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Job outlook for career coaches in the United States
Career coach job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected career coach job growth rate is 10% from 2018-2028.
About 32,400 new jobs for career coaches are projected over the next decade.
Career coach salaries have increased 7% for career coaches in the last 5 years.
There are over 11,502 career coaches currently employed in the United States.
There are 42,622 active career coach job openings in the US.
The average career coach salary is $41,858.
Are career coach jobs in demand?
Career coach job and salary trends over time
Career coach jobs over time
Career coach job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 11,502 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 11,270 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 11,378 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 10,904 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 10,383 | 0.00% |
Average career coach salary over time
Career coach salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $41,858 | $20.12 | +1.9% |
| 2025 | $41,080 | $19.75 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | $40,554 | $19.50 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | $39,906 | $19.19 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $39,294 | $18.89 | +1.7% |
Career coach jobs by state
Most common states for career coaches
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 93 | 9% |
| 2 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 58 | 8% |
| 3 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 46 | 8% |
| 4 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 174 | 6% |
| 5 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 380 | 5% |
| 6 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 259 | 5% |
| 7 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 255 | 5% |
| 8 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 193 | 5% |
| 9 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 138 | 5% |
| 10 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 65 | 5% |
| 11 | Delaware | 961,939 | 43 | 4% |
| 12 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 31 | 4% |
| 13 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 326 | 3% |
| 14 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 229 | 3% |
| 15 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 177 | 3% |
| 16 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 | 147 | 3% |
| 17 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 129 | 3% |
| 18 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 63 | 3% |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 30 | 3% |
| 20 | Alaska | 739,795 | 24 | 3% |
Most common cities for career coaches
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bangor | 1 | 3% | $27,986 |
| 2 | Gainesville | 2 | 2% | $41,694 |
| 3 | Livonia | 2 | 2% | $29,689 |
| 4 | Bowling Green | 1 | 2% | $34,178 |
| 5 | Delano | 1 | 2% | $49,930 |
| 6 | Seattle | 4 | 1% | $40,289 |
| 7 | Washington | 4 | 1% | $54,145 |
| 8 | Spokane | 2 | 1% | $40,157 |
| 9 | Worcester | 2 | 1% | $39,179 |
| 10 | Auburn | 1 | 1% | $40,322 |
| 11 | Chicago | 3 | 0% | $42,532 |
| 12 | Los Angeles | 3 | 0% | $51,037 |
| 13 | Anaheim | 1 | 0% | $51,016 |
| 14 | Atlanta | 1 | 0% | $49,471 |
| 15 | Cleveland | 1 | 0% | $39,077 |
| 16 | Colorado Springs | 1 | 0% | $42,797 |
| 17 | Columbus | 1 | 0% | $39,574 |
Career Coach job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of career coach experts
Siena College
Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg
Western Illinois University
Tuskegee University
Wisconsin Business School
High Point University
Humboldt State University
Monmouth University
Butler University
Lycoming College
Seattle University
East Tennessee State University
American University
Colorado State University
University of Mary Washington
University of Maine
Quinnipiac University
What general advice would you give to a Career Coach?
Beverly Thompson: Job skills specific to a particular sector will likely be learned on the job. College can provide general skills useful for entering into professions that will be client facing: critical thinking abilities, assessing legitimate information sources, strategic abilities to address problem solving, and precise organizational abilities. Careers in the future are not anticipated to be long term, and 3-5 years may represent how long one spends in one position. Thus, coming into the position with a clear understanding of the job, keeping track of one's key goal posts, including the time period expectations, are essential. Proper communication skills, for each mode of delivery, are important. The ability to shift with the changing employment landscape and to develop one's own insights into the future trajectories will be key in staying on top of the trends.
What Career Coach skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Beverly Thompson: One would need to understand the various job opportunities in a particular field, research the pay ranges of each of these different employment sectors, and gain the skills relevant to the highest paid area of the job market. However, when one is starting their career, it is going to take time to begin accumulating promotions, and thus, being the best worker one can be and understanding the dynamics of one's particular company or field will be required research for the employee. Employees are tracked from their very first entry level position, so dedicating research to understanding these different employment trajectories will be central for finding and staying in the trajectory that will lead to the highest salary. Networking is key for learning about opportunities.
What will help Career Coaches increase their earning potential?
Beverly Thompson: Employment fields are changing rapidly; far faster than college curriculum. Thus, I would encourage current students and recent graduates to use sites such as LinkedIn to reach out to people working in the targeted field one is interested in and speak to them directly, especially people who have entered the field in the last five years. Fields also change quickly, so it is best to speak to those recently entering the field about their experiences and advice. I would also encourage people to get experience in the field as soon as possible, such as pursuing a part time job, in order to begin seeing the reality of the field from the entry level perspective.
