What are typical prices for aerial classes? To find out, I searched for information from 60 aerial studios in the U.S. I gathered data for drop-ins, the price of a single class when purchased in bulk (pass or membership), and private lesson rates.

While these data provide a good overview of typical aerial price points, they do not take into account variations in class length or size (except for the private Lesson data, which always refers to a lesson for a single person). Consider these results as approximations that can help inform your business planning, or if you are a student, find out how much you are paying compared to other students or charging compared to other studios.

Here are the results:

Drop-in rates:
Sample size: 37 studios were surveyed
Average price of a drop-in: $32
Minimum: $20
Maximum: $45
Median: $32

Price of a single class when purchased in bulk:
Sample size: 54 studios were surveyed
Average price of a single class in bulk: $26.09
Minimum: $13
Maximum: $42.5
Median: $25

Price of a private lesson
Sample size: 24 studios were surveyed
Average price of a private lesson: $85.63
Minimum: $60
Maximum: $150
Median: $80

You can use this data to get a sense of where your studio (whether you own or attend) falls. If you are a studio owner, looking at others’ rates is only a small piece of the price point puzzle. Your pricing should fall within these ranges, but your exact numbers depend on your specific income goals and teaching capacity.

Are aerial classes expensive?
When I signed up for my first aerial classes I was surprised by the price (it broke down to $25/class). I was used to yoga class pricing (as both a student and teacher) and didn’t understand why aerial prices were almost double. It wasn’t until I launched my own aerial arts business that I developed an understanding and appreciation for aerial class pricing.

Some factors that uniquely contribute to aerial class prices compared to other movement disciplines such as yoga, Pilates, or dance:

• Class size and therefore income is limited for safety purposes
• High insurance rates
• Highly specialized knowledge
• Physical effort involved in teaching aerial
• Risk management component
• Equipment expenses
• (send me your thoughts on this too!)

Risks of undercharging
When you charge well below the industry average, you risk:

• Losing money or decreasing your net income.
• Devaluing the services of aerial instruction overall, and creating a false impression of the appropriate costs of aerial classes.
• Creating an impression of lower quality – consider how you wouldn’t buy a $50 couch because you KNOW it has to cost more to be worth buying! I would not personally attend an aerial class below $20 unless I had a lot more information to assure me that quality would not be compromised.

Risks of overcharging
When you charge well above the industry average, you risk:

• Losing customers
• Fewer class attendances per student on average
• Creating resentment in existing customers

You may very well lose money by charging too much. There is a sweet spot! I will soon be releasing a price point and income potential guide and calculator – add your name here to be notified when this toolkit is live.

I would say that the averages represented in the data  above are appropriate for the typical expenses and qualifications specific to aerial arts. However, as cost of living continues to rise along with inflation, studio owners and students should anticipate price increases – instructors should consider how to communicate this so as to manage expectations of students.

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