20+ Surprising Business Coaching Statistics You Need to Know
Business coaches offer advice and insight to entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and startups. Depending on the needs of their clients, a business coach provides feedback and actionable advice to help companies advance their operations.
Is business coaching a growing industry to get into? Does the cost of hiring a business coach pay off in terms of ROI? We’ll answer these questions and more with these 20+ surprising business coaching statistics below.
Top Surprising Business Coaching Statistics
Here are a handful of the most notable business coaching statistics to get started with:
- 2023 saw robust growth in the coaching industry
- 2022 saw the number of estimated practicing coaches exceed 100,000, a 54% increase from 2019.
- Business coaching boosts employee retention, resulting in ROIs of up to 788%
- Coaching can help increase productivity by 88%
- Business coaches make an average annual income between ~ $52,800 to ~ $126,498 in the United States.
- Coaching in the United States generates an estimated annual revenue of USD ~4.6 billion
- 49% of coaches in North America are Baby Boomers (1946-1964), while 40% are from Generation X (1965-1981)
- As of 2023, the only regions where coaches are more likely to be from the Baby Boomer generation than Gen X are Oceania and North America.
- Research on business coaching methods only began in 1937
- 65% of coaches have an education higher than a bachelor’s degree.
Continue reading for all 20+ business coaching statistics.
Surprising Business Coaching Statistics You Need to Know
If you’re considering becoming a business coach or hiring one to inspire growth in your company, these business coaching statistics may surprise you!
Coaching can help increase productivity by 88%
One study concluded that training alone increases productivity by ~22%. However, when training and coaching were combined, productivity improved by 88%. In this study, coaches offered guidance on collaborative problem-solving, goal-setting, and more (Gerald Olivero, K. Denise Bane, and Richard E. Kopelman).
Business coaching boosts employee retention, resulting in ROIs of up to 788%
One case study found that coaching produced a 529% return on investment; this number increased to 788% when businesses also included the financial benefits of greater employee retention (Merrill C. Anderson, Ph.D. MetrixGlobal, LLC).
Research on business coaching methods only began in 1937 with Gorby’s first impact study, “Everyone Gets a Share of the Profits.”
Research into the benefits and effects of business coaching is still relatively new, with the first study conducted in 1937 (Fillery-Travis, Annette and Passmore, Jonathan).
Business coaches make an average annual income between ~$52,800 to ~$126,498 in the United States
Business coaches can make a good living, averaging an annual income of USD ~89,649 (2023 ICF Global Coaching Study, Jooble.org).
A one-hour coaching session costs ~$244 USD on average, showing a 9% increase from 2019
Coaching sessions get billed by the hour, but the sessions’ cost steadily increases every year. From 2019 to 2023, the price for coaching sessions has increased by 9% (2023 ICF Global Coaching Study).
As of 2023, the only regions where coaches are more likely to be from the Baby Boomer generation than Gen X are Oceania and North America
While the Baby Boomer generation has plenty of knowledge to offer, this business coaching statistic shows that there’s a likelihood that outdated advice is offered to most companies in these regions (2023 ICF Global Coaching Study).
49% of coaches in North America are Baby Boomers (1946-1964), while 40% are from Generation X (1965-1981)
Almost half of coaches in North America are from the Baby Boomer generation. However, the number of coaches from Gen X is catching up, suggesting an increased demand for better-equipped coaches to offer advice on new business strategies and technology.
In comparison, only ~16% of Eastern European coaches are from the Baby Boomer Generation, while ~62% are from Gen X (2023 ICF Global Coaching Study).
2023 saw robust growth in both revenues from coaching and the number of practicing coaches across the globe
The pandemic did not hinder the growth of business coaching. In fact, 2023 saw huge growth in annual revenue and an increase in the number of practicing coaches worldwide (2023 ICF Global Coaching Study).
In 2015 and 2020, managers and executives were the top clients of business coaches, totaling 52%. Meanwhile, personal clients made up 19% of a coach’s workload
More than half of a coach’s clients are managers and executives from corporations, suggesting that corporate settings are the best places for business coaches to find new clients (2020 ICF Global Coaching Study).
2022 saw the number of estimated practicing coaches exceed 100,000, a 54% increase from 2019.
In 2022, the number of practicing coaches reached an all-time high of 109,200 globally, a 54% increase from 2019. This surprising business statistic suggests that business coaches are more in demand as businesses seek advice for adjusting to the new post-pandemic normal (2023 ICF Global Coaching Study).
Coaching in the United States generates an estimated annual revenue of ~$4.6 billion USD
US business coaches generated $4.564 billion USD in 2022, a 60% increase from 2019. This stat suggests that the cost of coaching sessions is increasing. Yet, businesses are willing to pay for coaching services more than they were pre-pandemic (2023 ICF Global Coaching Study).
Only one in 10 Millennials (1982-1996) are practicing coaches worldwide
8% of business coaches in North America are Millennials compared to 49% of coaches from the Baby Boomer generation. However, Eastern Europe has the highest % of practicing coaches from the Millennial generation, with 21%. That said, the global total of Millennial coaches only amounts to one in 10 (2023 ICF Global Coaching Study).
65% of coaches have an education higher than a bachelor’s degree
More than half of business coaches have higher educational training than a bachelor’s degree, with 30% having only a bachelor’s degree (2023 ICF Global Coaching Study).
Business coaches don’t always have an educational background in business
One of the most surprising business coaching statistics is that coaches don’t always have degrees in business. Coaches often come from a wide educational background with psychology, drama, or other degrees (Judge and Cowell, BK Joo).
Over half (58%) of coaching clients are female
More than half of a coach’s clients are female, suggesting that women, more than men, prefer to seek out guidance to improve their job performance, leadership, and management skills (2023 ICF Global Coaching Study).
Leadership coaching is the most prominent form of business coaching requested by 34% of clients, with executive coaching requested by 17%
Only 3% of a coach’s clients are small businesses; 34% seek guidance to hone their leadership skills, while 17% are executives and 13% are employees at a business or organization (2023 ICF Global Coaching Study).
As of 2022, 72% of coach practitioners are female, an upward trend from 67% in 2015
One of the surprising business coaching statistics is that most business coaches are female, and the number is continually increasing, with 72% in 2022, 70% in 2019, and 67% in 2015 (2023 ICF Global Coaching Study).
Over 70% of companies provide leadership coaching, including Microsoft, Google, NASA, and the IRS
Nearly three of four businesses have used coaching, and 22% of companies that don’t offer business coaching to staff report they would if their budget allowed (Chief Learning Officer, Executive Coaching College).
Coaches spend less than 12 hours (11.9) per week in coaching sessions
While business coaches are in high demand, most only invest 11.9 hours of their work week into coaching clients. This number dropped from 12.1 hours in 2019 (2023 ICF Global Coaching Study).
Typically, coaches have an average of ~12 clients
Though the number of hours coaches work per week has decreased since 2019, the number of clients per coach has increased by 4%, from 11.7 clients in 2019 to 12.2 clients in 2022 (2023 ICF Global Coaching Study).
One study found that business coaching sessions positively affect organizational commitment, post-training self-efficacy, and utility judgment
Not only does coaching increase the ROI of a business, but studies also show that coaching improves an employee’s self-efficacy suggesting that coaching plays a significant role in boosting employee morale (Louis Baron, Lucie Morin).
Wrap Up
After reading these surprising business coaching statistics, you can see how hiring a business coach can have impressive results on morale and leadership and produce ROIs that make budgeting for business coaching worthwhile.
Hire a business coach today because these business coaching statistics show that this industry is facing various upward trends in demand, hourly prices, and positive effects on companies worldwide.
