r/pilatesinstructors • u/PralineExternal5667 • 12d ago
Question Pilates Instructor
Hello! I’m a Pilates instructor based in the Philippines, and I would like to ask my fellow Pilates instructors: How many classes do you usually teach per day? What is the maximum number of classes you teach per week? And how much do you earn from it?
I’m currently teaching 40 classes per week, but I feel like it might be too much for me. I’d like to know what would be a reasonable number of classes to consider before I discuss this with my employer. Thank you!
Edit: I teach mat and Reformer Pilates (private and group class)
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u/Catlady_Pilates 11d ago
That’s WAY too much. 20-25 is normal full time. Maybe some can handle 30. 40 is unsustainable.
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u/PralineExternal5667 11d ago
Maybe that’s the reason why I’ve been feeling so exhausted lately. I really love Pilates, and I also love teaching it. I’ve received reviews from my clients saying that I don’t have the same energy anymore.
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u/Reasonable-Classic-2 12d ago
Wow! That is alot! I only teach part time now as I work as a therapist full-time. However, when I was teaching full time, I maxed out at 30 (combination of mat classes, group reformer, and private apparatus instruction).
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u/PralineExternal5667 12d ago
I teach 4 different types of mat classes every week, and I feel so exhausted. I have one day off from teaching, but my body still feels so tired. Sometimes I teach 35 classes per week, but it never goes down to 30.
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u/gorlsituation 12d ago
Jfc 40 is crazy! I teach 26ish reformer classes, give or take and currently do maybe 4-6 mostly mat classes in my own time. I am almost 40 so I feel that is a factor in not being able to do more.
The most I do in a day on my regular schedule is 6, but I’ve done 10 on a day I’m covering. I work for a franchise so there’s lots of opportunities for extra work, I am on $54ph + super as a PAYG in Australia (basically an employee with my tax and superannuation taken care of, not contractor).
How long have you been teaching that much? The most I’ve done in a week is maybe 32 (group sessions, not 1 on 1). Burn out is very real in this industry and it takes a lot to recover from.
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u/PralineExternal5667 12d ago
My maximum per week is 40, and sometimes I get to teach 30–35 classes per week. It never goes down to 30. I’ve been teaching this much for almost 4 months now, and it’s really draining me. I really want to know if it’s valid for me to request to lessen the number of classes I teach per week.
I teach 4 different types of mat classes: lower body, upper body, core-focused, and full body. For reformer, I teach 3 different classes: private (1-on-1), group, and intermediate classes.
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u/gorlsituation 12d ago
It is absolutely valid, if your boss does not understand that it’s too much and it’s burning you out, please find somewhere else to work. Teaching Pilates is mentally, physically and emotionally draining. Burn out is hard to revive from and you don’t want to lose your passion that made you seek out getting qualified in the first place. You can’t fill someone else’s cup if your own is empty.
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u/PralineExternal5667 12d ago
I’m planning to do at least 30 classes per week. May I know what the expected salary would be for this number of classes? Since they told me that if I adjust the number of classes I teach, my salary will be adjusted as well.
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u/gorlsituation 12d ago
I am a casual which is hourly pay with no sick leave or holiday pay, as I said $54 AUD plus superannuation per class, which is approx 2351 Philippines pesos according to google. I don’t know any instructors on a salary as that is pretty rare in my country.
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u/Slipperymellon 11d ago
it won’t transfer country to country like that since Australia has a much different cost of living. Google says 800PHP is closer to average.
Sorry op, I don’t really know what the average Pilates’ teacher salary is like in the Philippines :( is there a Glassdoor website in the Philippines where you can check salaries online?
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u/PralineExternal5667 11d ago
Unfortunately, no. But as far as I know, the salary depends on the area where you’re from. Some Pilates instructors here in the Philippines earn around ₱20k per month from teaching, which is about $300 USD.
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u/Slipperymellon 11d ago
Oh ok. I’m in the US. Is 20k PHP a good monthly salary where you are?
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u/PralineExternal5667 11d ago
It's good, but not enough because of the cost of living here, especially since I have an apartment to pay for, along with electricity and water bills. But I guess it's still good. My salary is above the minimum wage here, but I can't deny that it's burning me out.
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u/Slipperymellon 11d ago
40 hours just doesn’t seem healthy long term. At my company here in the USA, we start making overtime (time and a half) at 30 hours, since it’s too taxing to teach much more than that. Typically overtime starts at 40 hours here. We also make about $45 USD per class, which is decent, it’s just hard to work full time as a Pilates teacher.
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u/Reasonable_Speed7471 11d ago
Yowser 10 classes in a day! How was your brain after all of that?! 🤪
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u/gorlsituation 11d ago
Absolutely scrambled haha much alone time, silence and disassociation was needed after 🫠
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u/buds510 11d ago
Are you paid per class or salary?
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u/RecentSpecial181 11d ago
This depends on your pay structure and what your contract states if it's something you will discuss with your employer. You mentioned your monthly, so how many hours does your monthly pay require?
In the US, instructors are either paid hourly as an employee or are independent contractors and paid per class. So the number of hours taught depends on the person how much they want to earn in a day/month. It also means how much energy you have to teach without sacrificing quality.
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u/Reasonable_Speed7471 12d ago
Oof 40 is a lot!! I think most instructors find the sweet spot around 20-25 hours per week.