The median pay for Coaches and Scouts is $47,320 a year, according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 6.1% through 2035, with about 36,400 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- Commonly called: Sports Coach
- SOC 27-2022
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Last updated October 15, 2026
At a glance
Coach and Scout in four numbers
- Median pay
- $47,320a yearBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $29KTop 10% $99K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +6.1%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+6.1%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +6.1% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 36,400298,800 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025298.8K
- Projected 2035316.9K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 298.8K Projected 2035 316.9K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school3.7%
- High school8.9%
- Associate's17.4%
- Bachelor's48.9%
- Master's19.4%
- Doctorate1.8%
Highest education held by coaches and scouts Segment Value Less than high school 3.7% High school 8.9% Associate's 17.4% Bachelor's 48.9% Master's 19.4% Doctorate 1.8%
Also advertised as: Baseball Coach, Basketball Coach, Coach, Cross Country Coach, Football Coach, Gymnastics Coach.
Pay
How much do sports coaches make?
Coaches and Scouts earn a median of $47,320 a year (about $3,940 a month); the lowest-paid 10% earn less than $28,790 and the top 10% more than $98,860 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The best-paying state is New Jersey, with a median of $76,700. See Sports coach salary in New Jersey and every other state. By city, pay is highest around Corvallis ($193,180 average): salary in every city.
Every coach and scout in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$47,320
Middle half earn $35,330 to $64,710
- 10th
- $28,790
- 25th
- $35,330
- 75th
- $64,710
- 90th
- $98,860
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $28,790 |
| 25th | $35,330 |
| Median | $47,320 |
| 75th | $64,710 |
| 90th | $98,860 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- 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 $68,060, this is 30% 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 16% of the 1,741 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.
Pay by state
Which states pay sports coaches the most?
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.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1New Jersey | $76,700 | $70,493 | 5,670 |
| 2District of Columbia | $65,360 | $59,472 | 630 |
| 3Louisiana | $60,960 | $69,110 | 2,550 |
| 4Vermont | $59,990 | $61,241 | 630 |
| 5New York | $59,920 | $55,522 | 11,220 |
| 6Hawaii | $55,860 | $50,804 | 760 |
| 7Massachusetts | $55,130 | $52,129 | 6,310 |
| 8Connecticut | $54,790 | $52,881 | 4,070 |
| 9Rhode Island | $53,630 | $52,434 | 1,170 |
| 10Arizona | $53,130 | $52,773 | 4,120 |
Job outlook
Is sports coach a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +6.1% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Coaches and Scouts | +6.1% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Coaches and Scouts to change 6.1% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 18,100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 36,400 openings are projected each year, 12.2% of the 298,800 jobs that existed in 2025. 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.
AI exposure: moderate
BLS places this occupation in its moderate relative AI exposure category, below the middle of the pack: some of the work overlaps with what AI can do, much of it does not.
Getting in
How to become a sports coach
Coaching a school team is far more regulated than almost anyone expects, and the requirements apply to volunteers and outside hires, not just to teachers. Public high school coaches may need to be certified or complete mandatory education courses, certification often requires being at least 18 and trained in CPR and first aid, and coaches who are also teachers must meet state licensing requirements including a background check. Several states go further and issue an actual coaching permit with a fixed term and a list of mandated trainings. Scouting is different: it is largely unregulated, and employers hire on judgment and network rather than credentials.
The credential path, step by step
- Work out whether your state issues a coaching permit
Ohio is the clearest documented example. Its pupil-activity permit is required for individuals who will direct, supervise or coach a student activity program involving athletics, routine or regular physical activity, or activities with health and safety considerations. Ohio Revised Code section 3319.303 requires the state board to adopt those standards for anyone who does not already hold an educator licence, and to adopt parallel, no more stringent, standards for those who do.
- Get the school or district to sponsor your application
You generally cannot apply on your own. In Ohio the applicant must first complete the school or district's own process for serving as a coach, notify them that the online application is coming, and have the superintendent or a designee electronically sign it. Districts, not the state, verify all of the training.
- Clear the background check
All Ohio pupil-activity permit applicants must have current background checks on file with the State Board of Education, and renewing applicants can check the date of their last one from their licensure dashboard.
- Complete every required training, not just concussion
Ohio requires six categories: Fundamentals of Coaching (a one-time requirement, satisfied through providers such as NFHS Learn), CPR, First Aid for Coaches, concussion training through an Ohio Department of Health approved provider, sudden cardiac arrest training approved by the Department of Health under Lindsay's Law, and, since 3 October 2023, a student mental health training course approved by the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health. Several of these expire on their own schedules, so permit holders are told to track their own expiry dates.
- Renew on the cycle your credential sets, and re-prove the trainings
Ohio issues a 3-year permit to applicants holding no other educator credential, a 4-year permit to holders of a 4-year Resident Educator or Alternative Resident Educator licence, and a 5-year permit to holders of a 5-year Professional, Senior Professional or Lead Professional licence or a permanent teaching certificate. At renewal the statute requires evidence that both concussion and sudden cardiac arrest training were completed within the duration of the previous permit, and the mental health training certificate must be submitted every single time you renew.
