Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between athletes and coaches can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an athlete and a coach. Additionally, an athlete has an average salary of $51,729, which is higher than the $42,716 average annual salary of a coach.
The top three skills for an athlete include team-oriented environment, math and apparel. The most important skills for a coach are customer service, CPR, and food handling.
An athlete specializes and competes in a particular sport as an individual or part of a team. Mentored by a coach or instructor, an athlete undergoes rigorous training and practices, even as professionals in the league, to develop and maintain skills. One must assess every competition or performance to learn areas that need improvement, maintain a healthy physique, and even serve as an advocate. Furthermore, it is vital to abide by the sport's rules and regulations and uphold healthy sportsmanship.
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. Their work is conducted both on and off the field - not only while an athletic event is in session. Coaches are sometimes tasked with recruitment activities in order to fill a team's roster to help them succeed. Other duties of a coach include fundraising, overseeing facilities, and promoting a safe environment.
Athletes and coaches have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Athlete | Coach | |
| Average salary | $51,729 | $42,716 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $108,000 | Between $27,000 And $66,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | Piscataway, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Erlanger Health System | AEA Investors |
| Best paying industry | Education | Technology |
There are a few differences between an athlete and a coach in terms of educational background:
| Athlete | Coach | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between athletes' and coaches' demographics:
| Athlete | Coach | |
| Average age | 36 | 36 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.6% Female, 38.4% | Male, 48.3% Female, 51.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 3.7% White, 72.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 5.4% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 8% |