Sports Instructors and Coaches

Earnings for sports instructors and coaches vary considerably depending on the sport and the person or team being coached. The coach of a Wimbledon champion commands much more money per hour than the swimming instructor for the tadpole class at the municipal pool.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reports that the median earnings for sports coaches and scouts were $34,840 in May 2019. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $19,040, while the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $78,890. Often, much of the work is part time, and part-time employees generally do not receive paid vacations, sick days, or health insurance.

Instructors who teach group classes for beginners through park districts or at city recreation centers can expect to earn around $7 per hour. An hour-long individual lesson through a golf course or tennis club averages $75. Coaches for children's teams often work as volunteers.

Many sports instructors work in camps teaching swimming, archery, sailing and other activities. These instructors generally earn between $1,000 and $2,500, plus room and board, for a summer session.

Most coaches who work at the high school level or below also teach within the school district. Besides their teaching salary and coaching fee—either a flat rate or a percentage of their annual salary—school coaches receive a benefits package that includes paid vacations and health insurance.

In 2019, college head football coaches in the NCAA's top-level, 124-school Football Bowl Subdivision earned salaries that ranged from $360,000 to more than $9 million per year, depending on their experience and the school, according to USA Today. NCAA basketball tournament coaches earned salaries that ranged from $275,000 (South Dakota State) to to more than $8 million (Kentucky), while coaches of women's teams at the same level average considerable less at about $850,000 a year, but can make as much as $1 million to $2 million. Many larger and more successful universities pay more. Coaches also earn bonuses, and many popular coaches augment their salaries with personal appearances and endorsements.