Salary of Football Coaches

Football coaches work in a variety of settings ranging from professional sports teams to collegiate athletics and high school programs. Of course, the salaries of football coaches depend greatly on a number of factors including level of competition, years of experience, special certification and geographic region. Such factors produce a huge gap in earnings between low-end and high-end football coaches.

Top NFL Coaching Salaries

As one of the most popular professional sports leagues in the world, it should come as no surprise that the NFL has the highest-paid coaches in football. According to a 2010 article on Forbes.com, the biggest coaching salaries in the NFL reached around $7 million with coaches Bill Belichick and Mike Shanahan atop the list of earners. Several other prominent coaches haul in between $4 million and $6 million per season, separating themselves by a healthy margin from the bottom end of the league's coaching staff.

Bottom NFL Coaching Salaries

Even the mid-level and bottom-feeder coaches of the NFL still bring in relatively impressive salaries. The majority of head coaches in the NFL make roughly $2 million to $3 million a year, according to a 2009 article by John Czarnecki of Fox Sports. Franchise owners have been hiring younger and cheaper coaches to save money while bringing in new blood, and this trend seems likely to continue. As for the lower-level assistant coaches and coordinators in the NFL, their salaries may not be in the millions, but they still pull in hefty six-figure earnings for their work.

Top College Coaching Salaries

Pay rates continue to rise for NCAA college football coaches. The average salary for head coaches in NCAA division-I football in 2009 was $1.36 million, according to a study by USA Today. This same study also found that at least 25 coaches made over $2 million per season. Among the upper echelon of earners were Texas coach Mack Brown, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and Florida coach Urban Meyer, all of whom made more than $4 million. Furthermore, USA Today noted that salaries are also increasing for assistants and coordinators, with the highest-paid individuals making upward of $500,000 each season.

Bottom College Coaching Salaries

Lower-tier coaching salaries for college football vary dramatically. Coaches heading up division-II and division-III football programs generally make far less than their division-I counterparts, but they still tend to pull in at least six figures. However, assistant coaches in such programs often fall down into the five-figure bracket.

Top High School Coaching Salaries

Many coaches in high school football work primarily as teachers while supplementing their income by coaching part-time. Despite making relatively modest money as teachers, experienced head coaches in top private-school programs can earn well over $100,000 per year for producing winning programs, according to a 2010 article by Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times.

Bottom High School Coaching Salaries

The U.S. Department of Labor lists the median annual wages of high school football coaches at approximately $28,500. However, the lowest-paid coaches in the country make less than $15,000 per season. For example, the Pittsburgh Tribune Review reported that the average annual compensation for head coaches in public and private schools in western Pennsylvania in 2008 was just $7,728.

References

• Forbes: The Highest-Paid Coaches In Sports
• Fox Sports: Big-Buck Coaches are Pricing Selves Out of NFL
• USA Today: College Football Coaches See Salaries Rise in Down Economy
• The Los Angeles Times: As Demand for High School Football Coaches Rise, Salaries Soar
• Pittsburgh Tribune Review: Coaching High School Football Won't Bring Riches
• The New York Times: Academic Vs. Football Coach Salaries

Resources

• US Department of Labor: Athletes, Coaches, Umpires, and Related Workers