Imagine waking up every morning feeling excited to go to work! A Health Coach’s job is both satisfying and fulfilling and is fuelled by a strong sense of purpose. What would it feel like to know that your work is making a difference in other people’s lives? Are you someone who wants to make this world a healthier, happier place to live—and get paid for it? As a Health Coach, your job is to help people implement lifestyle changes to improve their health and well-being. A Health Coach takes people on a journey of self-discovery. This means helping them to identify areas of their life that may be interfering with their health goals.
HCC’s Natural Nutrition Coach (NNC) Program trains you to become both a Health Coach and a Natural Nutrition Coach. The program introduces you to a more purposeful life—and quite possibly, your dream job!
How to Become a Certified Health Coach
You become a Certified Health and Nutrition Coach by taking a program that offers a certificate in nutrition and coaching. The Natural Nutrition Coach (NNC) Program is all-in-one. It provides focused education in natural nutrition, wellness coaching, and business to prepare you for a career as a Health Coach fully. By the time you receive your Health Coach Certificate, you will have all the information you need to get started.
How much does a Health and Nutrition Coach make?
Is it possible to pursue your passion and earn a sustainable income? Do Health Coaches actually make money? Certainly! As a Health Coach, your salary can be as much or as little as you want it to be! Your income will depend on the type of work you choose to do and the environment in which you work. The average cost of a private session with a Certified Nutrition Coach is $90 to $160 per session. A Health and Nutrition Coach can earn even more per session with group sessions. In addition to your hourly or session rate, you can supplement your income with sales of other products. These include:
- Dietary supplements
- Books
- Cooking classes or other workshops
- Affiliate marketing
- Leasing space to other health coaches
- And other forms of passive income
Starting your health and nutrition coach career
As you consider starting a career as a Health and Nutrition Coach, think about the following:
Your interests
When thinking about starting a career in health coaching or natural nutrition, it is important to ask yourself the following questions:
- What do you enjoy doing?
- Is there something that motivates you?
- Are you passionate about nutrition?
- Have you experienced a positive change in your energy levels and health when you took steps to improve your diet?
- Do you love sharing nutrition and health tips with your friends and family?
- Are you excited to share your knowledge and experience with others?
Knowing the answers to the previous questions will help you determine if coaching is a good fit for you.
Your strengths and weaknesses
Consider your natural competencies, learned skills, and personality traits. If you are passionate about helping people, you may have good “soft” skills like communication, organization, and empathy. For example, are you someone your friends turn to for advice and support?
Your prior education and professional experience
Can you tie your previous work experience or education into your new career as a Health and Nutrition Coach?
Our previous work experience can have a great benefit to working as a Health and Nutrition Coach. For example, if you have worked in a daycare, your niche might be to work with families. Alternatively, if you have a background in marketing it will help you establish a vibrant career. Many Coaches start working in health foods stores which complement coaching as well. Other industries such as fitness coaching, acupuncture, yoga, or homeopathy are great adjuncts to nutrition coaching.
Your workplace needs
Do you work well independently and have an entrepreneurial spirit? Are you more effective in an environment that provides structure and direction? Perhaps you prefer connecting with people one-on-one or in group or team settings. Maybe you are looking for a career that is flexible and virtual. You could start your own business or work for an established organization. A Health and Nutrition Coach certificate opens the door to countless opportunities for coaching in various types of settings.
Your financial or lifestyle needs
What kind of income or benefits do you need to maintain or upgrade your lifestyle? When financial security is a priority, consider full-time employment in one of the many wellness sectors. You can also choose to gradually build up your coaching practice while continuing to work at your current job. Many Health and Nutrition Coach jobs offer a flexible work schedule. Health coaching careers contribute to work-life balance, especially for those with young families.
Career Opportunities for a Health and Nutrition Coach
A Health Coach Certificate qualifies you for a vast array of career opportunities. The possibilities are endless and are really only limited to the Health Coaches’ overall desire to create change.
Private or Group Coaching
HCC graduates may start a private practice in Natural Nutrition Coaching. Most work with clients to identify dietary and lifestyle interventions that may help improve their well-being. Many health clinics, including natural health centers, wellness clinics, weight loss centers, interdisciplinary clinics, or an online Health Coach.