Arpita Agnihotri
Associate ProfessorPennsylvania State University - Harrisburg
International Business
What general advice would you give to a Career Coach?
Arpita Agnihotri: PFA the responses. Please let me know if further elaboration is needed on any aspect or there are any questions.
What Career Coach skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Arpita Agnihotri: I shall be glad to provide answers to the questions. Kindly send me the questions.
Tammy Killian
Chair - Department of Theatre and DanceWestern Illinois University
Drama/Theatre Arts And Stagecraft
What general advice would you give to a Career Coach?
Tammy Killian: Make sure you sell all of your skill sets when you are interviewing, be a strong communicator, demonstrate your organizational skills, and don't undersell yourself -- have confidence in your abilities and training. Be willing to take on additional duties if needed.
What Career Coach skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Tammy Killian: Breathe, be patient and also make as many connections as possible. Create those relationships and continue to network them even after you get a job. You are enough! and you have a lot to offer. Remind folks often of your worth, skills and do so in a kind and generous way.
What will help Career Coaches increase their earning potential?
Tammy Killian: Breathe, be patient and also make as many connections as possible. Create those relationships and continue to network them even after you get a job. You are enough! and you have a lot to offer. Remind folks often of your worth, skills and do so in a kind and generous way.
Dr. Kai KOONG
Dean, Brimmer College of Business and Information ScienceTuskegee University
Business Administration, Management And Operations
What general advice would you give to a Career Coach?
Dr. Kai KOONG: First, get an internship (within your targeted industry or segment) to show that you have work experience that are relevant.
Second, make sure you select a career in sectors known for high wages (examples: accounting, artificial intelligence, cyber technologies, finance, healthcare, and supply chain)
Third, acquire initial industry badges and beginner’s certifications prior to graduation or immediately thereafter.
What Career Coach skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Kai KOONG: First, industry certifications and electronic badges will be useful for your longevity in the workplace.
Second, acquire additional soft skills and know when to put them to work
Third, learn new tools (SAP, and AI and ML in particular) can help you to climb the ladder and avoid being laid off too
What will help Career Coaches increase their earning potential?
Dr. Kai KOONG: First, besides working hard, work smart, in particular.
Second, find a mentor to help you adapt to the new work environment and culture.
Third, ask for help and be a true team player. You will be surprise most colleagues want you to do well.
Fourth, learn as much as you can and keep a balanced profile.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Career Coaches?
Claire Jablonsky: We have a lot of students wanting to head into the creative side of marketing and thus are getting certificates (minors) in digital studies and graphic design. They are working on getting experience with Adobe, Photoshop, Lightroom and other programs that will give them the skills to work in advertising. On the analytical side, they are getting certificates in Google Analytics.
William (Bill) Gentry Ph.D.
Assistant Vice PresidentHigh Point University
Career and Professional Development
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Career Coaches?
William (Bill) Gentry Ph.D.: In my opinion, yes. The pandemic is a once-in-a-century occurrence, I don't see how something like that will not affect philosophy graduates, or all of us. But graduates during this time have shown resiliency and flexibility particularly in the past 12+ months, which are great skills to showcase for employers right now. For the world of work, some organizations will go back to the way it was a couple of years ago (fully in person in offices) and other organizations have seen that people can work from home (or anywhere) and will allow that fully or partially. Organizations may need to shift their mindset on how work gets done to match how graduates now and in the future want to work in order to attract the best talent. To be marketable, graduates should focus not just on their resiliency and flexibility, but also other essential life skills such as the ability to communicate well (in person, phone, video, email, messaging systems), to span boundaries (organizational functions, time zones, cultural), and their problem solving, teamwork, and collaborative skills to be seen as high potential employees for organizations who are working fully in person, fully remote, or a mix of the two.
What's a day at work look like for a Career Coach?
William (Bill) Gentry Ph.D.: It depends on the organization. With more vaccines coming out and some clamoring to actually get out of their house and get back to being in an office, organizations will see that it is safer for people to come back to work, to fly to meetings, to be like it was a couple of years ago. In fact, some have already gone back to that. Other organizations have seen that people can indeed work from anywhere and production and work output still remain at a high level in quality or quantity, and they may allow virtual work in part or in full. Philosophy graduates need to be prepared for either of these. I and our office of Career and Professional Development encourage graduates to first think about what style they like best. In talking with graduates, I know some of them are burned out with video and miss being around people in person. For those graduates with that type of preference, we encourage them to be strategic and targeted in their approach to looking for jobs, ensuring that working in an office, around people, in person, should be a major priority when searching and applying for jobs. For other graduates who have enjoyed and become skilled at video meetings, like that type of interaction, and feel they want to work from home, they should make sure that any job they are applying to would allow the ability and flexibility to work from anywhere.
