How to hire an academic coach

How to hire an academic coach, step by step

Here's a step-by-step academic coach hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an academic coach job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new academic coach
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an academic coach do?

Post an academic coach job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your academic coach job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an academic coach for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An academic coach's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, academic coaches from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of academic coach salaries for various roles:

   Type of Academic Coach	Description	Hourly rate
   Academic Coach	Coaches teach amateur or professional athletes the skills they need to succeed at their sport. Scouts look for new players and evaluate their skills and likelihood for success at the college, amateur, or professional level... Show more	$12-27
   Scout	There are different types of scout based on the organization or workplace. There are sports scouts, talent scouts, and athletic scouts... Show more	$13-56
   Student Athlete	A student-athlete competes in various sporting events to represent a school or institution. Most student-athletes are under scholarships and receive an allowance, either from the school or a particular organization... Show more	$12-37

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Instructional Support
   • Course Content
   • Math
   • Mathematics
   • Academic Support
   • Professional Development
   • Kids
   • Social Work
   • K-12
   • Student Athletes
   • Language Arts
   • Student Engagement
   • Student Learning
   • Classroom Management

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Mentore and help students achieve a successful leadership experience through community volunteering.
   • Utilize training in medical English to facilitate preparation of study and achieve require educational standards necessary to successfully complete course.
   • Formulate academic programs design to improve cognition in target areas of language arts and mathematics.
   • Require knowledge of word, PowerPoint, and excel.
   • Create and facilitate group and individualize lesson plans for mainstream/ELL & ESL students.
   • Organize teacher, paraprofessional, FAVE, special education, ESL and student schedules, and special events.

   More academic coach duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your academic coach job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An academic coach salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, academic coaches' average salary in wyoming is 61% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level academic coaches earn 53% less than senior-level academic coaches.
   • Certifications. An academic coach with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an academic coach's salary.

   Average academic coach salary

   $39,812yearly

   $19.14 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level academic coach salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 31, 2025

   Average academic coach salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$52,932	$25
   2	Massachusetts	$49,179	$24
   3	New Jersey	$48,703	$23
   4	New York	$46,488	$22
   5	Alaska	$44,562	$21
   6	Texas	$40,833	$20
   7	South Carolina	$39,270	$19
   8	Arizona	$39,174	$19
   9	Colorado	$37,278	$18
   10	Virginia	$36,177	$17
   11	Michigan	$35,182	$17
   12	Nebraska	$34,570	$17
   13	Florida	$32,917	$16
   14	North Carolina	$32,880	$16
   15	Illinois	$32,743	$16
   16	Tennessee	$31,838	$15
   17	Missouri	$31,079	$15
   18	Wisconsin	$30,866	$15
   19	Idaho	$30,690	$15
   20	Kansas	$27,875	$13

   Average academic coach salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Boston Public Schools	$62,744	$30.17	7
   2	Pace University	$59,767	$28.73	3
   3	San Francisco University High School	$59,561	$28.64	27
   4	Lincoln University	$59,336	$28.53	1
   5	Education Affiliates	$53,421	$25.68
   6	The City University of New York	$52,712	$25.34	6
   7	Forsyth Country Day School	$52,652	$25.31
   8	University of Alaska	$50,432	$24.25	4
   9	Dallas College	$49,724	$23.91	5
   10	SUNY Morrisville	$47,193	$22.69	2
   11	Univ Of Colorado-Colorado Spgs	$46,717	$22.46
   12	Cuesta College	$45,705	$21.97	1
   13	University of Washington	$45,424	$21.84
   14	Central Wyoming College	$44,575	$21.43
   15	Austin Community College District	$43,821	$21.07
   16	Monroe Community College	$43,524	$20.93	4
   17	Gwinnett County Board of Education	$43,464	$20.90	7
   18	Friends University	$43,424	$20.88	2
   19	University of Iowa Center for Advancement	$42,121	$20.25
   20	Gwen's Girls	$41,610	$20.00	1

4. Writing an academic coach job description

   A good academic coach job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an academic coach job description:

   Academic coach job description example

   Compass is an academic support program where first year students participate in small cohort courses designed to facilitate their high school to college transition and direct them for long-term success through graduation and beyond. Compass students spend their first year immersed in an intensive curriculum of both core and developmental courses while receiving weekly, one-on- one, academic coaching from a dedicated Learning Specialist.
   
