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Coaches and Scouts

Coaches and Scouts: Career Profile

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.

The Daily Work of Coaches and Scouts Do?

The day-to-day responsibilities of coaches and scouts include:

  • 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.

Key Skills and Knowledge

Successful coaches and scouts combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Key Skills

These are the skills most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Instructing  4.8 / 5
0
5
Speaking  4.4 / 5
0
5
Learning Strategies  4.1 / 5
0
5
Monitoring  4.1 / 5
0
5
Judgment and Decision Making  4.0 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  4.0 / 5
0
5

Core Knowledge

Education and Training  3.8 / 5
0
5
English Language  3.7 / 5
0
5
Administration and Management  3.6 / 5
0
5
Psychology  3.6 / 5
0
5
Customer and Personal Service  3.5 / 5
0
5
Communications and Media  3.2 / 5
0
5

Other Coaches and Scouts Job Titles

People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:

  • Athletic Coach
  • Athletic Instructor
  • Athletic Scout
  • Athletics Teacher
  • Baseball Club Manager
  • Baseball Coach
  • Baseball Scout
  • Basketball Coach

Employment and Demand

There are roughly 334,229 coaches and scouts working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to decline by -0.5% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for Coaches and Scouts

Coaches and Scouts Pay

Statistic Value
Annual median $78,709
Hourly median $37.84
10th percentile $54,067
25th percentile $66,388
75th percentile $91,030
90th percentile $103,351

Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for Coaches and Scouts

Pay by State

State Annual median salary
Wyoming $60,640
New Jersey $60,350
District of Columbia $59,740
Maryland $59,470
Connecticut $53,250
Louisiana $52,260
Vermont $50,440
West Virginia $50,230
New York $50,220
New Hampshire $50,120
Nebraska $49,480
Maine $49,140
Rhode Island $49,130
Oregon $48,840
Hawaii $48,630
Massachusetts $48,250
Nevada $47,950
Pennsylvania $47,520
Colorado $47,470
Arizona $47,460
Washington $47,340
Minnesota $47,150
Mississippi $47,120
Idaho $46,890
South Carolina $46,760
Florida $46,680
California $46,120
Illinois $45,920
Virginia $45,390
Michigan $44,210
Missouri $43,790
Arkansas $42,290
Wisconsin $41,790
Oklahoma $41,600
North Carolina $41,550
Alabama $41,150
Iowa $40,870
Kansas $40,040
Utah $39,920
Delaware $39,910
Georgia $39,380
Ohio $38,480
Montana $38,140
New Mexico $37,740
Tennessee $37,430
Indiana $36,740
Kentucky $36,390
Alaska $36,220
Texas $36,080
North Dakota $35,940
South Dakota $34,440
Puerto Rico $26,960

Where Coaches and Scouts Earn the Most

Pay for coaches and scouts differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:

Region Median annual wage Share of U.S. jobs Location quotient
Middle Atlantic $52,633 11.7% 0.77
New England $49,882 6.2% 1.31
Far Western US $46,625 19.9% 1.26
Rocky Mountains $44,485 3.4% 0.88
Southeast $43,454 21.5% 0.91
Plains States $42,352 7.7% 1.28
Great Lakes $41,332 20.0% 1.48
Southwest $38,797 9.3% 0.75

Where the Jobs Cluster

Metro area State Median annual wage Employment
Corvallis, OR OR $93,640 120
Farmington, NM NM $66,680 40
Tuscaloosa, AL AL $66,530 210
Salisbury, MD MD $65,080 80
Flint, MI MI $62,630
Fairbanks-College, AK AK $62,520 50
Arecibo, PR PR $62,230 50
Albany, OR OR $62,070 70

Which Industries Hire Coaches and Scouts

Most coaches and scouts are found across these industries:

Industry Employment Median annual wage
Educational Services 174,730 n/a
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 63,720 n/a
Other Services (except Public Administration) 5,940 n/a
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 800 n/a
Health Care and Social Assistance 710 n/a
Accommodation and Food Services 710 n/a
Retail Trade 70 n/a
Coaches and Scouts sectors

Below are examples of industries where coaches and scouts work:

Coaches and Scouts industries

Tools and Technology

  • Object or component oriented development software: C++ (hot technology)
  • Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
  • Word processing software: Google Docs (hot technology)
  • Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
  • Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
  • Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
  • Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)

The Day-to-Day Environment

Daily working conditions for coaches and scouts tends to involve the following characteristics:

  • Contact With Others
  • E-Mail
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams

Education and Training

Typical coaches and scouts positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.

Similar Occupations

Degree Programs

Future coaches and scouts often complete programs in:

Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness Studies, and Kinesiology

2 programs across 1 majors

Education

1 programs across 1 majors

Psychology

1 programs across 1 majors

Sources

Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
  • BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
  • O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 27-2022.00 (Coaches and Scouts).

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