Career Coach

How much does an executive coach cost?

Updated

Executive coaching has no public price list. A widely quoted survey, by Harvard Business Review among 140 leading coaches, found a median of $500 an hour, from $200 to $3,500, for engagements of 7 to 12 months. It dates from 2009; ICF's 2023 study confirms that coaches who mainly serve executives charge the highest fees.

Executive coaching fees, as reported
SourceFigureYear
Harvard Business Review, survey of 140 coaches (71% in the US)Median $500 an hour, from $200 to $3,5002009 (2008 survey)
ICF Global Coaching Study, all coaching$272 an hour on average in North America; executive coaches highest2023 (2022 data)
ICF Global Coaching Study, all coaching$234 an hour on average worldwide2025
Noomii, coaching directory (method not stated)$220 to $550 an hour2025

What the fee pays for

Experience, mostly. BetterUp, which sells executive coaching to companies, asks its executive coaches for at least 20 years of leadership experience and an MBA or an advanced degree in behavioral science, and says they average 1,000 hours of executive coaching. Torch says every one of its coaches is ICF-credentialed with at least five years of experience.

Who usually pays

The employer, in most cases: the platforms that sell executive coaching, BetterUp, CoachHub, EZRA or Torch, sell to companies and publish no prices (the platforms compared). If you lead a team and have no coaching budget, ask whether your company already pays for one of these platforms.

Not an executive yet?

For a first management job or a promotion case, you rarely need a $500-an-hour coach. A career coach costs less (prices), and the situations below cover the most common first steps.

Start from your situation

Leading a team and want a plan, not an hourly rate? Career Coach (that's us) is not a person: it's a 12-week online plan for one goal, 10 minutes a week, with a weekly check-in on what you said you'd do. It starts with what the people around you see in you: you choose who to ask (a coworker, a former coworker, a friend), and they pick your strengths in one minute. Free to start, then costs less a month than one paid hour with a coach.

Get started

Questions

How much does executive coaching cost per hour?

Harvard Business Review's 2009 survey of 140 coaches found a median of $500 an hour, from $200 to $3,500. More recent studies by ICF give averages for all coaching, not executives only: $272 an hour in North America in 2023.

How long does executive coaching last?

Typically 7 to 12 months, according to the same Harvard Business Review survey.

Who pays for executive coaching?

Usually the company: BetterUp, CoachHub, EZRA and Torch sell to employers and publish no prices. Coaches who sell to individuals set their own rates.

Sources