Sports Instructors and Coaches

Americans' interest in health, physical fitness, and body image continues to send people to gyms and playing fields. This fitness boom has created strong employment opportunities for many people in sports-related occupations. Health clubs, community centers, parks and recreational facilities, and private business now employ sports instructors who teach everything from tennis and golf to scuba diving.

The pandemic disrupted the sports field in 2020 and 2021, but post pandemic, the sports industry has rebounded and demand for sport instruction is expected to continue to grow. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, this occupation will grow by 9 percent, much faster than the average for all careers, through 2033. Job opportunities will be best in high schools and in amateur athletic leagues. More sports instructors and coach jobs are expected to open up in colleges also, as more schools will be expanding their sports programs and adding new teams. Health clubs, adult education programs, and private industry will require competent, dedicated instructors. Those with the most training, education, and experience will have the best chance for employment.

The creation of new professional leagues, as well as the expansion of current leagues, will open some new employment opportunities for professional coaches, but competition for these jobs will be very intense. There will also be openings as other coaches retire or are terminated. However, there is very little job security in coaching, unless a coach can consistently produce a winning team.