Coaches and scouts salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $28,790 | Data unavailable |
| Median (50th percentile) | $47,320 | Data unavailable |
| Mean (average) | $60,160 | Data unavailable |
| 90th percentile | $98,860 | Data unavailable |
BLS publishes only annual wages for this occupation because workers are typically paid on an annual basis rather than hourly.
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Coaches and scouts pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 52 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Data unavailable | 3,140 | 0.93 | ||
| Alaska | $41,170 | $30,150 | $68,840 | 350 | 0.68 |
| Arizona | $53,130 | $36,880 | $99,850 | 4,120 | 0.79 |
| Arkansas | $38,930 | $25,720 | $78,010 | 2,070 | 0.99 |
| California | $47,660 | $35,920 | $92,150 | 31,150 | 1.07 |
| Colorado | $47,110 | $31,990 | $86,950 | 4,120 | 0.9 |
| Connecticut | $54,790 | $34,010 | $105,170 | 4,070 | 1.5 |
| Delaware | $45,200 | $31,800 | $93,320 | 600 | 0.77 |
| District of Columbia | $65,360 | $36,400 | $136,000 | 630 | 0.56 |
| Florida | $39,370 | $29,830 | $90,000 | 18,120 | 1.14 |
| Georgia | $48,210 | $27,190 | $80,900 | 4,510 | 0.58 |
| Hawaii | $55,860 | $37,040 | $116,120 | 760 | 0.76 |
| Idaho | $46,600 | $28,240 | $98,020 | 1,410 | 1.02 |
| Illinois | $49,120 | $31,200 | $122,720 | 8,840 | 0.91 |
| Indiana | $44,480 | $25,270 | $100,180 | 5,960 | 1.16 |
| Iowa | $49,350 | $19,010 | $97,980 | 3,410 | 1.37 |
| Kansas | $42,900 | $15,080 | $82,540 | 3,300 | 1.44 |
| Kentucky | $35,570 | $21,810 | $75,710 | 2,800 | 0.87 |
| Louisiana | $60,960 | $23,310 | $194,130 | 2,550 | 0.82 |
| Maine | $43,640 | $31,270 | $102,780 | 1,060 | 1.03 |
| Maryland | $50,590 | $32,820 | $110,620 | 3,960 | 0.9 |
| Massachusetts | $55,130 | $35,940 | $109,380 | 6,310 | 1.08 |
| Michigan | $47,050 | $25,960 | $101,970 | 7,910 | 1.12 |
| Minnesota | $48,050 | $29,480 | $87,910 | 4,680 | 0.99 |
| Mississippi | Data unavailable | 1,770 | 0.95 | ||
| Missouri | $42,790 | $28,910 | $79,480 | 4,730 | 1.01 |
| Montana | $48,020 | $22,530 | $79,000 | 990 | 1.21 |
| Nebraska | $47,810 | $28,940 | $94,920 | 1,180 | 0.72 |
| Nevada | $51,020 | $25,410 | $105,920 | 2,390 | 0.96 |
| New Hampshire | $51,490 | $31,540 | $102,550 | 870 | 0.79 |
| New Jersey | $76,700 | $39,720 | $121,960 | 5,670 | 0.83 |
| New Mexico | $49,980 | $32,660 | $111,220 | 590 | 0.42 |
| New York | $59,920 | $34,890 | $104,000 | 11,220 | 0.72 |
| North Carolina | $43,840 | $25,130 | $87,060 | 8,530 | 1.08 |
| North Dakota | $37,100 | $24,330 | $75,210 | 1,180 | 1.72 |
| Ohio | $46,530 | $28,280 | $81,760 | 13,150 | 1.48 |
| Oklahoma | $41,160 | $19,450 | $105,980 | 2,420 | 0.88 |
| Oregon | $48,960 | $34,860 | $101,140 | 3,930 | 1.25 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,730 | $21,170 | $119,060 | 8,170 | 0.84 |
| Puerto Rico | $32,090 | $21,840 | $65,870 | 610 | 0.41 |
| Rhode Island | $53,630 | $34,580 | $101,000 | 1,170 | 1.46 |
| South Carolina | $42,950 | $17,880 | $103,010 | 3,310 | 0.9 |
| South Dakota | $36,360 | $28,270 | $64,280 | 1,290 | 1.76 |
| Tennessee | $37,780 | $22,990 | $81,080 | 6,250 | 1.19 |
| Texas | $36,510 | $22,340 | $78,720 | 15,300 | 0.68 |
| Utah | $45,680 | $23,330 | $95,000 | 2,940 | 1.06 |
| Vermont | $59,990 | $37,240 | $102,800 | 630 | 1.29 |
| Virginia | $46,290 | $25,810 | $84,680 | 6,810 | 1.03 |
| Washington | $48,030 | $37,180 | $85,590 | 11,790 | 2.07 |
| West Virginia | $52,050 | $31,040 | $101,530 | 910 | 0.81 |
| Wisconsin | $44,800 | $28,010 | $76,370 | 5,480 | 1.16 |
| Wyoming | $49,420 | $26,900 | $108,220 | 470 | 1.05 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for coaches and scouts
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 36,400. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 8.3%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for coaches and scouts
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Physical Education Teaching and Coaching CIP 13.1314
- Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General CIP 31.0501
- Sport and Fitness Administration/Management CIP 31.0504
- Performance and Sport Psychology CIP 42.2815
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Plan, organize, and conduct practice sessions.
- Provide training direction, encouragement, motivation, and nutritional advice to prepare athletes for games, competitive events, or tours.
- 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.
- Monitor the academic eligibility of student athletes.
- Counsel student athletes on academic, athletic, and personal issues.
- Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of opposing teams to develop game strategies.
Technology skills
- C++ (hot technology)
- Facebook (hot technology)
- Google Docs (hot technology)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Bloomz
- Edmodo
- Edpuzzle
- Edulastic
- Evernote
- Flipgrid
- Google Classroom
- Google Drive
Transferable skills for career changers: Instructing, Social Perceptiveness, Judgment and Decision Making, Coordination, Persuasion, Complex Problem Solving.
Common job titles: Baseball Coach, Basketball Coach, Coach, Cross Country Coach, Football Coach, Gymnastics Coach, Soccer Coach, Softball Coach, Track and Field Coach, Volleyball Coach.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do coaches and scouts make?
The national median annual wage for coaches and scouts was $47,320 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $28,790 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $98,860. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do coaches and scouts need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is coaches and scouts a growing career?
BLS projects employment of coaches and scouts to change +6.1% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 36,400 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay coaches and scouts the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were New Jersey ($76,700), District of Columbia ($65,360), Louisiana ($60,960). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.