Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between athletic coaches and head 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 athletic coach and a head coach. Additionally, an athletic coach has an average salary of $45,554, which is higher than the $44,062 average annual salary of a head coach.
The top three skills for an athletic coach include CPR, student athletes and volleyball. The most important skills for a head coach are CPR, NCAA, and athletic program.
| Athletic Coach | Head Coach | |
| Yearly salary | $45,554 | $44,062 |
| Hourly rate | $21.90 | $21.18 |
| Growth rate | 20% | 20% |
| Number of jobs | 16,935 | 22,027 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 36 | 36 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Athletic coaches organize professional and amateur athletes and teach them the basics of sports. The coaches train athletes to compete individually or as a team. They work before and after a match or game in the sphere of administrative duties. They provide assistance to the athletes to develop their full potential. They work as game coaches, leaders, performance managers, trainers, and leaders of the athletes. Also, they honor their clients as experts in their work and lives.
A head coach is responsible for managing teams, monitoring each player's performance, conditioning the team's skills by conducting training sessions, and encouraging the trainees to reach their full potential. Head coaches assess the team's coordination during training or a game, adjusting strategies and improving techniques as needed. A head coach evaluates the team's strengths and weaknesses while educating them on the proper sports ethic. A head coach must have strong leadership and organizational skills to develop plans and reach set goals.
Athletic coaches and head coaches have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Athletic Coach | Head Coach | |
| Average salary | $45,554 | $44,062 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $71,000 | Between $30,000 And $63,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | New York | New York |
| Best paying company | Boston Public Schools | Kern Community College District |
| Best paying industry | Government | Education |
There are a few differences between an athletic coach and a head coach in terms of educational background:
| Athletic Coach | Head Coach | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Kinesiology | Kinesiology |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between athletic coaches' and head coaches' demographics:
| Athletic Coach | Head Coach | |
| Average age | 36 | 36 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.6% Female, 30.4% | Male, 66.3% Female, 33.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 5.5% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% Asian, 5.5% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |