How Much Money Does A Zumba Instructor Make

Reading Time: 4 mins

Zumba is the fitness revolution taking over the world, advising everyone to 'ditch the workout and join the party!' The only way to make this better, of course, is to earn money at the same time. Read on to find out how to make money as a Zumba instructor.

What does a Zumba instructor do?
How do you become a Zumba instructor?
How much money can you make?

What does a Zumba instructor do?

If you don't know already what Zumba is, then it's about time you came out from under your rock.

Masterminded by the Colombian celebrity Alberto 'Beto' Perez in the 1990s, Zumba is a fusion of an aerobic workout with Latin and international dance moves and music.

Zumba instructors are usually self-employed part-time workers, who typically hold 3-5 sessions a week for their participants. Under guidance from the flexible Zumba program, you can set your own schedule and teach as many classes as you like.

You need around 14 songs to fill an hour's worth of boogie, and you'll be leading the dances for each of these. Many worry that they might get stuck and forget what comes next – but there's nothing to stop you repeating a few moves or stealing some from another song until your memory kicks back in.

As well as being very fun, remember that Zumba is also serious exercise – this is the perfect opportunity to cut down on some belly fat!

So don't hold back! Cha-cha-cha right into the cumbia in Cumbria or the disco in San Francisco.

Zumba dancing

How do you become a Zumba instructor?

Becoming a Zumba instructor is incredibly easy.

All you do is sign up for an Instructor Training class, led by Zumba Education Specialists. These talented individuals are hand-picked by Beto for their skills and experience in dance-fitness.

Classes typically cost around £250 for a full 9am-6pm day.

Homemaker mothers in particular are hustling to sign up for instructor training – no doubt their favourite dance will be the mum-bo!

What will you learn in an Instructor Training class?

Core rhythms

Each song in a Zumba workout has a 'core rhythm', the most common being merengue, salsa, cumbia and reggaeton. You will learn the basic steps and variations, as well as how to identify them in a song. Some advice for your training day: take a few changes of clothes. You are going to be sweating. A lot.

The Basic 1 Review

An overview of the teaching skills you will need, such as cueing. The B1 also discusses some legal and logistical considerations. Cueing is how you indicate to your class (without speaking) the next moves that are coming up, how many reps to do and which direction to do them in. This is essential for a smooth Zumba class, lest it resemble too closely a group of angry squid trapped in a church hall.

The Zumba Formula

This enables you to create your own choreography by teaching you how to identify the different parts of a song and then match these to dance moves.

Teaching license

And at the end of the day, you get your license! You are now free to go and teach as soon as you feel ready. This certification lasts for one year; to continue teaching into a new year you must either redo your basic training, complete a more advanced class, or get a ZIN membership (you can read more about this below).

More about ZIN

Some of the things you will have to think about before beginning your first class include:

Insurance
First aid
Group exercise certification (if required in your country/state)
Hall hire
Creating new routines and keeping classes fresh
Marketing and getting the word out

Feeling overwhelmed? Then it might be worth subscribing to the Zumba Instructors' Network.

ZIN costs around £30 a month, and comes with a vast host of benefits for both the new and the experienced.

These include:

License to teach indefinitely
Access to a First Class teaching set (free if you sign up to ZIN at your Basic 1 training)
New music with pre-prepared choreography arriving at your door every other month
A friendly online community happy to offer advice
A spot on the official Zumba website to help people find your classes
Use of the Zumba brand, as well as branded marketing materials like posters and leaflets

Zumba workout solo

How much money can you make?

Most people make use of Zumba instructing as a part-time gig.

Depending on location and level of experience, you can charge between £5 and £15 per person per class. Discounts when you're just starting out can be a good way to draw in some initial business, but be careful to indicate when your discount comes to an end.

Once you subtract your overheads like hall hire, insurance, and so on, the average hourly wage comes out at between £7 and £12 an hour. Not bad for an hour of dancing fun!

To learn more about becoming a Zumba instructor, check out the official website here.