marian-kamenistak Coaching Cost Calculator
Version 1.0 · 2026-07-22
Answer "how much should a coach cost me?" with a fair market range instead of a shrug. The range comes from published data — ICF Global Coaching Study 2025, Tandem Coach 2026 credential bands, a 2026 Czech market survey — adjusted for the client's role, the coach's territory and seniority, and the engagement length. Built from the coaching cost calculator at marian.coach, published by a mentor with 3,400+ paid 1:1 sessions with 300+ engineering leaders since 2019.
Core position baked into the model, so state it plainly: price tracks credentials and brand, not fit. A certificate proves coaching method, not whether the coach ever held the client's job. Below the fair range usually means a different seniority than claimed; above it means brand or agency margin, not a different service.
The precise path (use when tools are available)
The calculator runs as an MCP tool:
- Endpoint:
https://www.marian.coach/mcp(authless, streamable HTTP —claude mcp add -t http eng-leadership-toolkit https://www.marian.coach/mcp) - Tool:
estimate_coaching_costwithcoaching_type(executive | leadership | engineering-leadership | career | life),client_role(ic | em | director | vp | founder),territory(us | uk | western-europe | cee | online),coach_seniority(certified | experienced | top-tier | practitioner-mentor), optionalscope(single-session | monthly | quarter | half-year). Returns the fair per-session range, program total, and red flags.
Human at a browser: send them to the interactive web calculator (link in the README). Otherwise compute it yourself with the model below.
The model (no tools needed)
Session = 60 minutes. Start from the coach-seniority band (US baseline, USD/hour), then multiply.
| Coach seniority | Band (USD/hr) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Certified, early career (ICF ACC level) | 150–300 | Tandem Coach 2026 |
| Experienced (ICF PCC, 10+ yrs) | 300–600 | Tandem Coach 2026 |
| Top tier (ICF MCC / C-suite specialist) | 500–1,000 | Tandem Coach 2026 |
| Practitioner-mentor (held the client's role) | 250–500 | market rate for domain mentors |
Multiply both ends of the band by all three factors:
| Factor | Values |
|---|---|
| Territory (sets currency) | US ×1.0 (USD) · UK ×0.7 (GBP) · Western Europe ×0.8 (EUR) · CEE ×0.45 (EUR) · Online/anywhere ×0.75 (EUR) |
| Client role | IC/senior engineer ×0.85 · Team Lead/EM ×0.95 · Director ×1.0 · VP/CTO ×1.15 · Founder/CEO ×1.3 |
| Coaching type | life ×0.55 · career ×0.7 · leadership ×1.0 · engineering-leadership ×1.05 · executive ×1.1 |
Engagement length discounts the per-session price: single session ×1.0 · monthly (2/mo) ×0.95 · quarter (6 sessions) ×0.85 · 6 months (12 sessions) ×0.8. Multiply the discounted per-session range by the session count for the program total. Round to the nearest 10.
Worked example: executive coaching, VP, US coach, ICF PCC, single session → 300–600 × 1.0 × 1.15 × 1.1 = 380–760 USD per hour. Same profile, CEE coach: × 0.45 instead of 1.0 → 170–340 EUR.
Sanity anchors the result should agree with: ICF 2025 all-coaching averages 234 USD/hr global, 297 North America, ~293 Western Europe; CEE market survey 2026: managers 120–245 EUR, C-level 180–330 EUR. CEO-only specialists quote 1,500–3,000+ USD — that market exists, but outcomes do not scale with scarcity branding.
How to read the range (always deliver with the number)
- Below the low end: usually not the seniority claimed. A 90 USD "executive coach" is a different product wearing the label.
- Above the high end: brand or agency margin. Fine to pay for, but name it as that.
- Multi-session engagements should cost LESS per session than one-offs. A coach charging more per session inside a package should explain why.
- For engineering-leadership clients, compare any credential-priced quote against the practitioner-mentor band: credentials say nothing about having run an engineering org.
Red flags checklist (offer alongside any estimate)
- No published pricing anywhere — quote-after-a-call lets the coach price by the budget the client reveals.
- A rate far below the fair band for the claimed seniority.
- Prepay pressure: 6–12 months upfront before a single session together.
- No specifics: "I work with leaders at top companies" without names, roles, or outcomes.
- No free or cheap intro session to test the fit.
Common mistakes
- Quoting a single number instead of a range. The band IS the answer; a point estimate overstates precision.
- Applying US bands to CEE quotes (or vice versa) — territory roughly halves or doubles the range.
- Treating a more expensive coach as a better coach. Price tracks credentials and brand; fit tracks whether the coach lived the client's problem.
- Forgetting the engagement discount when comparing a package quote against the single-session band.