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What is a coach and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted expert
Colin Briskey
introduction image

A coach helps clients achieve their personal and/or professional goals through guidance, support, and motivation. They use a variety of strategies to identify obstacles, develop action plans, and track client progress. Coaches work with individuals or groups in a variety of settings, including sports, business, and personal development. They may specialize in a particular area and often hold certifications in related fields. A good coach empowers their clients to reach their full potential.

What general advice would you give to a coach?

Colin Briskey

Visiting Assistant Professor of Voice, Baldwin Wallace University

Know your worth and stand by it. A lot of people will tell you to say yes to everything and do things for free. In the music industry there are definitely early career stages where saying yes to nearly everything and doing some work for free is necessary. However, if you're always so busy working for free, you'll never have time to level up and get paid for your work. Do the work at the highest quality you can and stand by your worth.
ScoreCoachUS Average
Salary
3.3

Avg. Salary $42,716

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.0

Growth rate 20%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.8
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 5.43%

Black or African American 8.85%

Hispanic or Latino 13.19%

Unknown 5.89%

White 66.40%

Gender

female 51.67%

male 48.33%

Age - 34
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 34
Stress level
8.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
7.3

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a coach?

Pros

  • Opportunity to make a positive impact on individuals and teams

  • Flexible schedule and ability to work remotely

  • High earning potential through private coaching or speaking engagements

  • Ability to create your own niche and specialize in a particular area

  • Autonomy and control over your business and career

Cons

  • Financial uncertainty, especially in the early stages of building a client base

  • Inconsistent income due to seasonality and irregular client schedules

  • High levels of competition in the coaching industry

  • Difficulty separating work from personal life

  • Limited opportunities for career advancement

  • Ethics and boundaries must be carefully maintained to avoid conflicts of interest

Coach career paths

Key steps to become a coach

  1. Explore coach education requirements

    Most common coach degrees

    Bachelor's

    62.1 %

    Associate

    12.2 %

    Master's

    11.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific coach skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Customer Service23.54%
    CPR10.25%
    Food Handling7.88%
    Safety Rules5.71%
    Customer Satisfaction5.09%
  3. Complete relevant coach training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New coaches learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a coach based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real coach resumes.
  4. Research coach duties and responsibilities

    • Provide guidance for individual athletes and assist them in achieving spots within elite summer rowing programs in Philadelphia.
    • Develop / implement IEP's, prepare / lead ARD meetings, and supervise/ manage students in special education.
    • Manage and schedule local and national soccer competitions.
    • Perform additional responsibilities as deemed appropriate by school and district supervisors such as organizing and managing elementary school mathematics information nights.
  5. Prepare your coach resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your coach resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a coach resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable coach resume templates

    Build a professional coach resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your coach resume.
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  6. Apply for coach jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a coach job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first coach job

Zippi

Are you a coach?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average coach salary

The average coach salary in the United States is $42,716 per year or $21 per hour. Coach salaries range between $27,000 and $66,000 per year.

Average coach salary
$42,716 Yearly
$20.54 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do coaches rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

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3 stars

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Coach reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2022
Pros

Teaching the swing from the ground up. Doing video analysis. The satisfaction I get when it clicks for the hitter.

Cons

People who think hitting is easy, see ball hit ball. Parents who want instant gratification.


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A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020
Cons

There is nothing that I dislike.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020
Pros

People and the satisfaction to see learners progress

Cons

Swimmers to swim in cold water, and the facility not a proper one with little amenities, and too far to travel from the swimming pool no proper coaching which is a lack in South Africa


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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