Teachable Course Earnings Calculator

Teachable creator earnings vary dramatically. The average Teachable creator earns $1,000-$5,000 per year (hobby income), while the top 10% earn $50,000+ annually, and the top 1% earn $200,000+. Most successful creators have 5+ courses, an email list of 5,000+, and multiple revenue streams (courses + memberships + coaching). The biggest predictor of income is audience size — creators with 10,000+ email subscribers consistently earn $5,000+/month. Niche selection also matters: business, tech, and health courses outperform hobby and lifestyle courses.

Teachable's fees depend on your pricing plan. The Free plan charges 10% + $1 per transaction but caps revenue at $1,000/month. The Basic plan ($59/month, $49/month annual) charges 5% per transaction. The Pro plan ($159/month, $119/month annual) charges 2% per transaction plus custom domains and advanced features. The Business plan ($665/month, $499/month annual) charges 0% transaction fees with premium support and advanced features. Additionally, you'll pay payment processing fees (Stripe/PayPal: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction) on all plans. The break-even point for upgrading from Basic to Pro is roughly $5,300/month in revenue.

Choose the Free plan if you're just starting and want to validate your idea without costs — but upgrade once you hit $1,000/month. Choose Basic if you're earning $1,000-$5,000/month and want no revenue cap. Choose Pro if you're earning $5,000-$25,000/month — the 2% transaction fee (vs 5% on Basic) pays for itself above $5,300/month, plus you get custom domain branding, affiliate management, and priority support. Choose Business if you're earning $25,000+/month — the 0% transaction fee saves significant money, and you get advanced features like group coaching, course imports, and custom user roles. Always choose annual billing to save ~20%.

The average Teachable course generates $1,000-$10,000 in lifetime revenue, with the median course earning around $3,000-$5,000. However, this is heavily skewed — most courses earn less than $1,000 total, while top-performing courses can earn $100,000+. Success factors include: audience size (creators with 5,000+ email subscribers earn 10x more), course quality and production value, marketing strategy (organic vs paid), niche profitability (business/tech/health outperforms lifestyle/hobby), and pricing strategy (premium pricing outperforms low-ticket). Courses with a clear transformation outcome and social proof consistently outperform generic “learn X” courses.

Teachable earnings are considered self-employment income in the United States. You'll owe: 1) Self-employment tax (15.3% for Social Security and Medicare on net earnings), 2) Federal income tax (10%-37% depending on your tax bracket), 3) State income tax (0%-13.3% depending on your state). Total effective tax rates typically range from 25%-45%. You can deduct business expenses including course production costs (equipment, software, editing), marketing/advertising, home office, payment processing fees, Teachable subscription fees, and education. Teachable does not withhold taxes — you receive payment directly via Stripe/PayPal and must make quarterly estimated tax payments to avoid penalties.

The average refund rate for Teachable courses is 5-15%, depending on niche, price point, and refund policy. Higher-priced courses ($200+) tend to have higher refund rates (10-15%) because customers have higher expectations. Lower-priced courses ($29-$97) typically see 5-10% refunds. To minimize refunds: deliver a strong first lesson that exceeds expectations, clearly set expectations in your sales page about what the course includes (and what it doesn't), offer quick customer support, and provide a clear course roadmap. Many successful creators offer a 30-day satisfaction guarantee but with conditions (complete 3 modules and do the exercises) to reduce refund abuse.

Course pricing on Teachable typically ranges from $29 to $997+, with most creators pricing their flagship course at $97-$297. Pricing strategy based on tiers: 1) Entry-level ($29-$97): Low barrier, impulse buys, lead generation. 2) Mid-tier ($97-$297): Most common flagship course price, balances accessibility and revenue. 3) Premium ($297-$997): High-value transformation courses, includes coaching or community. 4) High-ticket ($1,000+): Cohort-based, mastermind, or 1:1 coaching programs. To set your price, research competitors, calculate your customer acquisition cost, and consider the value delivered (if your course helps someone earn $10,000, charging $497 is a bargain). Most creators underprice — premium pricing often improves conversion rate because it signals quality.

Yes, but it typically takes 1-3 years of consistent effort, and fewer than 10% of Teachable creators achieve full-time income. Full-time Teachable creators ($3,000-$10,000+/month net) typically have: 5+ courses in their catalog, an email list of 5,000-25,000 subscribers, multiple revenue streams (courses + memberships + coaching), and a traffic source (YouTube, blog, podcast, or paid ads). The most common path is: start with one course, build an email list, add 2-3 more courses, launch a membership for recurring revenue, then add high-ticket coaching. Diversification is key — relying on a single course or traffic source is risky.

Popular Teachable alternatives include: 1) Thinkific — similar pricing, better for course design beginners, 0% transaction fees on all paid plans. 2) Kajabi — all-in-one platform (courses + website + email + CRM), more expensive ($149+/month), better for established creators. 3) Podia — simpler interface, includes memberships and digital downloads, $39-$199/month. 4) New Zenler — all-in-one with email marketing and community, $67-$197/month. 5) Self-hosted WordPress + LMS plugin (LearnDash, LifterLMS) — full control but more technical work. The best choice depends on your needs: Teachable excels at ease-of-use and payment handling, but if you need built-in email marketing or community features, Kajabi or New Zenler may be better despite higher costs.

Most Teachable creators make their first sale within 1-4 weeks of launching, but meaningful income ($1,000+/month) typically takes 6-12 months. The timeline depends heavily on whether you have an existing audience: Creators with an existing email list or social media following of 5,000+ can earn $1,000+ in their first month. Creators starting from scratch typically take 6-18 months to reach $1,000/month. The fastest paths to revenue are: 1) Pre-selling your course before it's fully created, 2) Building in public on social media to generate interest, 3) Offering a founding member discount to your first 50 students. The most common mistake is spending months perfecting the course before validating demand.