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Coach: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 29, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$47,320median pay per year, May 2025[1]
  1. $28,790lowest 10% earn less
  2. $35,33025th percentile
  3. $47,320median
  4. $64,71075th percentile
  5. $98,860top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[5]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[2]

Coaches and scouts had a median pay of $47,320 a year, a little below the $50,980 median for all occupations[1][2]. Jobs are projected to grow faster than the all-occupations rate[3][4].

Job growth, 2025–35
+6.1%[3]
Openings per year
36,400[6]
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree[7]

How much do coaches make?

The median pay for Coaches and Scouts was $47,320 a year in May 2025[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The average was higher, at $60,160 a year[8]. BLS publishes only annual wages for this group, not hourly wages, because many people work fewer than 2,080 hours a year but are paid yearly[9].

The range is wide. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $28,790 a year, and the 25th percentile was $35,330[5]. The 75th percentile was $64,710, and the 90th percentile was $98,860[5]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[10].

Measure Annual pay
10th percentile[5] $28,790
25th percentile[5] $35,330
Median[1] $47,320
75th percentile[5] $64,710
90th percentile[5] $98,860

For comparison, the median for all occupations was $50,980 a year[2]. These wages cover paid employees only. They leave out the self-employed, nonproduction bonuses and the cost of benefits[11]. About 248,950 people held wage and salary jobs as coaches and scouts[12].

Pay by state and city

New Jersey had the highest median pay at $76,700 a year, followed by the District of Columbia at $65,360 and Louisiana at $60,960[13]. Kentucky had the lowest published state median, at $35,570[13]. California had the most jobs, with 31,150, followed by Florida with 18,120 and Texas with 15,300[14].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Corvallis, OR had the highest median at $81,290, followed by Trenton-Princeton, NJ at $74,620[15]. The metro area with the most jobs was New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, with 10,930 jobs and a median of $66,110[16]. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA had 10,850 jobs and a median of $47,450[16].

Show median pay in 48 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
New Jersey[13]$76,7005,670
District of Columbia$65,360630
Louisiana$60,9602,550
Vermont$59,990630
New York$59,92011,220
Hawaii$55,860760
Massachusetts$55,1306,310
Connecticut$54,7904,070
Rhode Island$53,6301,170
Arizona$53,1304,120
West Virginia$52,050910
New Hampshire$51,490870
Nevada$51,0202,390
Maryland$50,5903,960
New Mexico$49,980590
Wyoming$49,420470
Iowa$49,3503,410
Illinois$49,1208,840
Oregon$48,9603,930
Pennsylvania$48,7308,170
Georgia$48,2104,510
Minnesota$48,0504,680
Washington$48,03011,790
Montana$48,020990
Nebraska$47,8101,180
California$47,66031,150
Colorado$47,1104,120
Michigan$47,0507,910
Idaho$46,6001,410
Ohio$46,53013,150
Virginia$46,2906,810
Utah$45,6802,940
Delaware$45,200600
Wisconsin$44,8005,480
Indiana$44,4805,960
North Carolina$43,8408,530
Maine$43,6401,060
South Carolina$42,9503,310
Kansas$42,9003,300
Missouri$42,7904,730
Alaska$41,170350
Oklahoma$41,1602,420
Florida$39,37018,120
Arkansas$38,9302,070
Tennessee$37,7806,250
North Dakota$37,1001,180
Texas$36,51015,300
South Dakota$36,3601,290
Kentucky$35,5702,800

How to become a coach

BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical education for entry, with no related work experience or on-the-job training needed[7]. Requirements vary, though, from no formal credential to a bachelor's or higher degree[17]. Part-time workers and those in smaller facilities or youth leagues may be less likely to need formal education[18]. In an O*NET survey of 33 workers, 49% said a bachelor's degree was required and 19% said a master's degree[19].

College and professional coaching jobs typically call for experience playing the sport[23]. Scouting jobs may not require playing at the college or professional level[24]. High schools typically fill most coaching jobs with their own teachers or administrators[25].

