How to hire an assistant swim coach

How to hire an assistant swim coach, step by step

Here's a step-by-step assistant swim 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 assistant swim coach job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant swim coach
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an assistant swim coach do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your assistant swim 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 assistant swim 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them an assistant swim coach to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire an assistant swim coach that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of assistant swim coaches.

   Type of Assistant Swim Coach	Description	Hourly rate
   Assistant Swim 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	$11-26
   Coach	The main responsibility of a coach is to motivate an individual or an entire team. Coaches are focused on improving the performance and skills of athletes by conducting training sessions, coordinating practice drills, and providing guidance... Show more	$12-31
   Head Basketball Coach	Head Basketball Coaches are responsible for training and guiding athletes in achieving skills, sportsmanship, and discipline in the basketball sport. Their duties include organizing basketball programs, demonstrating individual and team development techniques, communicating team regulations and rules, and conducting basketball tryouts... Show more	$13-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CPR
   • Lifeguard
   • NCAA
   • Water Safety
   • Head Swim
   • Assist Head
   • Training Programs
   • III
   • Role Model
   • Line UPS
   • Administrative Tasks
   • Social Events
   • Swimming Coaching
   • Travel Arrangements

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage lifeguard staff on daily chores and responsibilities.
   • Perform additional responsibilities as deemed appropriate by school and district supervisors such as organizing and managing elementary school mathematics information nights.
   • Train to preform CPR and a along with first aid as necessary.
   • Process bi weekly payroll for lifeguard staff.
   • Assist freshman and transfers with NAIA eligibility center.
   • Design workouts with scientific and practical applications for NAIA collegiate athletes.

   More assistant swim coach duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your assistant swim coach job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An assistant swim coach can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, assistant swim coaches' average salary in wyoming is 64% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level assistant swim coaches 59% less than senior-level assistant swim coaches.
   • Certifications. An assistant swim coach with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an assistant swim coach's salary.

   Average assistant swim coach salary

   $36,585yearly

   $17.59 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level assistant swim coach salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average assistant swim coach salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$47,567	$23
   2	Pennsylvania	$44,525	$21
   3	Virginia	$43,555	$21
   4	South Carolina	$39,607	$19
   5	Maryland	$39,529	$19
   6	Nevada	$38,805	$19
   7	Arizona	$37,310	$18
   8	Louisiana	$36,813	$18
   9	Oregon	$36,328	$17
   10	Illinois	$34,426	$17
   11	Michigan	$34,175	$16
   12	Colorado	$33,885	$16
   13	North Dakota	$33,367	$16
   14	Ohio	$32,757	$16
   15	Missouri	$31,608	$15
   16	Iowa	$29,823	$14
   17	Florida	$29,772	$14
   18	Georgia	$29,455	$14
   19	Utah	$28,176	$14
   20	Wyoming	$20,791	$10

   Average assistant swim coach salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Kenyon College	$61,908	$29.76	2
   2	Canisius College	$58,143	$27.95
   3	American University	$58,057	$27.91
   4	University of Nevada, Reno	$57,729	$27.75	3
   5	University of New Orleans	$56,427	$27.13
   6	LA State University Continuing	$56,192	$27.02	6
   7	Florida International University	$54,869	$26.38
   8	Franklin & Marshall College	$51,692	$24.85
   9	University of California-Berkeley	$50,655	$24.35	1
   10	PSEA	$49,720	$23.90	14
   11	Emmanuel College	$46,881	$22.54
   12	California Institute of Technology	$45,948	$22.09
   13	Florida Institute of Technology	$45,345	$21.80
   14	University of Wyoming	$45,308	$21.78
   15	Club	$45,307	$21.78	8
   16	Frostburg State University	$45,249	$21.75	1
   17	University of Notre Dame	$42,570	$20.47	1
   18	Hillsdale College	$41,976	$20.18
   19	St. Lawrence University	$41,260	$19.84	2
   20	University	$41,202	$19.81

4. Writing an assistant swim coach job description

   A good assistant swim 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 assistant swim coach job description:

   Assistant swim coach job description example

   The Assistant Swim Team Coach is responsible for providing swim team instruction to program participants. The incumbent provides feedback and direction to individual swimmers during swim practice and swim meets. The incumbent provides high level of customer service and ensures a safe and positive program environment.
   2. Essential Functions:
   
   * Provide swim team coaching instruction to individual participants of various ages and who possess differing levels of ability under the direction of the Head Swim Coach.
   * Maintain constant observation of program participants, watch for swimmers needing assistance, and aid swimmers when necessary to ensure positive learning environment.
   * May develop weekly workout plans for practice groups which ensure efficient programing.
   * Serve as first level contact responding and documenting incidents which may occur.
   * Provide quality customer service to members, volunteers and participants.
   
   3. Relationships:
   
   This position reports to the Aquatics Director. The incumbent interacts regularly with staff, participants, members and volunteers. The position regularly interacts with children, youths, and, adults.
   
   4. Qualifications:
   
   Required:
   
   * Minimum age of 18
   * Principles of YMCA Competitive Swimming and foundations of coaching 101 and 201.
   * Ability to hear noises and distress signals in the aquatic environment, including in the water and anywhere in the zone of responsibility, with or without reasonable accommodations.
   * Ability to see and observe all sections of an assigned zone of responsibility, with or without reasonable accommodations.
   * Effective verbal and written communication skills
   * Good organization skills
   * Ability to manage and deliver programs to a diverse population.
   * Ability to serve as a positive role model and provide constructive feedback
   
   Preferred:
   
   * One (1) year experience in a YMCA setting.
   * Minimum of six (6) months of experience interacting or coaching a swim team.
   
   5. Work Conditions:
   
   * Must remain in the pool area at all times.
   * Ability to support child or adult body weight in the water.
   * Must be able to remain alert with no lapses of consciousness in a warm environment with air temperatures of 80 degrees or higher.
   * Ability to recognize and react calmly and effectively in hazardous/dangerous situations.
   * Perform all physical aspects of the position, including walking, standing, bending, reaching, and lifting up to 50 pounds at a time in a warm pool environment.
   * Ability to travel locally to visit branch sites, attend meetings and training.
   * Communicate verbally, including projecting voice across distance in normal and loud situations.
   
   6. Additional Notes:
   
   This job description represents the major functions of the position but is not intended to be all-inclusive. The incumbent is also responsible for taking direction from Branch management staff and the Product Management team or their representatives in performing duties deemed necessary for the branch or Association's success
   
   Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Pledge
   
   The Y of the North is committed to the work and everyday practices of eliminating disparities and eradicating of unjust systems to become a multicultural, anti-racist and anti-oppressive organization. YMCA of the North team members and volunteers must exemplify the association's mission, vision and values of caring, equity, honesty, respect and responsibility.
   
   The YMCA of the North continues to develop plans and strategies to ensure team members and volunteers reflect the demographics of the communities we serve. We will continually conduct institutional racism and oppression review of our policies, procedures and practices in recruitment and selection; compensation and benefits; professional development and training; promotions; transfers; layoffs; terminations; and the ongoing development of a multicultural, anti-racist and anti-oppressive work environment and culture that promotes equity and respect for the human dignity of all. We value and respect this diversity and choose to be inclusive through our acceptance of all.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find assistant swim coaches for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any assistant swim coaches they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level assistant swim coaches with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit assistant swim coaches, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   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 assistant swim coach

   Once you've found the assistant swim coach candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new assistant swim coach. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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.)

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