Coaches teach amateur and professional athletes the skills they need to succeed at their sport. Scouts look for new players, evaluating their skills and likelihood for success at the amateur, college, or professional level. Many coaches also are involved in scouting potential athletes for their team.
Coaches typically do the following:
Coaches teach amateur and professional athletes the fundamental skills of individual and team sports. They hold practice and training sessions to improve the athletes’ form, skills, and stamina. Along with refining athletes’ individual skills, coaches are responsible for instilling the importance of good sportsmanship, a competitive spirit, and teamwork.
Many coaches evaluate their opponents to determine strategies and to establish particular plays to practice. During competition, coaches call specific plays intended to defeat, surprise, or overpower the opponent, and they also may substitute players to get optimum team chemistry and success.
Some high school coaches are teachers or school administrators who supplement their income by coaching part time.
Coaches may assign specific drills and correct athletes’ techniques. They may spend their time working one-on-one with athletes, designing customized training programs. Coaches also may specialize in teaching the skills of an individual sport, such as golf, ice skating, or tennis. Some coaches, such as baseball coaches, may teach individual athletes involved in team sports.
Scouts typically do the following:
Scouts assess the skills of both amateur and professional athletes. Scouts seek out top athletic candidates for colleges or professional teams and evaluate their likelihood of success at a higher competitive level.
Coaches and scouts held about 244,300 jobs in 2021. The largest employers of coaches and scouts were as follows:
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private | 26% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 20 |
| Elementary and secondary schools; state, local, and private | 17 |
| Self-employed workers | 9 |
Some scouts work for organizations that deal directly with high school athletes. These scouts collect information on the athlete and help sell his or her talents to potential colleges.
At the college level, scouts typically work for scouting organizations or are self-employed. In either case, they help colleges recruit the best high school athletes.
Scouts who work at the professional level are typically employed by the team or organization directly.
Those who coach and scout for outdoor sports may be exposed to all weather conditions of the season. In addition, they travel often to attend sporting events. This is particularly true for those in professional sports.
Part-time work is common for coaches and scouts. Their work schedules vary and may involve irregular hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays. Full-time coaches may work more than 40 hours a week for several months during the sports season. High school coaches may work part time and have other jobs aside from coaching.
Coaches and scouts typically need a bachelor’s degree. However, educational requirements for coaches and scouts may vary from no formal educational credential to a bachelor’s or higher degree. These workers also need extensive knowledge of the sport. Coaches typically gain this knowledge through their own experiences playing the sport at some level. Although previous playing experience may be beneficial, it is not required for most scouting jobs.
Many coaches and scouts have a bachelor's degree, but educational requirements vary. Part-time workers and those in smaller facilities or youth leagues may be less likely to need formal education.
Coaches and scouts who attend college may study a recreation and fitness field, such as kinesiology, physical education, or sports medicine. Others major in a business field, such as marketing or sports management.
High schools typically hire teachers or administrators at the school for most coaching jobs. If no suitable teacher is found, schools hire a qualified candidate from outside the school. For more information on education requirements for teachers, see the profile on high school teachers.
College and professional coaching jobs typically require experience playing the sport at some level.
Scouting jobs may not require experience playing a sport at the college or professional level, but doing so can be beneficial. Employers look for applicants who have a passion for sports and an ability to spot players who have exceptional athletic ability and skills.
Certification often requires that coaches be at least 18 years old and be trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid. Coaches also may need to attend classes related to sports safety and coaching fundamentals.
Public high school coaches may need to be certified or complete mandatory education courses. Coaches who are also teachers must meet state licensing requirements, including a background check. For information about specific requirements, contact the state’s high school athletic association or visit the National Federation of State High School Associations.
College and university coaches may need to meet certification or training requirements as outlined by college athletic associations, such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) or the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
Organizations specific to various sports, such as golf or tennis, may offer certification for coaches. Check with the sport’s national governing body for information on approved programs.
To reach the rank of a professional coach, a candidate typically needs years of coaching experience and a winning record at a college. Coaches who do not have coaching experience may still be hired at the professional level if they were successful as an athlete in their sport.
Some college coaches begin their careers as graduate assistants or assistant coaches to gain the experience and knowledge needed to become a head coach. Large schools and colleges that compete at the highest levels require a head coach who has had substantial experience at another school or as an assistant coach.
Other college coaches may begin out as high school coaches before moving up to the collegiate level.
Scouts may begin working as talent spotters in a particular area or region. They typically advance to become supervising scouts responsible for a whole territory or region.
Communication skills. Because coaches instruct, organize, and motivate athletes, they must be able to convey information clearly. They must communicate proper techniques, strategies, and rules of the sport effectively enough for every player on the team to understand.
Decision-making skills. Coaches must choose the appropriate players to use during a game and the proper time to use game-managing tools, such as timeouts. Coaches and scouts also must be selective when recruiting players.
Dedication. Coaches must attend daily practices and assist their team and individual athletes in improving their skills and physical conditioning. Coaches must be dedicated to their sport, as it often takes years to become successful.
Interpersonal skills. Being able to relate to athletes helps coaches and scouts foster positive relationships with their current players and in recruiting potential players.
Leadership skills. Coaches must motivate, develop, and direct athletes to help them reach their potential.
Resourcefulness. Coaches must find and develop a strategy that yields the best chances for winning a competition. Coaches often need to create original plays or formations that provide a competitive advantage and confuse opponents.
Median annual wages, May 2021
The median annual wage for coaches and scouts was $38,970 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $22,200, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $80,720.
In May 2021, the median annual wages for coaches and scouts in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private | $48,710 |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 46,910 |
| Elementary and secondary schools; state, local, and private | 37,850 |
Part-time work is common for coaches and scouts. Their work schedules vary and may involve irregular hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays. Full-time coaches may work more than 40 hours a week for several months during the sports season. High school coaches may work part time and have other jobs aside from coaching.
Percent change in employment, projected 2021-31
Employment of coaches and scouts is projected to grow 20 percent from 2021 to 2031, much faster than the average for all occupations.
About 39,900 openings for coaches and scouts are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Much of the projected employment growth in this occupation is due to recovery from the COVID-19 recession of 2020 and is likely to occur early in the projections decade.
The growing interest in college sports, professional sports, and sports recreation instruction will increase demand for coaches and scouts. Colleges must attract the best athletes to remain competitive. Successful teams help colleges enhance their reputation, recruit future students, and raise donations from alumni. Therefore, colleges will rely on scouts to recruit the best high school athletes.
Geographic shifts in population may lead to an increase in the number of professional sports teams. Some professional sports leagues may expand to new cities in the United States, forming new teams and job opportunities for prospective coaches and scouts.
Growth in the demand for sports instruction is expected to rise, as concerns about lack of physical activity continue to be a focus for the public.
| Occupational Title | SOC Code | Employment, 2021 | Projected Employment, 2031 | Change, 2021-31 | Employment by Industry | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | ||||||
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program |
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Coaches and scouts |
27-2022 | 244,300 | 293,100 | 20 | 48,800 | Get data | |
For more information about coaching and scouting for team and individual sports, visit
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA)
National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)
National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA)
For more information related to individual sports, contact the sport’s national governing body or coaches’ association.
For a career video on coaches and scouts, visit