What will help Career Coaches increase their earning potential?
William (Bill) Gentry Ph.D.: Philosophy majors are employable in a variety of fields such as education, law, ethics, business, religious-affiliated areas, community services, government, and communications to name a few. A 538 article in 2015 showed that philosophy majors have the fourth-highest median earnings for those with only undergraduate degrees. The Winter 2020 National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) salary survey indicated philosophy majors have the highest mean and median salary across all humanities majors and is comparable to other majors as well. To increase their earning potential, we encourage our students to focus on life skills that can separate themselves from all the others who are applying to the job. How can you showcase pertinent life skills that philosophy majors are known for - such as resiliency, the flexibility and capacity for growth, analytical, organizational and research skills like idea generation, problem formulation and problem solving, persuasion, and communication skills - on your brand documents like your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn, or in interviews? Specifically, how can you display that you have learned and developed those skills inside and outside the classroom in strong bullet points on your resume or in your cover letter? How can you clearly articulate how you've displayed or enhanced those skills through your classwork, internships, jobs, volunteer work, or other experiences in answering interview questions like "Tell me about yourself" or "What are your strengths?" or "Tell me about a time you had to influence others?" A GPA will likely get your foot in the door, but the ability to demonstrate these important like skills on paper, online, and in person in networking and interviewing will show others that you will be successful not just on day one of the job, but be seen as a high potential in your fist year, five years, and beyond.
Loren Collins
Faculty support Coordinator for Service Learning and Career EducationHumboldt State University
Academic and Career Advising Center
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Career Coach job market given the pandemic?
Loren Collins: Service sector, hospitality, and travel have been and will continue to be impacted negatively but we will see a huge boom in employment and growth coming at the end of the pandemic. People will trend back into higher education as we begin coming out of the pandemic and when more face-to-face opportunities are available at universities and community colleges. Typically in a recession this happens earlier, but the nature of the pandemic has probably delayed this effect.
As we exit the pandemic, I believe federal and state programs will focus on increasing the number of people entering all sorts of trades, leveraging the end of the pandemic and work programs to close an increasing gap in the number of people in the trades. Meaning a boom in logistics, management, and project management related jobs as well lots of focus on sustainability.
What soft skills should all Career Coaches possess?
Loren Collins: According to NACE - the National Association of Colleges and Employers - the top ten skills employers want from college grads are: 1) Communication 2) Teamwork 3) Make Decisions and Solve Problems 4) Organize and Prioritize 5) Obtain and Process Information 6) Analyze Quantitative Data 7) Technical Skills related to the Position 8) Ability to Work with Computers 9) Creating Written Reports 10) Sell and Influence Others.
We share these and talk a lot with students about them. Including history students and helping them see where they've gotten these skills, like myself, through the major. Only one of the above is specific to any given job! The softer skills include showing up on time, interpersonal communication, and staying committed to a position for a reasonable amount of time!
How have salaries changed over time for Career Coaches?
Loren Collins: In my field - and probably in many fields - I think the big trend has been not as much focus on salary and more the cost of retirement programs and healthcare. Landing a job with good retirement and great healthcare is not always easy and for many worth a trade for a slightly lower salary.
What's a day at work look like for a Career Coach?
William Hill: That's hard to say because different jobs will have different requirements both now and post-COVID. Some jobs, like sales,will probably revert to more in-person activities, while other may be able to remain mostly or partially remote. Yes, a typical day might mean working from home more often than in the past. Technology, especially AI, will become a large influence. I suspect more professional/office jobs will evolve in to a hybrid model, with some in-person activity blended with remote.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Career Coach job market given the pandemic?
William Hill: Remote recruiting is here to stay. COVID showed employers that they don't need to come to campus, nor do they have to meet with students in person in order to hire them. It is a substantial time and money saver for businesses. Long after COVID is gone, employers will continue to use Zoom, WebEx and other remote platforms as part of their recruiting strategy. Even job fairs, long a staple of recruiting, are going remote.
What soft skills should all Career Coaches possess?
William Hill: Problem solving skills are essential in the workplace for new grads, especially now. They will find it increasingly difficult to engage more experienced co-workers for helpful problem solving advice in a virtual workspace. You can't just stroll over to someone's office for a quick chat anymore. They will be more often "on their own" when it comes to analyzing a challenge and crafting a solution. Verbal and written communication skills remain important in a workspace dominated by Zoom and email.
