Leads a university men's basketball program, building the roster, directing assistant coaches, and coaching the team through the season and postseason. USA TODAY NCAA Men's Basketball Coaches Salary Database 2025 puts typical pay at $3,600,000 a year (2025). BLS does not publish separate figures for coaches and scouts; it counts them within coach and scout (SOC 27-2022), whose median pay is $47,320 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 27-2022
- Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
College Basketball Head Coach 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: Head Men's Basketball Coach, Division I Head Basketball Coach, Head Coach, Men's Basketball, Head Basketball Coach.
Pay
How much do Coaches and Scouts make?
Industry-reported pay
$3,600,000
Median total annual pay of Division I men's basketball head coaches with disclosed pay at power-conference and frequent NCAA tournament schools (75 coaches); low is the 25th percentile, high the 90th; mid-major and smaller programs pay far less and are not covered.
- Entry level
- $2,700,000
- Top earners
- $5,510,000
Source: USA TODAY NCAA Men's Basketball Coaches Salary Database 2025, 2025 (published pay scale or filing). This is not a BLS figure: BLS counts coaches and scouts within coach and scout, whose pay is shown below. USA TODAY NCAA Men's Basketball Coach Salaries
Every college basketball head coach 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 Coaches and Scouts 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 College Basketball Head 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.
Getting in
How to become a College Basketball Head Coach
Most head coaches hold a bachelor's degree and played the sport in college or professionally. A typical path runs from student manager, video coordinator, or graduate assistant to assistant coach, then associate head coach, then a first head job at a mid-major program before a move to a power conference school. A few move over from the NBA or from top high school and prep programs.
Coaches must pass the NCAA's annual recruiting certification to recruit off campus. The National Association of Basketball Coaches provides professional development, and connections built as an assistant usually decide who gets interviewed for head 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)
Medium 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 College Basketball Head Coach do?
College basketball head coaches build and run a program with a small roster, where a single recruit or transfer can change a season. They design the offensive and defensive systems, run practices, scout opponents, and make substitution and timeout decisions during games. They hire and supervise assistant coaches, a director of basketball operations, video staff, and analysts.
Recruiting never stops. Head coaches evaluate high school and international prospects, work the transfer portal each spring, and manage revenue-sharing and name, image, and likeness (NIL) arrangements with the athletic department and collectives. They also handle scheduling, media obligations, fundraising events, and the academic progress of their players, and at major programs they are judged largely on NCAA tournament appearances and deep runs.
Day-to-day tasks
- Design offensive and defensive systems and run daily practices
- Recruit high school, international, and transfer players
- Hire and supervise assistant coaches and basketball operations staff
- Scout opponents and prepare game plans
- Make substitution, timeout, and strategy decisions during games
- Manage roster and player compensation budgets with the athletic department
- Represent the program to the media, donors, and university leaders
- Monitor players' academic progress and NCAA compliance
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Work happens in the practice gym, film room, and arena, with frequent air travel for road games, tournaments, and recruiting events. The season runs from fall practice through March, and the transfer portal and summer recruiting periods fill most of the offseason. Pressure to win is constant and coaching changes are common.
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.
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.
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.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a College Basketball Head Coach?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ESR) built on O*NET's Coach and Scout profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | College Basketball Head Coach |
|---|---|
| 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 leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with teaching, helping and working directly with other people.
- Enterprising5.4
- Social5.3
- Realistic4.4
- 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 College Basketball Head Coach
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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
- College Basketball Head Coach$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 |
| College Basketball Head Coach | $47,320 |
| Photographer | $44,660 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists College Basketball Head Coach appears on
Questions
College Basketball Head Coach: frequently asked questions
How much do Coaches and Scouts make?
USA TODAY NCAA Men's Basketball Coaches Salary Database 2025 reports $3,600,000 (median total annual pay of Division I men's basketball head coaches with disclosed pay at power-conference and frequent NCAA tournament schools (75 coaches); low is the 25th percentile, high the 90th; mid-major and smaller programs pay far less and are not covered, 2025), with top earners around $5,510,000. BLS does not publish a separate wage for coaches and scouts. It counts them within coach and scout, whose median pay is $47,320 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $35,330 and $64,710, and the top 10% earn $98,860 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a College Basketball Head 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 medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 48.9% hold bachelor's degree.
Is College Basketball Head 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 College Basketball Head Coach do?
College basketball head coaches build and run a program with a small roster, where a single recruit or transfer can change a season. A typical task: design offensive and defensive systems and run daily practices. 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 College Basketball Head Coach?
O*NET scores Coaches and Scouts highest on the Enterprising, Social and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with teaching, helping and working directly with other people. 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.