- For college and professional levels, expect association rules instead
College and university coaches may need to meet certification or training requirements set by college athletic associations, and organisations specific to a sport such as golf or tennis may offer their own coaching certification. Check the sport's national governing body for approved programs.
- How long the training takes
There is no programme as such. What takes time is assembling and maintaining the required certificates: a one-time coaching fundamentals course plus CPR, first aid, concussion, cardiac arrest and (in Ohio) mental health training, each with its own expiry, refreshed across a permit term of three to five years.
- Continuing education
Required to stay credentialed
Where a state permit exists, the trainings behind it lapse and must be retaken. Ohio requires evidence at each renewal that the concussion training and the Department of Health approved sudden cardiac arrest course were completed within the previous permit term, and requires the approved student mental health training certificate to be submitted with every renewal application, including from applicants moving to a different multi-year permit.
Licensing and state variation
Licensed state by state
This varies more than almost any occupation of its size, and BLS simply directs candidates to their state's high school athletic association. Where a state permit exists it is genuinely a credential: Ohio's pupil-activity permit has a statutory basis, a term tied to whatever educator credential you hold, a background check, six mandated training categories and renewal conditions written into the Revised Code. Ohio also grants permits to applicants licensed in another state, or with satisfactory work experience or a government or private certification as a coach in a state that does not issue such a permit. Note the carve-out that catches people out in the other direction: an Ohio teacher or principal with a valid licence does not need a pupil-activity permit to supervise an activity that does not involve athletics, physical activity or health and safety considerations, but does need one the moment it does.
Who governs the credential
- Ohio State Board of Education, Office of Educator Licensure and Effectiveness
Issues Ohio's pupil-activity (coaching) permits, sets the six training categories, holds the background checks and verifies the mental health training certificate. School districts determine which of their staff need a permit and verify the remaining training.
Credential detail for coach and scouts is researched by hand from the bodies that issue it, not derived from BLS or O*NET. Sources last checked August 23, 2026. Requirements change: confirm with your own state board before enrolling in anything.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook — Coaches and Scouts, How to Become One · checked August 23, 2026
- Ohio State Board of Education — Pupil-Activity (Coaching) Permits · checked August 23, 2026
- Ohio Revised Code section 3319.303, Standards and requirements for obtaining pupil-activity program permit · checked August 23, 2026
What the federal data says
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.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
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 degree17.4%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)8.9%
- Less than a High School Diploma3.7%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 48.9% |
| Master's Degree | 19.4% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 17.4% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 8.9% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 3.7% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a sports coach 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.
Working conditions and hours
Fatal injury rate: 3.5 per 100,000 workers (1.1x the 3.3 average)
BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 2024, for the group “Athletes, coaches, umpires, and related workers”: 11 deaths that year.
Part-time work is common for coaches and scouts. Their work schedules vary and may involve irregular hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays. Full-time coaches may work more than 40 hours a week for several months during the sports season. High school coaches may work part time and have other jobs aside from coaching.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Where coaches and scouts work
Share of jobs by employer type
- Educational services; state, local, and private64%
- Arts, entertainment, and recreation22%
- Self-employed workers8%
- Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations2%
- Local government, excluding education and hospitals1%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Educational services; state, local, and private | 64% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 22% |
| Self-employed workers | 8% |
| Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations | 2% |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 1% |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Speaking4.4
- Learning Strategies4.1
- Monitoring4.1
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Active Learning3.9
- Writing3.6
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Speaking | 4.4 |
| Learning Strategies | 4.1 |
| Monitoring | 4.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Instructing4.8
- Social Perceptiveness4.0
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0
- Coordination3.9
- Persuasion3.9
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Systems Analysis3.9
- Time Management3.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Instructing | 4.8 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 4.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.0 |
| Coordination | 3.9 |
| Persuasion | 3.9 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.9 |
| Time Management | 3.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
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.
The workforce
Who works as a sports coach?
Women make up 47.4% of coaches and scouts, close to their 47.1% share of all employed people.
19.6% are 55 or older, close to the 23.2% across all jobs.
The median worker is 37.3 years old (all workers: 42.1).
- Women
- 47.4%All workers 47.1% · BLS CPS, 2025
- Median age
- 37.3All workers 42.1 · BLS CPS, 2025
- Aged 55+
- 19.6%All workers 23.2% · BLS CPS, 2025
- Employed (CPS)
- 362,000BLS CPS, 2025
| Group | Share of coaches and scouts | All employed people |
|---|---|---|
| Women | 47.4% | 47.1% |
| White | 78.7% | 75.7% |
| Black or African American | 10.6% | 12.7% |
| Asian | 4.1% | 7.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 9.8% | 20.0% |
| Aged 55 and over | 19.6% | 23.2% |
| Aged 16 to 24 | 26.0% | 12.2% |
Current Population Survey annual averages, 2025 (BLS tables 11 and 11b). Race groups can overlap with Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, so they do not sum to 100%.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a sports coach?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Coach and Scout |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 5 |
| Enterprising | 5 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Social5.3
- Enterprising5.2
- Realistic4.3
- Conventional3.5
- Artistic2.4
- Investigative2.1
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.
