Zumba Certification Cost, how to become a Zumba instructor? (A Complete Guide)
Are you looking forward to teaching Zumba or starting your career as a professional trainer or instructor, you must have to get the certifications and the license. For that, it is mandatory to get enrolled in an authorized organization.
Specifically, there will be two or three options of course with individual certifications and benefits. But one can take the professional package with all the benefits included. Being a member of ZIN, one can run their career as an instructor with a valid certificate and license for a fixed time.
Normally, Zumba Certification Cost will be anywhere between $250 to $400 based on the type and place. Moreover, one will have to pay a monthly fee to be an active member of the ZIP group. It will validate and verify the certificate and the license of the instructor.
Zumba Certification Cost
Many people are so fitness freaks that they try different types of exercise to stay fit. If we pick the top 5 fitness exercises for every gender and every age group, Zumba is going to be at the top. If you do not know what Zumba is, you must learn about this interesting activity.
Basically, Zumba is an organization offering fitness classes to over 200,000 students all over the world both online and offline. The term Zumba is getting popularity which is a special type of Latin dance fitness moves.
Specifically, this process of keeping a human fit was a discovery in the 1990s. The dancer and choreographer Beto Pérez formed this and become popular in a little time. Because of the highly effective result and suitability for everyone, people choose this fearlessly. He is also the founder of the worldwide popular organization Zumba.
Who would not like to stay healthy by dancing and having fun with their favorite music? Well, I am saying for sure, no one will refuse that. Mainly, people who want a flexible movement of all their muscles will like this.
That is why thousands of people take this class and become obsessed with this fitness trick that they want to be an instructor. I am guessing that you reading this article want the same and search the web for useful information. Then it is good news for you that you have come to the right place.
If you ask randomly, people will say that take a course online and get the certificate. But if you really want to be a professional Zumba instructor and want to continue your career in this field, you should get professional help and get governmentally recognized certifications.
By that you will be an authorized instructor and getting a job will be easier. Even employment in different governmental institutions such as hospitals, old age care, and others will easier. Therefore, let’s find all the processes along with the cost of the certification below.
The scenario of Zumba certifications and their cost
Interested people in this area already have a proper experience in this field. Because they have already been a student who learned and practiced this fitness process regularly. We choose something as a career if we love that thing which is true for this one too.
However, no matter how expert you are, you will have to get an authorized certificate. After that, you can join the instructor community and get a personal trainer job or any organizational position. It is a good thing that the USA has several options for that.
The government has suggested the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. One can take the certifications from this organization or others approved by the authority.
Specifically, if you want to take the certifications from the organization founded by the Father of Zumba, it will cost you around $400. It may seem that the amount is high but imagine how much you will learn. Also, you will get connected with the most talented persons in this field which will help you create a big network. You must remember that networking is one of the most important things in this profession.
Moreover, you will have to be a ZIN member no matter where you have taken the course. This membership comes with a monthly subscription. So that not everyone or every random person can have a membership. It is to preserve the authenticity of the environment. No one will pay a monthly charge to an organization if it is not for any help to them.
However, other organizations offer certifications and training at a lower price range. One can expect to expense between $200 to $400 based on the type of institution or organization. Zumba is something to measure by the soul, not the money.
If you get the chance to learn it to the pro level, you must not waste that chance at any cost. Because it will not only help you to stabilize your physical and mental health, but many people will also get help through you. It is not about only earning money but helping people in their worst. So, that they can lead a happy and healthy life.
But there are some requirements to fulfill before getting the certification or applying for that. I will be explaining those below to help you understand the total process.
Zumba Training for certification
Before getting the phase of having a certificate as professional, one will have to train from the same organization. This training is possible in many types. One can take it online and offline. They will have to subscribe to a package and find videos of the training. By this, they can watch and train themselves at home or anywhere anytime.
This is perfect for people who are busy with other things such as education and cannot match their schedule with the time of the instructors. The other option is attending live classes online. The practice of online learning become extremely popular since the pandemic of 2020.
In this type, one can get training from home and interact with the instructor via audio and video call. This is better than the other one if the person is new and has a bunch of questions.
My favorite is the offline class of Zumba in the academy. By this one can attend physically with other fellows. The instructor will teach them properly with hand. Learning it becomes more fun with other fellow mates.
Well, there is some phase that one has to cross sequentially. They cannot skip a part and get promoted to the next one. doing every step properly is mandatory for the training. Below I will be discussing all the phases.
