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The differences between athletes and performance 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 performance coach. Additionally, an athlete has an average salary of $51,729, which is higher than the $48,571 average annual salary of a performance coach.
The top three skills for an athlete include team-oriented environment, math and apparel. The most important skills for a performance coach are customer service, rehabilitation, and kids.
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 duties of a performance coach depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In a company setting, their responsibilities revolve around conducting inspections and observations to identify the workforce's needs, understanding the vision and mission of the company, and developing programs to train employees and improve their skills. Furthermore, as a performance coach, it is essential to motivate and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while monitoring their progress and implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Athletes and performance coaches have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Athlete | Performance Coach | |
| Average salary | $51,729 | $48,571 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $108,000 | Between $29,000 And $79,000 |
| Highest paying City | Oakland, CA | Amherst, MA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Erlanger Health System | UMass Lowell |
| Best paying industry | Education | Technology |
There are a few differences between an athlete and a performance coach in terms of educational background:
| Athlete | Performance Coach | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Kinesiology |
| Most common college | - | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between athletes' and performance coaches' demographics:
| Athlete | Performance Coach | |
| Average age | 36 | 36 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.6% Female, 38.4% | Male, 67.3% Female, 32.7% |
| 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, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 5.4% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 8% |