Instructor pay calculator
Per-class instructor pay across flat-rate, per-head, revenue-share, and hybrid models.
Most pay arguments at a studio come from one place: nobody modeled the math at different class sizes before agreeing on a rate. A flat $40 looks fine until the same instructor packs the room and the studio nets less than rent. A 50% revenue share looks fair until the studio runs a holiday promo and the instructor's check halves.
This calculator lets you plug in any of the four common models and see exactly what the instructor earns, what the studio keeps, and what percentage of revenue goes to pay at a given attendance.
Run it for your highest-attendance class and your lowest. If the studio loses money on either, the model needs work.
Base + per-head, with a revenue-share floor.
Used for revenue-share math. Use the blended price if most attendees are on packages.
12 × $22.00
40% of revenue
Before rent, software, fixed costs.
40% revenue floor ($105.60) beats base + per-head ($66.00).
How we calculate this
Flat: pay = base
Per-head: pay = base + (per-head × attendance)
Revenue share: pay = (attendance × price) × share %
Hybrid: pay = max(base + per-head × attendance, revenue × share %)
For revenue-share calculations we use drop-in price × attendance. If most of your attendees are on monthly packages or unlimited memberships, use the blended effective price per head instead of the rack-rate drop-in.
FAQ
Which instructor pay model is best?
None of them is best in isolation. Flat rate is predictable for instructors and the studio but rewards small classes the same as big ones. Per-head rewards filled classes but can punish instructors in slow seasons. Revenue share aligns incentives but exposes instructors to your discounting decisions. Hybrid (base + per-head, with a revenue floor) is the most common boutique-studio setup.
What's a normal pay percentage of class revenue?
Boutique studios typically pay instructors 25–45% of class revenue once the class is full. The percentage is much higher at small attendance because the base/flat portion is constant. That's why owners watch the percentage as a trend, not a single class.
How should I price the hybrid model?
Set the base + per-head so a class at break-even attendance pays the instructor fairly. Set the revenue-share floor so a sold-out class shares the upside. The floor should kick in around 80–100% capacity. If your instructor is hitting the floor every week, your prices are too low or your per-head is too low.
Are 1099 (contractor) and W-2 (employee) pay rates the same?
No. Contractor pay typically runs 20–30% higher than employee pay because the instructor pays self-employment tax and provides their own benefits. Misclassification is a real legal risk in the US — see our guide on 1099 vs W-2 classification before choosing a structure.
How does Chronix Hub handle pay calculations?
Chronix Hub records per-session fee snapshots at booking time. When you change an instructor's rate, past sessions stay at the old rate; only future bookings use the new one. Payroll rolls these up automatically across flat, per-head, and bonus tiers, with CSV export for your payment processor.
Pay calculations on autopilot
Chronix Hub rolls up flat, per-head, and bonus tier pay across every session and exports clean payroll CSVs. Read the full breakdown in Instructor Payroll Guide.