State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Coach and Scout Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Coaches and Scouts is $47,320 a year, according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 6.4% through 2034, with about 41,800 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
SOC 27-2022Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and MediaLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $47,320
- Projected growth
- +6.4%
- Openings a year
- 41,800
- Typical education
- Bachelor's
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Baseball Coach, Basketball Coach, Coach, Cross Country Coach, Football Coach, Gymnastics Coach.
How much do Coaches and Scouts make?
10th percentile$28,790
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$35,330
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$47,320
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$64,710
Upper quartile
90th percentile$98,860
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $47,320 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | N/A |
| Mean annual wage | $60,160 |
| People employed | 248,950 |
Versus all US occupations
At $47,320, Coaches and Scouts earn 7% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $3,660 a year.
Versus arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
Inside the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media group, where the middle occupation pays $72,775, this is 35% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $98,860 or more while the bottom 10% earn $28,790, a gap of 3.4×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 22% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
New Jersey pays the most at $76,700, and still leads at $70,493 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Coaches and Scouts the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $76,700 | $70,493 | 5,670 |
| District of Columbia | $65,360 | $59,472 | 630 |
| Louisiana | $60,960 | $69,110 | 2,550 |
| Vermont | $59,990 | $61,241 | 630 |
| New York | $59,920 | $55,522 | 11,220 |
| Hawaii | $55,860 | $50,804 | 760 |
| Massachusetts | $55,130 | $52,129 | 6,310 |
| Connecticut | $54,790 | $52,881 | 4,070 |
| Rhode Island | $53,630 | $52,434 | 1,170 |
| Arizona | $53,130 | $52,773 | 4,120 |
Is Coach and Scout a growing career?
Coaches and Scouts6.4%
All US occupations3.1%
+6.4% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Coaches and Scouts to change 6.4% over 2024–2034, roughly 2.1× the 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 19,500 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 41,800 openings are projected each year, 13.6% of the 306,500 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
The growing interest in college sports, professional sports, and sports recreation instruction is projected to increase demand for coaches and scouts. To remain competitive, colleges often seek the best athletes for their sports teams. Successful teams help colleges enhance their reputation, recruit future students, and raise donations from alumni. Therefore, colleges will rely on scouts to recruit the best high school athletes.
Growth in the demand for sports instruction is expected to rise, as concerns about lack of physical activity continue to be a focus for the public.
How to become a Coach and Scout
Coaches and scouts typically need a bachelor’s degree. However, educational requirements for coaches and scouts may vary from no formal educational credential to a bachelor’s or higher degree. These workers also need extensive knowledge of the sport. Coaches typically gain this knowledge through their own experiences playing the sport at some level. Although previous playing experience may be beneficial, it is not required for most scouting jobs.
| Typical entry-level education | Bachelor's degree |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as coaches and scouts.
- Bachelor's Degree48.9%
- Master's Degree19.4%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)17.4%
- High School Diploma8.9%
- Less than a High School Diploma3.7%
What does a Coach and Scout do?
Instruct or coach groups or individuals in the fundamentals of sports for the primary purpose of competition. Demonstrate techniques and methods of participation. May evaluate athletes' strengths and weaknesses as possible recruits or to improve the athletes' technique to prepare them for competition. Those required to hold teaching certifications should be reported in the appropriate teaching category.
Coaches teach amateur and professional athletes the skills they need to succeed at their sport. Scouts look for new players, evaluating their skills and likelihood for success at the amateur, college, or professional level. Many coaches also are involved in scouting potential athletes for their team.
Day-to-day tasks
- Provide training direction, encouragement, motivation, and nutritional advice to prepare athletes for games, competitive events, or tours.
- Keep abreast of changing rules, techniques, technologies, and philosophies relevant to their sport.
- Adjust coaching techniques, based on the strengths and weaknesses of athletes.
- Instruct individuals or groups in sports rules, game strategies, and performance principles, such as specific ways of moving the body, hands, or feet, to achieve desired results.
- Plan strategies and choose team members for individual games or sports seasons.
- Plan, organize, and conduct practice sessions.
- Arrange and conduct sports-related activities, such as training camps, skill-improvement courses, clinics, and pre-season try-outs.
- Explain and enforce safety rules and regulations.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where coaches and scouts work
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 64% |
|---|---|
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 22% |
| Self-employed workers | 10% |
| Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations | 2% |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 1% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Speaking4.4/5
- Learning Strategies4.1/5
- Monitoring4.1/5
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Critical Thinking4.0/5
- Active Learning3.9/5
- Writing3.6/5
Transferable skills
- Instructing4.8/5
- Social Perceptiveness4.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0/5
- Coordination3.9/5
- Persuasion3.9/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.9/5
- Systems Analysis3.9/5
- Time Management3.9/5
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software
- Computer based training software
- Data base user interface and query software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Coach and Scout?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary4.3
Investigative2.1
Artistic2.4
Socialprimary5.3
Enterprisingprimary5.2
Conventional3.5
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Coach and Scout: frequently asked questions
How much do Coaches and Scouts make?
Coaches and Scouts earn a median of $47,320 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 7% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. The middle half earn between $35,330 and $64,710. The top 10% earn $98,860 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Coach and Scout?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Coaches and Scouts, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 48.9% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Coach and Scout a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 6.4% over 2024–2034, more than double the 3.1% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 41,800 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Coach and Scout do?
Coaches teach amateur and professional athletes the skills they need to succeed at their sport. A core O*NET task: provide training direction, encouragement, motivation, and nutritional advice to prepare athletes for games, competitive events, or tours. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Object or component oriented development software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Coaches and Scouts the most?
The highest state medians for Coaches and Scouts are New Jersey ($76,700), District of Columbia ($65,360), Louisiana ($60,960) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Coach and Scout?
O*NET scores Coaches and Scouts highest on the Social, Enterprising and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESFJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.