How to hire a coach

How to hire a coach, step by step

Here's a step-by-step coach 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 job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new coach
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a coach do?

Post a coach job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your coach job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a coach for hire on a part-time basis or as a 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's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, coaches 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.

   Here's a comparison of coach salaries for various roles:

   Type of Coach	Description	Hourly rate
   Coach	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	$12-31
   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
   Head Baseball Coach	The head baseball coach provides supervision and leadership for teams, individual sports, and works with the staff and administration. They promote an appreciation of physical fitness, sportsmanship, and teamwork... Show more	$13-33

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • CPR
   • Food Handling
   • Safety Rules
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Mental Health
   • Professional Development
   • Healthy Lifestyle
   • Weight Loss
   • Customer Complaints
   • Brand Awareness
   • Conflict Resolution
   • Community Resources
   • Role Model

   Check all skills

   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.
   • Supervise designated swimming areas and enforce safety rules and regulations as a lifeguard.
   • Coach U10 and U8 recreational soccer teams.

   More coach duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your coach job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A coach salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, coaches' average salary in wyoming is 67% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level coaches earn 59% less than senior-level coaches.
   • Certifications. A coach with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a coach's salary.

   Average coach salary

   $42,716yearly

   $20.54 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level coach salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 28, 2025

   Average coach salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$59,635	$29
   2	District of Columbia	$54,233	$26
   3	Texas	$51,851	$25
   4	California	$50,431	$24
   5	New York	$50,165	$24
   6	South Carolina	$48,978	$24
   7	Virginia	$48,256	$23
   8	Massachusetts	$47,825	$23
   9	North Carolina	$45,612	$22
   10	Arizona	$45,480	$22
   11	Mississippi	$45,236	$22
   12	Washington	$44,171	$21
   13	Pennsylvania	$42,734	$21
   14	Oregon	$42,291	$20
   15	Alabama	$42,183	$20
   16	Florida	$41,352	$20
   17	Maryland	$39,810	$19
   18	Minnesota	$39,469	$19
   19	Illinois	$39,404	$19
   20	Indiana	$38,604	$19

   Average coach salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	AEA Investors	$115,266	$55.42	187
   2	Kern Community College District	$109,055	$52.43	7
   3	Wabtec Corporation	$91,951	$44.21
   4	Neighborly	$86,635	$41.65	2
   5	Hospice of the Western Reserve	$85,100	$40.91
   6	IBM	$83,431	$40.11
   7	Citi	$83,025	$39.92
   8	Encore Capital Group	$80,341	$38.63
   9	Fifth Third Bank	$80,284	$38.60
   10	McKinsey & Company Inc	$79,391	$38.17
   11	Tata Group	$77,684	$37.35
   12	Genentech	$77,199	$37.11
   13	Ford Motor	$75,517	$36.31	5
   14	Ethical Culture Fieldston School	$74,511	$35.82	2
   15	University of Maryland Medical System	$74,395	$35.77	12
   16	The Brearley School	$72,423	$34.82
   17	Flexport	$71,363	$34.31
   18	Erlanger Health System	$71,301	$34.28
   19	U.S. Bank	$70,809	$34.04
   20	VMware	$70,199	$33.75

4. Writing a coach job description

   A coach job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a coach job description:

   Coach job description example

   Solutions driven success. XPO is a top ten global provider of transportation services, with a highly integrated network of people, technology and physical assets. At XPO Logistics, we look for employees who like a challenge and can communicate effectively in all situations. We want to leverage your skills and years of experience to drive positive results while ensuring a bright future for yourself and XPO. If you're looking for a growth opportunity, join us at XPO. As the Systems Coach, you will partner with branch leaders and the IT team to develop and design individual and group training. On our team, you'll have the support to excel at work, and the resources to build a career you can be proud of. XPO intends to spin off its tech-enabled brokered transportation platform as RXO in or around November 2022, creating two independent publicly traded companies. Visit rxo.com for more information. Please note that this position is in scope to transition to RXO once the planned spin-off is completed. Pay, benefits and more.We are eager to attract the best, so we offer competitive compensation and a generous benefits package, including full health insurance (medical, dental and vision), 401(k), life insurance, disability and the opportunity to participate in a company incentive plan. What you'll do on a typical day:
   
   Act as a product/systems champion across the enterprise; advocate for new functionality and system awareness in the branch and during training sessions
   
   Partner with team leads to define resource requirements, coordinate assignments and resources, and provide quality reviews; design, prepare and maintain training and course materials utilizing new and innovative techniques
   
   Share feedback on the system with appropriate resources, whether from the end-user's perspective or in partnership with IT
   
   Coordinate new and changed processes within the department to ensure continuous competency and effectiveness; schedule and conduct training programs
   
   Conduct needs assessments and gap analyses for developing training programs and determining delivery cadences
   
   Develop, review and revise dynamic and interactive lesson plans, student outlines, media, practical applications and evaluation materials
   
   Manage quality control and quality assurance reviews, including surveying target audience at multiple points to determine effectiveness What you need to succeed at XPO:At a minimum, you'll need:
   Bachelor's degree or equivalent related work or military experience 1 year of experience using Freight Brokerage systems Ability to travel 25% of the time It'd be great if you also have: Bachelor's degree in Transportation Experience working in a Transportation Management System (TMS) format, from an end-user perspective Systems training experience Experience using XPO Connect and Freight Optimizer Ability to interview technical experts, understand processes and convert technical documents into training materials that clearly and effectively communicate roles/responsibilities and their impact on expected business results Be part of something big. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, disability, veteran or other protected status. All applicants who receive a conditional offer of employment may be required to take and pass a pre-employment drug test.
   The above statements are not an exhaustive list of all required responsibilities, duties and skills for this job classification.
   Review XPO's candidate privacy statement here.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right coach for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit coaches, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   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

   Once you've decided on a perfect coach 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 good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new coach first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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?