Quick answer: California employs about 31,150 coaches and scouts (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing runs through the athletic organizations you want to work for. Programs, the careers this degree opens, and what they pay are below.
Compare sports management programs enrolling now:
Licensing and Credentials in California
No license gates sports management. Coaching layers its own certifications by sport and level, and the programmatic accreditor is the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA). What consistently hires is operational track record - events run, programs grown, seasons administered.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with the athletic organizations you want to work for that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Earning the Degree While You Work
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 10 schools
within 222 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
10 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Coaches and Scouts in California earn a median $47,660 per year, above the national median of $47,320 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Sports Management Pay and Employment in California at a Glance
Metric
California
National
Source
Median annual wage
$47,660
$47,320
BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$35,920
$28,790
BLS OEWS, May 2025
25th percentile
$38,260
$35,330
BLS OEWS, May 2025
75th percentile
$64,220
$64,710
BLS OEWS, May 2025
90th percentile
$92,150
$98,860
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment
31,150
248,950
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location quotient
1.07
1.00
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)
not published by state
6.4%
BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34
How California Pay Compares to the Rest of the Country
The California median of $47,660 sits above the national median of $47,320 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 1.07 puts California slightly above the national average, so the occupation is a little more common here than in the typical state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Sport employment maps onto institutions - districts, colleges, municipalities and gym chains - with the concentrated tiers clustering around major programs and franchises.
Coaches and Scouts Wages by Metro Area in California
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), coaches and scouts wages in California vary by metro area.
Metro Area
Employment
Median Annual Wage
Avg. Annual Wage
Entry Level (10th pctile)
Experienced (90th pctile)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
10,850
$47,450
$60,370
$36,160
$86,070
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
5,380
$54,770
$73,890
$39,270
$102,150
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
2,890
$47,230
$57,970
$36,290
$87,660
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
2,500
$45,260
$52,730
$34,320
$79,600
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
2,130
$57,250
$72,890
$41,740
$110,220
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
1,830
$46,430
$56,640
$36,180
$85,450
Fresno
610
$45,120
$54,750
$34,720
$80,690
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
550
$45,390
$65,580
$34,940
$82,350
Bakersfield-Delano
480
$43,170
$50,880
$34,320
$79,610
Stockton-Lodi
410
$37,820
$49,020
$35,250
$73,990
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
380
$46,710
$60,170
$36,420
$100,780
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
370
$48,440
$54,620
$39,130
$87,220
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
310
$49,540
$61,940
$36,280
$90,580
Modesto
260
$47,520
$53,780
$36,480
$78,090
Salinas
210
$54,940
$86,040
$37,400
$109,700
Vallejo
200
$45,760
$51,570
$36,040
$79,940
Santa Cruz-Watsonville
190
$48,380
$63,180
$38,290
$100,840
Visalia
140
$49,710
$52,680
$34,700
$64,740
Redding
60
$46,050
$54,860
$34,940
$80,920
Napa
50
$49,470
$57,140
$38,320
$80,900
Yuba City
50
$45,940
$57,860
$35,510
$91,840
El Centro
40
$47,790
$73,380
$35,100
$172,790
Merced
40
$47,470
$54,830
$34,320
$94,200
Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do coaches and scouts make in California?
The median annual wage for coaches and scouts in California is $47,660, above the national median of $47,320 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $38,260 at the 25th percentile to $64,220 at the 75th.
How many coaches and scouts work in California?
California holds about 31,150 sports administrator jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 248,950, and BLS projects about 41,800 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Do I need a license to work as a sports administrator in California?
No license gates sports management. Coaching layers its own certifications by sport and level, and the programmatic accreditor is the Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA). What consistently hires is operational track record - events run, programs grown, seasons administered. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with the athletic organizations you want to work for before you enroll in any program.
Can I earn a sports management bachelor's or master's online while working in California?
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies the athletic organizations you want to work for.
What is the highest-paying area of California for coaches and scouts?
Among California metro areas with published data, San Jose reports the highest median at $57,250 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is California a good state for coaches and scouts?
On pay, the state median of $47,660 sits above the national $47,320 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 1.07 means the occupation is more concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Coaches and Scouts (SOC 27-2022), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