Julie Schrader
Sr. Associate DirectorButler University
Career and Professional Success
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Career Coach job market given the pandemic?
Julie Schrader: I think some trends we will see are more remote work components of internships or jobs given the pandemic. Some organizations will hope to return to fully in-person, but I think there will be more flexibility provided to employees to work remotely or partially remote. I also think some organizations may reduce their physical footprints and move from larger buildings to smaller spaces if they plan to have a mix of in-person and remote workforce, which can impact the culture. We have seen the impact the pandemic has had in some industries such as sports, events, hospitality, and others that rely on in-person functions and components, and I think we'll see fewer, more competitive opportunities in those areas for a while. Networking has always been important but I see a greater emphasis being put on networking and building connections during this time of limited in-person interactions and a more competitive job seeker environment. Finally, I think we have been pleased to see that many organizations have been hiring at the same or similar rate during the pandemic as they were prior to it.
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Career Coaches?
Julie Schrader: It would depend on the industry, but I think the following can be impactful and attractive to future employers:
- Language(s): In a global market, speaking another language can provide great value to an organization
- Creative: More for marketing and advertising areas, having courses or certifications in creative and graphic design tools
- Project Management: Many roles across industry sectors involve some aspect of project management
- Design Thinking: Problem-solving and critical thinking skills are highly sought by recruiters
- Salesforce/CRMs: We are seeing more organizations list this as a preferred/desired certification or knowledge area
What's a good job out of college for Career Coaches?
Julie Schrader: I don't define a job as "good" only if it matches a student's area of study. It is great if it does, but to me the definition of "good job" is that the individual is fulfilled and utilizing skills, strengths, and interests and the position matches their value set. A good job can be one that also provides some sense of financial stability. The hope is that during college, students are exploring and discovering various career paths and participating in experiential learning such as internships, co-ops, rotations, case studies, informational interviews, and more. As they learn more about potential career paths, they can start to narrow what they think they would enjoy. I believe that a good job out of college includes an opportunity to be mentored and supported, provides the opportunity for growth and training, and engages the individual's strengths and abilities to make a positive impact. I think of an example of a young graduate with a Finance degree who started in an entry-level finance role. He liked the position and the people, but wasn't sure he wanted to stay with the organization when he was offered a promotion to a sales role. He said he was working in finance because that was his degree and he thought that is what he should be doing. But he longed to be active and outdoors, and reminisced about his time studying abroad in Australia and surfing. He saw a surf camp manager position in the country of Norway and was deciding if he should apply. I encouraged him to go for it. He did. And he got it. He has since returned to the states and in a sales role now, but has no regrets. To me, that was a good job because he followed his heart.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Career Coach job market given the pandemic?
Career Advisors of the CEAE : Fewer location-based positions due to the increased ability for remote and hybrid work environments.
What skills stand out on Career Coach resumes?
Career Advisors of the CEAE : Applicants need to connect their skills and experience with what an employer is looking for. With that being said, flexibility, adaptability, and experience with various technology is increasingly important during a pandemic. Quantifiable achievements are always important as well as leadership, presentation/communication skills, and teamwork ability.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Career Coaches to find work opportunities?
Career Advisors of the CEAE : Research what cities are ranked high for a strong and growing job market and don't limit yourself to a specific location. Be creative and don't rely on one or two sources in your search. Use the many online job search and research tools that are available. Networking is one of the most powerful tools to discover advertised - as well as unadvertised - opportunities. Use the capabilities of LinkedIn to connect with alumni and to develop and strengthen your brand! Don't dismiss social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok that are often used for entertainment and other purposes. You may find opportunities here as well.
Theresa Earenfight Ph.D.
Professor of History, Director, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies ProgramSeattle University
History Department
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Career Coaches?
Theresa Earenfight Ph.D.: As a historian of the European Middle Ages, I'm struck by how students this past year have acquired something scarce: historical empathy. The past can seem so remote, so very different from our lived experiences today, and this can make history seem irrelevant. But this fall, I was teaching a section on the bubonic plague, which historians of medicine now know was a global pandemic, not just an epidemic in Europe. Usually, students are fascinated by the gruesome medical details, but not this group.
They did not need or want to look death in the eyes. They wanted to know how did people react? How did they get back to normal? When we ticked off the list of reactions--fear, distrust of science (such as it was in 1348), xenophobia, scapegoating, economic collapse, hoarding supplies, turn to religion, gallows humor about worms crawling about corpses--they got it. When we talked about the aftermath--eat, drink, be merry, and protest the inequality--they got it. That is historical empathy, and I'm sad that this was how it had to be learned, but it will give them broader compassion that can encompass people alive today.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Career Coaches?
