Coaches and Scouts: salary, outlook & degrees
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.
Middle half $35,330–$64,710. 248,950 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
71% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $46,437.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 36,400 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Considerable preparation (usually a bachelor's).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Fitness Parks Recreation And Leisure | 18% | Kinesiology / Exercise Science · Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies |
| Business Management And Administration | 5% | Business Administration |
| Psychology | 5% | Psychology |
| General Business | 4% | Business |
| Communications | 4% | Communications · Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other |
| Criminal Justice And Fire Protection | 3% | Criminal Justice · Security / Homeland Security |
| Biology | 3% | Biology |
| Marketing And Marketing Research | 3% | Marketing · Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations |
| General Education | 3% | Education |
| Physical And Health Education Teaching | 2% | — |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $76,700 |
| District of Columbia | $65,360 |
| Louisiana | $60,960 |
| Vermont | $59,990 |
| New York | $59,920 |
| Hawaii | $55,860 |
| Massachusetts | $55,130 |
| Connecticut | $54,790 |
| Rhode Island | $53,630 |
| Arizona | $53,130 |
| West Virginia | $52,050 |
| New Hampshire | $51,490 |
| Nevada | $51,020 |
| Maryland | $50,590 |
| New Mexico | $49,980 |
| Wyoming | $49,420 |
| Iowa | $49,350 |
| Illinois | $49,120 |
| Oregon | $48,960 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,730 |
| Georgia | $48,210 |
| Minnesota | $48,050 |
| Washington | $48,030 |
| Montana | $48,020 |
| Nebraska | $47,810 |
| California | $47,660 |
| Colorado | $47,110 |
| Michigan | $47,050 |
| Idaho | $46,600 |
| Ohio | $46,530 |
| Virginia | $46,290 |
| Utah | $45,680 |
| Delaware | $45,200 |
| Wisconsin | $44,800 |
| Indiana | $44,480 |
| North Carolina | $43,840 |
| Maine | $43,640 |
| South Carolina | $42,950 |
| Kansas | $42,900 |
| Missouri | $42,790 |
| Alaska | $41,170 |
| Oklahoma | $41,160 |
| Florida | $39,370 |
| Arkansas | $38,930 |
| Tennessee | $37,780 |
| North Dakota | $37,100 |
| Texas | $36,510 |
| South Dakota | $36,360 |
| Kentucky | $35,570 |
| PR | $32,090 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$46,710
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$43,600
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$32,280
- Jacksonville$42,990
- North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$48,860
- Tallahassee$29,830
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers$48,060
- Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach$48,200
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$50,680
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$44,810
- Harrisonburg$25,810
- Roanoke$36,340
- Lynchburg$46,680
- Charlottesville$52,450
- Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford$65,270
- Winchester$28,610
California metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$47,450
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$54,770
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$47,230
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$45,260
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$57,250
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$46,430
- Fresno$45,120
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura$45,390
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Speaking
- Learning Strategies
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
Knowledge used
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Psychology
- Customer and Personal Service
Work styles
- Leadership Orientation
- Dependability
- Achievement Orientation
- Social Orientation
- Self-Confidence
People in this job tend to have Social (helping), Enterprising (leading), Realistic (hands-on) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Coaches and Scouts: questions
How much do coaches and Scouts make?
Coaches and Scouts earn a U.S. median $47,320 a year; the middle half earn $35,330 to $64,710 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $41,979 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is coaches and Scouts a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 6.1% from 2025 to 2035, with about 36,400 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a coaches and Scout?
BLS lists the typical entry education as bachelor's degree. In O*NET's survey, 70% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is physical Fitness Parks Recreation And Leisure (18%).
How much do coaches and Scouts make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $39,370 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $47,320 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 27-2022. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Coaches and Scouts: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/coaches-and-scouts.