Quick answer: Illinois employs about 8,840 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 Illinois
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 61 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 Illinois earn a median $49,120 per year, above the national median of $47,320 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Sports Management Pay and Employment in Illinois at a Glance
Metric
Illinois
National
Source
Median annual wage
$49,120
$47,320
BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$31,200
$28,790
BLS OEWS, May 2025
25th percentile
$35,210
$35,330
BLS OEWS, May 2025
75th percentile
$82,750
$64,710
BLS OEWS, May 2025
90th percentile
$122,720
$98,860
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment
8,840
248,950
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location quotient
0.91
1.00
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)
not published by state
6.4%
BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34
How Illinois Pay Compares to the Rest of the Country
The Illinois median of $49,120 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 0.91 puts Illinois slightly below the national average, so the occupation is a little less 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 Illinois
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), coaches and scouts wages in Illinois vary by metro area.
Metro Area
Employment
Median Annual Wage
Avg. Annual Wage
Entry Level (10th pctile)
Experienced (90th pctile)
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
6,780
$50,350
$70,020
$32,310
$122,720
St. Louis
2,360
$37,970
$48,660
$28,960
$76,640
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island
290
$45,170
$50,600
$30,060
$81,660
Champaign-Urbana
230
$66,150
$134,940
$33,170
$629,710
Rockford
220
$31,770
$44,570
$31,200
$71,430
Peoria
210
$44,480
$57,720
$31,200
$81,490
Bloomington
140
$53,210
$72,940
$31,200
$113,970
Kankakee
100
$49,240
$52,850
$31,200
$87,730
Springfield
80
$47,370
$55,750
$31,220
$92,560
Cape Girardeau
80
$51,960
$59,500
$33,060
$84,810
Decatur
60
$38,870
$47,470
$31,200
$78,260
Paducah
40
$43,110
$76,080
$21,010
$176,800
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 Illinois?
The median annual wage for coaches and scouts in Illinois is $49,120, above the national median of $47,320 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $35,210 at the 25th percentile to $82,750 at the 75th.
How many coaches and scouts work in Illinois?
Illinois holds about 8,840 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 Illinois?
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 Illinois?
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 Illinois for coaches and scouts?
Among Illinois metro areas with published data, Champaign reports the highest median at $66,150 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is Illinois a good state for coaches and scouts?
On pay, the state median of $49,120 sits above the national $47,320 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 0.91 means the occupation is less 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/.
