Sports Scouts

According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), employment opportunities for scouts and coaches are expected to grow by 9 percent, much faster than the average for all careers, through 2028, but competition for jobs will be keen. In general, the sports scouts field is small and most work for professional teams. Baseball is the sport that employs the greatest number of scouts. Due to the limited number of professional scouts, most job opportunities will be found with lower level sports, such as with high school and college athletic teams. The DOL reports that the "growing interest in college, professional sports, and sports recreation will also increase demand for coaches and scouts." In addition, as college tuition increases and scholarships become more competitive, high school athletes will hire scouts directly, in an effort to increase their chances of receiving a college scholarship. Colleges will also need scouts to recruit the best high school athletes to keep their teams competitive.

A recent concept in the industry is pool scouting. The concept involves a group of scouts who collect data on a great many players and provide that information to several teams. The scouts are not employed by any one team, but by professional scouting organizations.

If professional leagues add expansion teams and the talent pool diminishes, there will be more opportunities for sports scouts to travel and work in foreign countries. On the other hand, if professional sports leagues contract, there will be fewer job opportunities for scouts.