How to hire a coach/instructor

How to hire a coach/instructor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step coach/instructor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a coach/instructor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new coach/instructor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a coach/instructor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a coach/instructor, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A coach/instructor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, coach/instructors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of coach/instructors.

   Type of Coach/Instructor	Description	Hourly rate
   Coach/Instructor	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	$17-34
   Student Athlete	A student-athlete competes in various sporting events to represent a school or institution. Most student-athletes are under scholarships and receive an allowance, either from the school or a particular organization... Show more	$12-37
   Strength And Conditioning Coach	A Strength And Conditioning Coach designs, implements, and supervises the strength and conditioning programs for multiple sports programs. They generally work with athletes.	$13-38

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Classroom Management
   • Math
   • Instructional Support
   • Student Learning
   • Professional Growth
   • Curriculum Development
   • Instructional Materials
   • Student Achievement
   • Mathematics
   • Data Analysis
   • Student Performance
   • Analyze Data
   • Staff Development
   • K-12

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and schedule local and national soccer competitions.
   • Present information of math program through PowerPoint presentation to parents and community.
   • Teach students in GED program.
   • Serve on district wide PBIS team.
   • Monitor data on ESE, ESL populations.
   • Assist in IEP development and transition plan development.

   More coach/instructor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the coach/instructor job description is a good way to get more applicants. A coach/instructor salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a coach/instructor in Montana may be lower than in Hawaii, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level coach/instructor. Additionally, a coach/instructor with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average coach/instructor salary

   $52,182yearly

   $25.09 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level coach/instructor salary

   $37,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average coach/instructor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$68,567	$33
   2	Texas	$60,732	$29
   3	New York	$56,384	$27
   4	Arizona	$56,093	$27
   5	South Carolina	$55,021	$26
   6	Massachusetts	$52,249	$25
   7	Virginia	$50,282	$24
   8	North Carolina	$49,882	$24
   9	Louisiana	$49,119	$24
   10	Minnesota	$47,653	$23
   11	Colorado	$46,331	$22
   12	Utah	$45,695	$22
   13	Missouri	$45,270	$22
   14	Michigan	$44,862	$22
   15	Oklahoma	$44,666	$21
   16	Arkansas	$42,454	$20
   17	Maryland	$41,715	$20
   18	Illinois	$40,652	$20
   19	Wisconsin	$40,359	$19
   20	Kansas	$38,604	$19

   Average coach/instructor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Saint Xavier University	$75,841	$36.46	1
   2	Boston Public Schools	$70,853	$34.06	10
   3	Chicago Public Schools	$68,480	$32.92	12
   4	The Chicago High School for the Arts	$67,516	$32.46	21
   5	Adams 12 Five Star Schools	$65,655	$31.56	2
   6	St. HOPE	$65,317	$31.40	2
   7	Muckleshoot Casino	$65,126	$31.31
   8	Clarkson University	$65,069	$31.28	8
   9	Boston College	$64,752	$31.13
   10	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	$64,518	$31.02	2
   11	Gwinnett County Board of Education	$64,252	$30.89	20
   12	Lafayette School District	$64,128	$30.83	1
   13	Springfield City Library	$63,803	$30.67	3
   14	Paramount High School	$63,793	$30.67	1
   15	Amplify	$63,474	$30.52
   16	Notre Dame College	$63,081	$30.33
   17	Walla Walla Public Schools	$62,113	$29.86	1
   18	Irving Isd	$61,992	$29.80	10
   19	San José Unified School District	$61,820	$29.72
   20	Voices College-Bound Language Academies	$61,520	$29.58

4. Writing a coach/instructor job description

   A job description for a coach/instructor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a coach/instructor job description:

   Coach/instructor job description example

   “The most exciting acting tends to happen in roles you never thought you could play.” – John Lithgow
   
   Do you love kids, being generally silly, and acting for very receptive and adorable audiences? Then My Gym might be the right place for you!
   
   Are you…
   
   

   • The life of the party?
   • Frequently found at the kids table (which is the best place to be anyway)?
   • A dancer, actor, singer, coach or athlete?
   • Outgoing, upbeat, and positive?
   • Someone who takes direction well?
   • Available for Staff Meetings (Every Monday 12-4pm)
   • Interested in a flexible weekday schedule that will allow your job to work into your life?
   • Available to work weekends? (We throw wonderful, memorable birthday parties year-round.)
   • Willing to really grow with us (and the kids!) and can commit to at least a year of employment?

   We are My Gym Children’s Fitness Center – the ultimate children’s fitness and developmental activity center – and we get to work and play all day… in a T-shirt and socks!!
   
   If you feel we probably wrote this about you as a funny character assessment, you may be the right person for us and My Gym may be just the right job for you! As a teacher, you’ll be working with children ranging from 6 months to 10 years of age, teaching programs that incorporate songs, dances, puppet shows, beginning gymnastics skills, sports, games, and a variety of other unique and exciting activities in a positive, noncompetitive, fun environment.
   
   To learn more about what we do at My Gym, visit us at www.mygym.com/huntingtonbeach

   This franchise is independently owned and operated by a franchisee. Your application will go directly to the franchisee, and all hiring decisions will be made by the management of that franchise. All inquiries about employment at this franchise should be made directly to the franchisee, and not to My Gym Corporate.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find coach/instructors for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit coach/instructors, 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. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 coach/instructor

   Once you've decided on a perfect coach/instructor candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new coach/instructor. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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How much does it cost to hire a coach/instructor?