Salary
Average Salary: $34,000
Expected Lifetime Earnings: $1,419,432
All we can say is be happy you're teaching the yoga class, because on your salary you probably couldn't afford the fee to participate.
The majority of yoga instructors in the U.S. are actually part-time, teaching just a few classes per week and working another full-time job on the side. On average, full-time yoga instructors in the U.S. make around $34,000 per year (source). There's only so much training anyone can reasonably fit into a daily schedule.
Starting out, pay will be pretty dismal. Running from class to class and gym to gym, you might make something dreadfully low at first, like two to four dollars per student (source). If only a couple people show, you're only making minimum wage.
But if you stick with it long enough—or better yet, if you open your own practice—you could pull in a higher rate and make a less-humble living out of it. We're just saying, it's a good thing patience is a part of the job description.
There's potential to earn more depending on the state you live in. Fitness-forward states like California and New York—and Mississippi?—feature higher salaries, with some yoga instructors making over $40,000 per year (source). You also have a better chance to become yogi to the rich and famous in those places. Okay, maybe not Mississippi, but what you lose in celebrity you make up in Southern hospitality.