Zumba Basic-1
This is the entry-level course of Zumba for people with zero knowledge of it. If you do not know anything about it, you must have to take this course. It is like learning the alphabet to write and read. It is the cheapest course of all and it will only take 2 to 3 days. That means it is the shortest course in the whole process too.
In this course, the included materials are,
- Zumba Basic 1 Instructor Manual
- Zumba Basic 1 Certificate of Completion
- REPS
- Online content
- 1-year Zumba instructor license
- Choreography and Music Collection
- Cardio Party and Live Class DVD
- 20-Minute Express Workout DVD
- 4 Basic Rhythms Review DVD
- Cardio Party Music CD
After completing the course successfully and passing the exam, one will be awarded a certificate and one year’s license to teach this fitness method. If you are concerned, about what will you learn in this course, there will be a lot. Mainly, this course will teach,
- Merengue
- Salsa
- Cumbia
- Reggaeton
After learning all those things, you can finally use your creativity to dance to different music. It will be easier to make your unique class to train others and making them dance to sweat will be so much fun. In this process, the person will feel extremely confident and he or she will be prepared for the next course.
So, do not think much, if you want to start this amazing journey go get yourself enrolled in the course and start learning.
Jump Start Gold
This is the complete package for people with no knowledge but who wants to be a professional. Like me, there are many out there who had zero ideas of this fitness training but want to learn it to a pro level.
This course will get you to start from the basics and keep going with you until it’s time to get professional certifications as well as a license. That means this has two-course combinations, the basic and the gold.
During the course, the participants will receive,
- Cardio Party and Live Class DVD
- 20-Minuteute Express Workout DVD
- 4 Basic Rhythms Review DVD
- Cardio Party Music CD
- The Zumba Basic 1 Instructor’s Manual
- The Zumba Gold Instructor’s Manual
- Zumba Basic 1 Certificate of Completion
- AFAA Trainers receive 7.25 CEUs
- ACE Trainers receive 0.9 CECs
- Zumba Gold license as long as you are a ZIN Member in good standing
Is not all those listed materials sound amazing to have? Once you get enrolled for the course, all of them will be available for you except the license and the certificate. After completing the course and passing the exam the organization will provide the official certificate.
Also, one will get one year license or a gold license which will be valid as long as one is a member of the Zumba Instructors Network. However, to stay an active member the person will need to pay a monthly fee which is not much.
There are some other certifications the instructor can have to create a positive impact in their career such as the American Red Cross. This is not necessary or mandatory documentation but it can be helpful. One will learn the primary treatment so that one can use those in case of emergency.
Since they will be working with the elderly and people with many health issues, this knowledge can be a blessing in their time of need.


How much a Zumba instructor earns in the USA?
The earnings of a professional Zumba instructor will be different based on the employment type. First one will have to know about the job environment and who hires this type of professional. Mainly, different gyms, yoga centers, and places like this have a high demand for this type of professional. If we go for a percentage then the workplace for this job will be like
Place | Percentage |
Fitness and recreational sports centers | 52% |
Self-employed workers | 22% |
Educational services; state, local, and private | 7% |
Civic and social organizations | 6% |
Government | 4% |
As for the salary, the average pay range will be around $41000. Still, different States and Cities in the USA will offer different amounts. As of the 90% percentile, the wage will be around $76000. However, we are expecting more than this from an experienced instructor.
Moreover, the minimum or entry-level hourly wage for a Zumba instructor will be $11.04. As a beginner that person can earn around $22000 or a little more.
Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
Hourly Wage | $ 11.04 | $ 14.22 | $ 19.57 | $ 27.77 | $ 36.51 |
Annual Wage | $ 22,960 | $ 29,580 | $ 40,700 | $ 57,760 | $ 75,940 |
Will it be wise to choose Zumba as a career?
The answer to this question will depend on your answer, whether you like Zumba or not. If the answer is yes, I will say that this will be a wonderful career for you. Because this one will not need a high level of education. Only a high school diploma is enough to enter.
However, one can still earn other diplomas such as health care to add some weight to their career. Moreover, it is one of the fastest-growing careers in this country. According to BLS, the growth of this field is 19%. That means a high rise every year. If you are doing well, you can expect a high range of salary year after year. Overall, it is a great path to choose to reach the final destination.
We hope that readers have got all their answers about the topic. Now, you can prepare for the journey and have a great experience.