How employable are coaches?

CareerExplorer rates coaches with a C employability rating, meaning this career should provide moderate employment opportunities for the foreseeable future.

Are coaches in demand?

Growth of this occupation is projected to be driven largely by increased high school enrolment over the next decade, leading to more student athletes and greater demand for coaches at this level. Most high school coaches are also academic teachers and therefore must meet the qualifications for that occupation, typically a Bachelor’s Degree. Those capable of assuming this dual role will reduce the impact of potential school board cuts on their jobs. Training in CPR, first aid, communications, and coaching fundamentals is considered another marketable asset. Aspiring college coaches increase their employability if they follow a degree program closely related to coaching. Common choices are exercise and sports science; physiology; kinesiology; nutrition and fitness; physical education; and sports medicine. Competition for coaching jobs at colleges and with professional teams will continue to be intense. Candidates who obtain these elite positions generally have years of coaching experience and a winning record in the lower ranks. As baby boomers approach retirement, they are expected to participate more in leisure activities, prompting a need for coaches and instructors in such sports as tennis and golf. While coaches working in amateur and professional sports are the most common in this occupation, opportunities exist outside the sports world. Life coaching, also known as personal coaching and wellness coaching, has emerged as a specialized counseling profession. Increasingly, people are seeking help to face major personal transitions such as divorce, retirement, and job changes; and they are willing, in greater numbers than ever before, to pay for this service. Demand for life and wellness coaches is expected to continue to grow, as individuals become more conscious about their health and more aware of the impact of lifestyle and life choices on their overall wellbeing. In addition, demand is being driven by the insurance industry, looking to cut costs by educating people about all aspects of their health before expensive complications occur. Corporations, hospitals, nonprofit organizations, universities, and even some government agencies are hiring or contracting life coaches to support their employees, patients, members, and students. The most sought after coaches generally possess at least a Bachelor’s Degree in a field-related discipline such as psychology, sociology, communications, teaching, counseling, human resources, nursing, or nutrition. Although there is currently no requirement that life coaches be certified, many pursue certifications offered by the International Association of Coaching (IAC) and International Coach Federation (ICF).