How Much Do Barre Studio Owners Make?

A barre studio owner can make anywhere from $50,000 to over $170,000 a year. However, your actual take-home pay depends on many factors. The most important are whether you own an independent studio or a franchise, and whether you teach classes yourself.

An owner who also teaches at their own small, independent studio can make a real take-home pay of $60,000 to $70,000 per year according to former studio owners.

On the other hand, a successful absentee owner of a top-performing franchise could make over $170,000 per year. However, many franchise owners, especially those who finance their investment, may make very little or even lose money for several years.

Here is a quick look at what a barre studio owner can make based on different situations:

Source: First-principles analysis of barre studio financial models.

How Your Involvement as an Owner Affects Your Income

One of the biggest factors that determines your income is how involved you are in the day-to-day work of the studio. Are you an owner-operator who teaches classes and manages the studio? Or are you an absentee owner who hires a manager to run things?

The Owner-Operator: Higher Income, More Work

If you are an owner-operator, you will likely make more money, especially in the beginning. By teaching classes yourself, you reduce your biggest expense: labor. Instead of paying an instructor, you are paying yourself. This is why an owner-operator of a small independent studio can have a real take-home pay of $67,316 per year.

However, this comes at a high cost in terms of time and effort. You can expect to work 50-60 hours a week, teaching classes, managing staff, and running the business. A struggling franchise owner who teaches classes to make ends meet might only make about $19 per hour for their time.

The Absentee Owner: Lower Income, More Freedom

As an absentee owner, you hire a studio manager to handle the daily operations. This frees up your time, but it also adds a large expense. A good studio manager can cost $75,000 per year or more according to industry data. This salary is deducted directly from the studio's bottom line, reducing your profits.

An absentee owner of an average Pure Barre franchise that is financed may have negative income for over 5 years. This means the studio is not making enough money to cover its costs, including the manager's salary and the loan payments. However, a cash-rich absentee owner of a top-performing franchise can still make over $88,000 per year.

Here is a comparison of how your role as an owner can affect your income:

Independent vs. Franchise: Which Earns the Owner More?

For an owner, an independent studio usually leads to a better and faster income, especially when you consider the initial investment. While franchises can make more total money, the high costs mean less of it ends up in the owner's pocket.

Independent Studio Owner Income

An independent studio owner keeps all the profits. There are no franchise fees to pay, which is a huge advantage. A 7% royalty fee and 2% marketing fee might not sound like much, but that's 9% of your total revenue gone before you even start paying other bills.

Because the startup costs are much lower, an independent owner can pay back their investment and start making a real profit much faster. An owner-operator of a small independent studio can take home around $67,000 a year, even with a modest number of members.

As an independent studio owner, you need a reliable barre studio management software. StudioGrowth is the all-in-one barre studio management software, and you can manage everything from bookings and billing to marketing and newsletters. You also get a custom-branded mobile app for your studio so you can compete with big-name franchises.

Franchise Studio Owner Income

Franchise owners have a tougher path to a good income. The initial investment is very high, often over $400,000. If you take out a loan for this, the monthly payments can wipe out all your profits for years.

The average Pure Barre franchise owner who finances their studio has a negative income of -$53,899 per year. This means they are losing money. It can take over 5 years just to start breaking even.

Even the owner of a top-performing Pure Barre franchise only takes home about $3,303 per year if they have a loan. The situation is much better if the owner can pay cash for the studio. A top-25% franchise owner who pays cash can make $88,303 per year.

Here is a comparison of what an owner can expect to make from each model:

What Hidden Costs Reduce an Owner's Income?

The profit a studio makes is not the same as the owner's take-home pay. Several hidden costs can reduce an owner's actual income by 40-60% or more. It is very important to plan for these expenses.

I have written a detailed guide on the cost of opening a barre studio. You can review it to get an overview of all costs and expenses.

What Does an Owner's Income Look Like Over Time?

A barre studio owner's income changes a lot over the first few years. It is very rare to make a good income in the first year. Most owners need to be prepared for a slow start as they build their business. I have written a detailed guide that answers the question, "Are barre studios profitable?" You can review it to see how long it takes to become profitable.

Year 1: Survival and Reinvestment

In the first year, most studio owners make very little, if any, personal income. Often, owners do not pay themselves a salary at all. Instead, they reinvest any profits back into the business to help it grow. Some owners may pay themselves an hourly wage for the classes they teach, but that is it.

Many owners keep their day jobs during this time to pay their personal bills. One former owner on Reddit said, "Our studio was not profitable and we knew the level of engagement it would take to bring it to profitability post-pandemic was not viable for us as we both had day jobs that paid our bills".

Year 2-3: Reaching Profitability

It typically takes about two years for a studio to become profitable. By year three, a successful studio should be generating a steady income for the owner. One industry benchmark suggests that a boutique fitness studio owner can make $150,000 to $250,000 per year once the business is established.

However, this is the gross profit before hidden costs. After taxes, health insurance, and other expenses, the real take-home pay is usually 40-60% less.

Year 5+: Mature Business Income

After five years, a well-run studio should be a stable, profitable business. At this point, an owner can expect to make a consistent income. Some owners choose to open additional locations to grow their income even more.

One Reddit studio owner shared that she opened her first studio in 2012 with just $45,000. She was able to make a profit in less than two years and now owns three locations.

Final Thoughts: Is Owning a Barre Studio Worth It?

Owning a barre studio can be financially rewarding, but it is not a get-rich-quick scheme. The reality is that most owners work very hard for several years before they see a good income. If you are willing to teach classes yourself and keep your costs low, you can make a decent living from a small independent studio.

However, if you are thinking about buying a franchise and financing it with a loan, you need to be prepared for several years of little to no income. The high costs and ongoing fees make it very difficult to make money, especially in the beginning.

The most successful barre studio owners are those who are deeply involved in their business, who keep their costs under control, and who are patient enough to let their business grow over time.