What coaches do

Coaches teach the basics of a sport to groups or individuals who compete[26]. Typical tasks include:

Where they work

Educational services, including state, local and private schools, employed 64% of coaches and scouts in 2025[28]. In 2025, 8.3% were self-employed[29]. Scouts at the college level typically work for scouting organizations or are self-employed, and professional scouts are typically employed by the team or organization[30][31]. Part-time work is common, and schedules vary with irregular hours, including evenings, weekends and holidays[32]. In the sports season, full-time coaches may put in over 40 hours a week for several months[32]. Coaches of outdoor sports may face all kinds of weather, and they often travel to sporting events[33].

Job outlook

BLS projects that jobs for coaches and scouts will grow 6.1% from 2025 to 2035, from about 298,800 to 316,900 jobs[3]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same period[4]. These counts include self-employed workers[3]. The OEWS count of wage and salary jobs is lower, at about 248,950[12].

About 36,400 openings are projected each year on average[6]. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs[6]. Each year, 5.2% of workers leave the labor force and 6% move to a different occupation[34].

Is it a good fit?

Median pay is a little below the all-occupations median, and the spread is wide[1][2][5]. Part-time work is common, so some people combine coaching with other jobs[32]. Entry usually needs a bachelor's degree, but requirements vary by level and setting[7][17]. Growth is faster than the all-occupations rate[3][4]. The facts do not say how long it takes to qualify.

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[35].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a coach make a year?
The median was $47,320 a year in May 2025[1]. The 10th percentile was $28,790 and the 90th was $98,860[5].
What degree do you need to be a coach?
BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry education, though requirements vary[7][17].
What is the highest paying state for coaches?
New Jersey, with a median of $76,700 a year[13].
Is coaching in demand?
BLS projects 6.1% growth from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, and about 36,400 openings a year[3][4][6].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Coaches and Scouts in the US was $47,320 per year. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Coaches and Scouts is projected to grow 6.1% from 2025 to 2035, from about 298,800 to 316,900 jobs (a change of +18,100). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Coaches and Scouts: 10th percentile $28,790, 25th percentile $35,330, 75th percentile $64,710, 90th percentile $98,860. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. BLS Employment Projections: about 36,400 openings for Coaches and Scouts are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Coaches and Scouts: education needed for entry: Bachelor's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Coaches and Scouts was $60,160 per year. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS publishes only annual wages for Coaches and Scouts, not hourly wages, because many work fewer than 2,080 hours a year but are paid yearly. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 248,950 people were employed as Coaches and Scouts in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. Median annual wage for Coaches and Scouts in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Coaches and Scouts jobs: California 31,150; Florida 18,120; Texas 15,300; Ohio 13,150; Washington 11,790. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Coaches and Scouts (areas with at least 100 jobs): Corvallis, OR $81,290; Trenton-Princeton, NJ $74,620; Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN $66,250; Champaign-Urbana, IL $66,150; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $66,110; Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $65,750; Salisbury, MD $65,610; Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA $65,270. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Coaches and Scouts jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 10,930 (median $66,110); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 10,850 (median $47,450); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 6,780 (median $50,350); Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 5,630 (median $49,640); San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 5,380 (median $54,770); Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 4,840 (median $56,220). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  17. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. O*NET 27-2022.00 survey of workers (33 respondents), education level they say is required: Bachelor's Degree 49%, Master's Degree 19%, Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree 17%, High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 9% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Other Experience. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  24. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Other Experience. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  25. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  26. O*NET description of Coaches and Scouts. O*NET OnLine
  27. O*NET task list for Coaches and Scouts. O*NET OnLine
  28. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of coaches and scouts in 2025: Educational services; state, local, and private 64%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  29. BLS Employment Projections: 8.3% of Coaches and Scouts were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  30. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  31. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  32. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  33. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  34. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Coaches and Scouts: 5.2% of workers leave the labor force each year and 6% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  35. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.