← Back to all jobs

Yoga Instructor

Fitness & Wellness

You guide people through poses, breathing exercises, and meditation while projecting an aura of calm that belies the chaos of running a class where half the room can't touch their toes and the other half is doing advanced inversions that make everyone else feel inadequate. You'll teach 4-6 classes a day, demo every pose on a body that's developing repetitive stress injuries, and somehow maintain your zen while someone's phone rings during savasana.

Salary Range

Low

$20k

Median

$38k

High

$65k

10-Year Growth

faster than average

US Workers

72K

Education

200-hour Yoga Teacher Training (RYT-200) + Yoga Alliance registration

Environment

indoor

Tools & Technical Skills

  • Yoga Teacher Training (200-hr or 500-hr RYT certification)
  • Anatomy and alignment for safe postures
  • Sequencing and class design
  • Pranayama and meditation facilitation
  • Modifications for injuries and limitations
  • Online class delivery platforms (Zoom, YouTube, Peloton)

People & Mindset Skills

  • Calm and grounding presence
  • Verbal cueing clarity
  • Empathy and non-judgment
  • Body awareness and demonstration
  • Community building

What you'll actually do

  • 01Lead classes for skill levels ranging from 'first time ever' to 'I trained in India for 6 months'
  • 02Demonstrate poses on your own body while cueing the class and watching for unsafe alignment
  • 03Create playlists and sequences that flow naturally and don't accidentally repeat from last week
  • 04Provide hands-on adjustments to students who need help but forgot to opt in or out
  • 05Maintain your own practice while teaching 20+ classes per week on a body that's wearing down
  • 06Project inner peace while internally stressed about rent, because yoga instruction doesn't pay like tech