   The position requires a commitment to and experience with diversity, equity, and inclusion, preferably in a higher education setting, cultural competency, and ability to relate to and to communicate effectively with students, staff, and faculty, representing diverse identities, communities and experiences.
   
   The Academic Success Coach manages an active caseload of Compass first-year and upper-class students for one-on-one meetings, providing a whole-student approach to academic, emotional, and wellness support. By working directly with students and collaborating with all relevant members of the college community, the Success Coach will be a key component of a holistically-designed approach to student success and development.
   
   The Success Coach is also responsible for teaching a one credit First Year Experience course. This course is designed to compliment the cornerstone Critical Thinking course. The Success Coach will also be responsible for the co-development and implementation of additional Compass curriculum in conjunction with the larger team of faculty and staff.
   
   The Success Coach will also assist with weekly guided study time for all Compass students, assisting one-on-one and in groups with coursework, organization, task-completion, test preparation and other academic support as needed. The Success Coach will collect, log and analyze student tracking data and progress, as well as help with the administrative tasks central to the program’s success.
   
   The Success Coach will establish and maintain a collaborative and cooperative relationship with faculty, the Compass Program Director, and the larger Academic Success Center staff. The Success Coach will collaborate with campus services and personnel relevant to the academic and holistic success of Compass students. The Success Coach will make and accept referrals as necessary, helping to facilitate the students use of the Writing Center, Tutoring and Math Center, Student Life staff, Financial Aid, Career Services, Advising offices and Mental Health services.
   Qualifications: A minimum of a Master’s degree in Psychology, Education, Counseling or a related field. Three or more years of experience providing academic support to students enrolled in college level courses, including students with learning differences and under-prepared students. Knowledge and experience working with mental health concerns common in at-risk students. Experience developing and providing workshops for a diverse group of learners geared towards study skills, time management, academic engagement and reflection.
   Application Materials Should Include: Cover letter stating motivation and interest in the position, citing experience relevant to the qualifications and including experience with, and commitment to, our Catholic Augustinian mission, our values, and our desire to be a more diverse, equitable and inclusive institution of higher learning. Resume This position is subject to the successful completion of a criminal background check.
   Statement on Our Mission
   Merrimack College is a Catholic Augustinian institution of higher education committed to building a culturally and racially diverse community. Our mission is to enlighten minds, engage hearts and empower lives and is inspired by our Catholic faith and the Augustinian tradition of seeking truth through inquiry and dialogue.
   Merrimack College seeks candidates who understand, respect and can contribute to Merrimack’s Augustinian mission and values and advance our work in the area of diversity, equity and inclusion. We strongly encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups. All candidates should describe in their application previous experience related to equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as how they will engage in fostering a culture that supports our Augustinian mission, our Catholic faith and our values of diversity, equity and inclusion. Required Vaccinations & Remote Work:
   Unless otherwise stated above, this is an on-campus position. This is not a remote or hybrid position as employees are essential in order to provide a fully on-campus, residential college experience for our students and the community. Merrimack College currently has a COVID-19 Vaccination Policy. Students, faculty and staff are required to be vaccinated for COVID-19.
   About Merrimack College
   The only Catholic, Augustinian institution of higher education in New England, Merrimack College is a private, independent, coeducational institution with more than 5,000 undergraduates and graduate students from 32 states and 37 countries, and comprises schools of liberal arts, science and engineering, health sciences, education and social policy, and business. The college’s 260- acre campus is approximately 25 miles north of Boston in North Andover and Andover, Massachusetts. Merrimack is a Master’s Colleges & Universities/Medium Programs institution in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Merrimack is one of the fastest growing educational institutions in the country and has steadily climbed up U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of Best Colleges, coming in 46th out of 170 schools ranked in the Regional Universities North category in 2020. Merrimack is also listed as one of the top 10 most innovative schools and placed 35th for best undergraduate teaching programs among schools in the U.S. News category.
   Merrimack College is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right academic coach for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your academic coach job on Zippia to find and recruit academic coach candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting academic coaches requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new academic coach

   Once you have selected a candidate for the academic coach position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new academic coach first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire an academic coach?