Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for sports teachers in the United States
Are sports teacher jobs in demand?
Sports teacher job and salary trends over time
Sports teacher jobs over time
Sports teacher job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 686 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 666 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 696 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 707 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 690 | 0.00% |
Average sports teacher salary over time
Sports teacher salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $44,717 | $21.50 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | $43,857 | $21.08 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | $42,904 | $20.63 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $42,086 | $20.23 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $41,275 | $19.84 | +1.5% |
Sports teacher jobs by state
Most common states for sports teachers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 125 | 18% |
| 2 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 175 | 13% |
| 3 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 716 | 12% |
| 4 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,346 | 11% |
| 5 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 988 | 11% |
| 6 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 644 | 11% |
| 7 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 604 | 11% |
| 8 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 113 | 11% |
| 9 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 701 | 10% |
| 10 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 211 | 10% |
| 11 | Delaware | 961,939 | 93 | 10% |
| 12 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 175 | 9% |
| 13 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 790 | 8% |
| 14 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 672 | 8% |
| 15 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 541 | 8% |
| 16 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 254 | 8% |
| 17 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 239 | 8% |
| 18 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 234 | 8% |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 929 | 7% |
| 20 | Vermont | 623,657 | 43 | 7% |
Most common cities for sports teachers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cambridge | 1 | 1% | $63,658 |
| 2 | Denver | 1 | 0% | $38,017 |
Sports Teacher job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of sports teacher experts
Oklahoma State University
University of New Mexico
University of Mary Washington
What general advice would you give to a Sports Teacher?
Dr. Sarah Donovan: A career in education begins during an accredited teacher preparation program as you cultivate a network of colleagues among peers, professors, and state and national professional organizations. Becoming a teacher is about building content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge, so accredited programs offer opportunities to observe and practice teacher in classrooms with the support of qualified, experienced mentors and faculty members.
The first year on the job, it is essential to keep open lines of communication with the colleagues and faculty with whom you've developed professional relationships so that they can offer you support and critical conversations as you navigate the new teaching context. This is also when your connections to professional networks will be vital as you will have many sites, people, and resources to draw on to support your practice.
Dr. Ashley Phelps Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant ProfessorUniversity of New Mexico
Department of Physical Education Teacher Education
How do you envision technology impacting Sports Teachers in the next 5 years?
Dr. Ashley Phelps Ph.D.: For the next five years, I see technology having both a positive and negative impact on this field. For example, physical education teachers will have become knowledgeable in using technology to teach virtually; however, due to the increased screen time, technology could potentially become a burden for some. In essence, teachers may become desensitized to technology due to overexposure. However, it is important for physical education teachers to know that technology is not a mechanism by which it replaces teaching; rather, it helps to augment it. Like Sophia, the Artificial Intelligence robot once said, "robot intelligence does not compete with human intelligence; it completes it."
Thus, technology is here to help and is not going away anytime soon. Therefore, it would behoove preservice physical education teachers to learn about and implement various software and hardware within their curricula. Lastly, screen time has often been viewed as an unhealthy pastime in our field. I say, why not use screen time to our advantage to help prepare the tech-savvy leaders of tomorrow?
Janine Davis Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorUniversity of Mary Washington
College of Education
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Sports Teachers?
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.