Explore further
Careers related to Coach and Scout
O*NET related occupations
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Personal Care and Service
Exercise Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor
$47,160median a year
Most earn $29K to $83K
+7.3%High school - Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Educational Instruction and Library
- Business and Financial Operations
More arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media careers
Median annual pay, with coaches and scouts highlighted
- Art Director$114,850
- Technical Writer$90,390
- Editor$77,920
- Writer and Author$76,910
- Public Relations Specialist$74,750
- Interior Designer$67,190
- Graphic Designer$62,960
- Coach and Scout$47,320
- Photographer$44,660
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Art Director | $114,850 |
| Technical Writer | $90,390 |
| Editor | $77,920 |
| Writer and Author | $76,910 |
| Public Relations Specialist | $74,750 |
| Interior Designer | $67,190 |
| Graphic Designer | $62,960 |
| Coach and Scout | $47,320 |
| Photographer | $44,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Specialty careers within coach and scout
Distinct careers BLS counts inside this occupation, each with its own profile.
- College Basketball Head Coach
- College Football Assistant Coach
- College Football General Manager
- College Football Head Coach
- College Recruiting Coordinator
- Esports Coach
- NFL Head Coach
- Pickleball Professional
- Sports Video Coordinator
- Strength and Conditioning Coach
- Tennis Professional
- Women's College Basketball Head Coach
Lists Coach and Scout appears on
Questions
Coach and Scout: frequently asked questions
How much do sports coaches 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.
What is the starting salary for a sports coach?
BLS does not publish a starting salary. The nearest measure is the low end of the pay range: the lowest-paid 10% of coaches and scouts earn less than $28,790 a year and the bottom quarter less than $35,330 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). New workers often start near that end, but where a particular job starts depends on the employer, the state and the credentials you bring, so read these as the bottom of the range rather than a guaranteed entry wage.
Do sports coaches make $100k?
Rarely. Even the 90th percentile is $98,860, so fewer than 10% of coaches and scouts earn $100,000 or more (BLS OEWS, May 2025). No state's median reaches $100,000; the highest is New Jersey at $76,700.
Which states pay sports coaches 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 kind of sports coach earns the most?
BLS does not split coaches and scouts' pay by specialty or employer, but its range shows how far the top end runs: the highest-paid 10% earn more than $98,860, against a median of $47,320 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Location moves pay the most in the published data: the best-paying states are New Jersey ($76,700), District of Columbia ($65,360), Louisiana ($60,960). Among the specialty careers inside this occupation, industry sources put typical pay at $5,000,000 for NFL head coaches (Front Office Sports (compiled from Sportico and Pro Football Reference), January 2026, 2025); $3,600,000 for college basketball head coaches (USA TODAY NCAA Men's Basketball Coaches Salary Database 2025, 2025); $3,250,000 for college football head coaches (USA TODAY NCAA Football Coaches Salary Database 2025, 2025). Those are not BLS figures.
Do you need a degree to become a sports coach?
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 considerable preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 48.9% hold bachelor's degree.
Is sports coach a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6.1% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 36,400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a sports coach 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.
Do sports coaches work 40 hours a week?
Most work more than 40. In O*NET's survey of people in the job, 50% of coaches and scouts usually work more than 40 hours a week, 33% work exactly 40 and 17% work fewer. 58% say their schedule is regular and 16% irregular, and 26% work seasonally. Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, Work Context.
What personality type suits a sports coach?
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 1,731 careers in the bank.
How long does it take to become a sports coach?
There is no programme as such. What takes time is assembling and maintaining the required certificates: a one-time coaching fundamentals course plus CPR, first aid, concussion, cardiac arrest and (in Ohio) mental health training, each with its own expiry, refreshed across a permit term of three to five years.
Do you need a license to work as a sports coach?
Yes, and it is issued by the state you work in, not nationally. This varies more than almost any occupation of its size, and BLS simply directs candidates to their state's high school athletic association. Where a state permit exists it is genuinely a credential: Ohio's pupil-activity permit has a statutory basis, a term tied to whatever educator credential you hold, a background check, six mandated training categories and renewal conditions written into the Revised Code. Ohio also grants permits to applicants licensed in another state, or with satisfactory work experience or a government or private certification as a coach in a state that does not issue such a permit. Note the carve-out that catches people out in the other direction: an Ohio teacher or principal with a valid licence does not need a pupil-activity permit to supervise an activity that does not involve athletics, physical activity or health and safety considerations, but does need one the moment it does.
What percentage of sports coaches are women?
Women make up 47.4% of coaches and scouts, close to their 47.1% share of all employed people. 19.6% are 55 or older, close to the 23.2% across all jobs. The median worker is 37.3 years old (all workers: 42.1). Source: BLS Current Population Survey, 2025 annual averages.