becoming a certified life coach will depend on the type of certification you choose. In many cases, the first step toward certification entails completing the educational component, followed by any required coaching hours, and culminating with an exam.

Once you select your certifying body of choice—whether that’s ICF, NBHWC, or any other program—you’ll be able to research specific requirements for that credential.

Choosing a life coach certification program

Because coaching is an unregulated industry, you have a lot of flexibility in deciding what type of certification is right for you. A simple internet search can guide you toward many options.

While it’s not necessary to obtain a credential to start a career as a life coach, if you are going to participate in a certification program, it may be helpful to choose one that is approved by an industry-recognized certifying body, either ICF or NBHWC, in case you decide to pursue the formal credential in the future.

Tip: To get a better sense of what ICF and NBHWC offer, browse their websites. In general, ICF coaches tend to focus on careers, while NBHWC coaches tend to focus on wellness.

Once you decide which organization most aligns with your goals, you can find lists of approved programs on their respective websites. Ultimately, each program should teach a similar set of skills and information but may vary in length, cost, and whether they’re offered virtually or in person.

Schedule exploratory calls with the admissions team or directors at the programs that best align with your needs to learn more about their guiding methodologies and practices.

Cost of becoming a certified life coach

Your total cost in becoming a certified life coach will depend on the specific certification you pursue.

Certification programs may cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to over $10,000. For instance, many programs approved by ICF and NBHWC cost a few thousand dollars.

In addition to the cost of the certification course, ICF’s exam and application fees can cost between $175 and $625, depending on the certification level, and NBHWC’s exam and application fees total $500 [4, 5].

Read more: Start a Business: Your 10-Step Guide

Access free resources to build a thriving certified life coach career

Gain helpful career tips by subscribing to our LinkedIn newsletter, Career Chat. Then, explore the following resources as you work toward a career as a life coach:

• Watch on YouTube: How to Build Genuine Connections

• Build your knowledge: Future-Proofing Your Business Strategy with GenAI 

• Consider your options: What Career is Right for Me? Quiz

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