How To Start Charging World-Class Rates EVEN IF You Think No One Can Afford You
A results-based pricing anchor that lands $190/session in Calgary, easy (my city-indexed pricing calculator inside!)
Most coaches price like employees: hours × effort.
Specialists price like operators: outcomes × structure × local affordability.
Here’s the clean “city-indexed” anchor I use.
The Model
We index your rate to your city’s mean household income, then allocate a small, intentional slice of monthly household income to coaching outcomes.
Rate per session = (Monthly mean household income × Allocation %) ÷ Sessions per month
When you see allocation % in the calculator, read it like this:
“If a household earns about $X per month in my city, what percentage of that monthly income would a serious person reasonably allocate to solving this problem?”
It’s a pricing anchor based on:
local earning context (city mean household income)
problem importance (pain, performance, longevity, confidence)
your role (trainer vs specialist vs high-touch guide)
how you deliver results (session time + plan + support between sessions)
A simple way to choose the %
Use these as starting points:
2% (Standard coaching): accountability + training sessions, lighter outside support
3% (Specialist): assessment-led + a clear plan + measurable outcomes
3.5% (Premium specialist): higher stakes outcomes, more precision, more “between sessions” support
4–5% (High-touch): only if your delivery genuinely includes deeper support, faster iteration, and tighter guidance
Why this isn’t “hourly”
Allocation % creates a monthly outcomes budget first. Then you decide how many sessions/month you need to deliver the result. That’s why a specialist can run 2 sessions/month and still price appropriately—because the value is the system and outcome, not minutes.
Rule of thumb:
If you raise the allocation %, you’re claiming greater outcome responsibility. Your delivery has to match.
Calgary calibration (the benchmark)
Using Calgary mean household income ≈ $131,600/year:
Monthly mean household income = 131,600 ÷ 12 = $10,966.67
Premium Specialist allocation = 3.5%
Sessions per month = 2
Rate = (10,966.67 × 0.035) ÷ 2 = $191.9 → ≈ $190/session
That’s the anchor: specialist pricing based on results + structure, not time.
How to use it
If you’re running a true specialist model (assessment + plan + async support), 2 sessions/month is enough to justify a higher per-session number.
If you want more contact, increase sessions/month and decide whether allocation % stays the same or rises. (refer to the guide above if you’re unsure or shoot me a message and let’s have a chat about what tier you fall under and what you need to do in order to level up. 👇
Your turn
I built a Google Sheet for you. You can enter:
your city’s mean household income
your specialization level (allocation %)
sessions/month
…and it outputs your specialist rate + results-driven pricing.
Template link: Get your Rate Calculator Here
(Use File → Make a copy)