How to Become a Life Coach in Oklahoma

If you’re looking for a new career, or just starting out after finishing school, consider working as a life coach. This is a growing industry, because people have realized how useful it can be, to achieve goals and improve their lives, to have a coach there for guidance and accountability.

You can train to be a life coach in Oklahoma in as little as a few weeks. Once you’re ready to take on clients, you may choose to work for a company as an employee, or strike out on your own to freelance or start a small coaching business. One of the great things about this career, besides being able to help people, is the flexibility in working hours, type of work, and income.

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Requirements for Working as an Oklahoma Life Coach

There are no official requirements to be a life coach in the state, but to get started you should first have at least a high school diploma or GED. From there, it is strongly recommended that you complete a training program approved by the International Coach Federation (ICF). Employers and clients will likely expect that you have had some training, and a good program will set you up for success as a coach.

Training to Be a Life Coach in Oklahoma

Actual, in-person training that is approved by the ICF is hard to find in Oklahoma, but there are great options for virtual and online learning:

  • American Life Coach Academy. The online training program offered by American Life is a live, virtual course with 60 hours of classes that gets you the hours needed to prepare for entry-level ICF certification. There are several of these virtual courses scheduled throughout the year so that you have options. Once you graduate, the school will still provide support if you are planning to start a business.
  • Center for Coaching Certification. Another good option for online training is the Center for Coaching Certification. The in-person courses may occasionally be held in Oklahoma, but no sessions are currently scheduled in the state. You may choose to travel to study in nearby Texas or Colorado. Or, choose the fully online option. You can even take the course in Spanish.

Getting Certified

You don’t have to be certified to start working as a life coach in Oklahoma, but you should work toward it. The ICF certifies coaches at three levels: associate, professional and master. Most training programs will prepare you for associate level certification. To achieve higher levels, you need to take continuing education courses and accumulate work experience. These are the requirements for each certification:

  • Associate – 60 training hours and 100 coaching hours
  • Professional – 125 training hours and 500 coaching hours
  • Master – 200 training hours and 2,500 coaching hours

Salaries Nationwide and in Oklahoma

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, life coaches across the U.S. earned an average of $61,900 in 2015. This figure can be misleading, however. It includes coaches who work full-time and those who work part-time and have other jobs. The reality is that there is a lot of flexibility in life coach incomes, depending on how you choose to work. A Ziprecruiter.com report found that the average life coach salary in Oklahoma is $58,694, but again, this could be drastically different depending on how much you work.

Working as a Life Coach in Oklahoma

The flexibility of this career is a big draw, and you should be able to choose your path from among many opportunities in Oklahoma. For the most options, begin your career in and around Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Norman, the state’s biggest cities.

Companies and organizations may hire life coaches if you want to be a regular employee. Look for positions with wellness centers, community service organizations, behavioral health centers, coaching companies and any large company that hires life coaches to offer the service to their employees.

Alternatively, you may choose to do what many coaches do, which is to start your own small business. This is less stable, but it gives you the opportunity to choose your clients, your working hours and your rates.