Dietary Supplement Industry
The dietary supplement industry is the domain of Natural Nutrition Coaches. Our students and graduates are trained to seek imbalances in body systems. Included in the training is a thorough understanding of how dietary supplements can be supportive of health. Dietary supplement companies often hire Health Coaches as product educators, sales representatives, and product development and production.
Fitness Industry
If you have a fitness background, the demand for Nutrition and Fitness Coaches is on the rise. Nutrition is at the core of any athlete’s life. Even the most amateur athlete recognizes that diet plays a significant role in fitness performance. Our graduates work privately or in group settings with people wanting to improve their fitness level. Branching out to work with athletes or sports teams is another option. Often fitness clubs or gyms provide nutrition advice and coaching as well.
Workplace wellness
For a Nutrition Coach or a Health Coach, the wellness industry offers many job opportunities. Workplace wellness is a growing field. Organizations recognize the value of supporting the physical and mental health of their employees. It is clear that a healthy balanced diet promotes a healthier, happier, and more productive workplace. Coaches are hired for on-site nutrition coaching and health presentations to help educate the workplace.
Health food industry
A Natural Nutrition Coach is uniquely trained to work within the health food/natural products sector. Working at a health food store provides invaluable on-the-job training. Nutrition Coaches direct customers to suitable products based on their health concerns. Many learn about the supplement industry from brand representatives. Consumer demand for natural, organic, or GMO-free foods continues to grow! There are many opportunities for product development, including foods, dietary or herbal supplements, natural skincare, body care products, and so much more.
Pediatric/Family Coaching
Good nutrition is essential during all stages of life, from conception through our later years. A Natural Nutrition Coach can work with pregnant mothers and young families. There is also a growing need for nutrition education around topics such as learning disorders, allergies, and other health concerns.
Long-term care
A healthy whole foods diet is of utmost importance towards the end of life. A Nutrition Coach can work with long-term care facilities. Working with their residents to design menus and/or develop wellness programming for the facilities are often helpful in overall care.
Health Coach job duties: what to expect?
A Health Coach works with clients to reflect on their current health and lifestyle and to identify their health goals. Using various tools and techniques, a Health Coach helps guide clients to create a vision and set personal goals. The Health Coach then develops a personalized plan to help the client reach these diet and lifestyle goals. Continual support throughout the process is key. A Coach does this by helping to identify barriers to success, negative patterns, etc. A Health Coach can help a person become aware of their choices, habits, and patterns.
Health Coaching Career Online
Since the pandemic, many coaching jobs have gone virtual. If you prefer working online, you could conduct coaching sessions or teach workshops from the comfort of your home. This saves both you and your client’s travel time and expenses. Employee wellness platforms like Cyno and Wellable offer virtual health coaching, as well as webinars and other coaching services.
It is possible to have a successful career driven by passion and purpose! Want to learn more? Click on our course preview below:
FAQS
Do health coaches need a license to practice?
Health Coaches trained by the Health Coach Collaborative can recommend supplements. Our Natural Nutrition Coach Program offers in-depth training on how to safely recommend supplements to clients.
Becoming a Health Coach offers a wide array of work opportunities. You can choose to work independently, coach one to one, or in groups. Many other wellness centers such as gyms, spas, yoga studios, and more often hire health coaches to work with them as an added value to the services they already offer.
Think of a Health Coach as an accountability partner. A health coaching business is an opportunity to help people make positive changes to their lives. Often Health Coaches will recommend lifestyle changes to help their clients reach the goals they have set for themselves. Health Coaches who go through our Natural Nutrition Coach Program are able to make recommendations such as nutrition, supplements, sleep, stress, and movement.
Although Health Coaches don’t need a license to practice, it is important to understand the scope of practice in which you can work. Depending on where you live, the rules and regulations may vary. To see the Health Coach Collaborative’s scope of practice click here.
The Health Coach Collaborative is an approved school with the Health Coach Alliance, the largest international professional Health Coach association of its kind.
Lynne is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, meal prep mastermind, wife and mother of three. Lynne’s dreams and creativity have brought Holistic Nutrition Hub to fruition so that all Nutrition Practitioners can better help their clients and attain their business goals.