Dr. Frederick Gordon Ph.D.: Graduate students will need to refocus on the changing institutional role, being both remote and in-person, and impacting agency goals and performance.
How do you envision technology impacting Career Coaches in the next 5 years?
Dr. Adelaide Kelly-Massoud: Well, every teacher and teacher candidate was thrust into distance learning. Misguided attempts to foster understanding often leaned our adult distant learning pedagogy. Teachers, and those who prepare teachers, found their job to research, define, design, and implement meaningful teaching and learning using a virtual platform. Words such as synchronous and asynchronous are now a part of our everyday vernacular. But there is a much more optimistic change on the horizon that we can thank coronavirus for.
Communication and collaboration have been forced to change. Parents and Teachers are more connected and have been put in a position to leverage technology to build networks of support and consistent dialog. I urge teachers to leverage this in their future as we work to reopening schools; we should learn from this experience to leverage technology to keep us connected.
Leanna Biddle
Career Education ManagerColorado State University
Career Center and Warner College of Natural Resources
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Career Coaches?
Leanna Biddle: Last March, with COVID-19 and the shift to virtual business and engagement, the economy was negatively impacted, shown by high unemployment rates and business closures. Though this was unforeseen for many, jobs in this field have started to recover. As a Career Education Manager, I have seen the following: employers actively attending and engaging in virtual career fairs, job opportunities available for graduates, and the advertisement of internship opportunities for current students, offered both in-person and virtually.
In the career world, the new word I use is pivoting, looking for different ways to stand out as a candidate. It may not be as simple as applying for opportunities - there are different strategies to consider: attending networking events offered at your institution and/or in the community, making connections with faculty and staff in the field, and leaning into engagement opportunities, whether that be nationwide with an organization, like the American Fisheries Society, or volunteering in your city.
We don't know what the lasting impact will be. The landscape is still changing by the day, with hiring fluctuations and changing employer needs. I do know that graduates are not alone in this process; many institutions offer career support for recent graduates and alum.
Janine Davis Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorUniversity of Mary Washington
College of Education
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Career Coaches?
Janine Davis Ph.D.: For our teacher education graduates, the impact of the pandemic will most likely work in their favor when it comes to finding jobs-the pandemic has led to many retirements, which will mean that we will need even more teachers to fill those empty positions. At the same time, the advent of increased virtual learning means that it will no longer be an option that teachers know and use technology, including teaching online and using learning management and data analysis systems-those skills will almost certainly be a non-negotiable for future teaching positions. Finally, I think that this event has highlighted the importance of working as part of a team of teachers and other school leaders.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Career Coaches?
Crisanne Blackie: During the coronavirus pandemic, our graduates experienced many losses as they finished their final year of college. They have also been given opportunities to build new skills.This will be a memorable as well as formative time. Graduates have become resilient and have developed the capacity to adapt to change quickly. They will bring, to the workforce, a new outlook and adaptability. Graduates will find themselves in unexpected places and excel in ways that they would never have predicted and, in doing so, will achieve greatness.
What general advice would you give to a Career Coach?
Shelley Sadin: Communicating clearly, both orally and in writing.
It is identifying and analyzing legal and factual issues with an open, thoughtful, and creative mind.
Working collaboratively with clients, colleagues, opponents, and others involved in a case to solve problems.
Being meticulously ethical and professional in all interactions. This includes treating everyone involved in a matter with respect, recognizing, and honoring their different backgrounds and perspectives.
Being self-disciplined, motivated, resilient, courageous, kind, and flexible.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Career Coaches in the next 3-5 years?
Shelley Sadin: We cannot predict this, given how rapidly technology is advancing. We can say that remote meetings have taken over. Zoom use has increased exponentially, and distant court proceedings in Connecticut are being held via Microsoft Teams. Graduates will generally need to adapt to new technologies as they are introduced to keep up with the people and businesses they hope to represent.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Career Coaches?
Shelley Sadin: We cannot predict whether the pandemic (financial disruption and other harmful effects) will endure.
But we can identify a couple of potential enduring upsides:
The pandemic has shown employers, including law firms, that lawyers can communicate and work remotely. This should open up many more remote job opportunities and increase students’ job searches' geographical scope.
The pandemic makes many students stop and think about what matters to them as they pursue their career paths. We always encourage students to be reflective and creative in their career pursuits. The uncertainty and changes in working conditions wrought by the pandemic have underscored the value to students of thinking intentionally about where they want to practice. What field of law -- or law-related field -- would be most rewarding for them?