Sports coaches, instructors and officials: salary in the UK
About £24,712 a year after tax (England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2026/27)
median salary a year, full-time, -2.2% on last year
£2,453 a month About £2,059 a month after tax 20 thousand full-time jobs
Gross pay before tax, including bonuses, commission and overtime. Not included: benefits in kind such as a company car. About the data
Pay range
The dark part is the middle half of full-time employees (25% to 75%); the light bar runs from 10% to 90%. ONS doesn't publish the highest or lowest salary, and x means a figure wasn't published.
Pay by year
The median went from £22,452 in 2021 to £29,434 in 2026 (+31%); for all full-time employees in the UK it changed by +31% over the same years.
Figures by year
| P10 | P25 | Median | P75 | P90 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | x | £18,238 | £22,452 | x | x |
| 2022 | x | £21,767 | £25,970 | x | x |
| 2023 | x | £21,065 | £24,272 | x | x |
| 2024 | x | £23,211 | £26,690 | x | x |
| 2025 | x | £24,517 | £30,106 | x | x |
| 2026 | £20,740 | £24,842 | £29,434 | £35,225 | x |
ONS figures for each year, not adjusted for inflation. Years before 2021 used a different occupation classification, so they can't be compared. Earlier years are ONS's revised figures; the latest is provisional.
Half of full-time employees in this occupation earn less than £29,434 a year and half earn more. That is 28% less than the median for all full-time employees in the UK (£40,911).
The middle half earn between £24,842 and £35,225; one in ten earns less than £20,740.
Ranked by median, it is number 305 of the 362 occupations with a published figure.
The mean (£38,679) is well above the median: a minority in this job earn much more than most.
At the median salary, take-home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance is about £2,059 a month in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and £2,063 in Scotland.
The median for men is £29,300 and for women £29,950, a gap of 2% in women's favour. This compares full-time salaries only and doesn't account for seniority or hours.
Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (P10) | £20,740 | £1,728 |
| 20th | £23,823 | £1,985 |
| 25th (P25) | £24,842 | £2,070 |
| 30th | £26,263 | £2,189 |
| 40th | £27,812 | £2,318 |
| Median (50th) | £29,434 | £2,453 |
| 60th | £31,589 | £2,632 |
| 70th | £33,844 | £2,820 |
| 75th (P75) | £35,225 | £2,935 |
| 80th | x | x |
| 90th (P90) | x | x |
Men and women
| Median | Mean | Jobs (thousands) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | £29,300 | x | 14 |
| Women | £29,950 | £30,711 | 7 |
Take-home pay at the median
| Where you live | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales, NI | £24,712 | £2,059 |
| Scotland | £24,752 | £2,063 |
After Income Tax and National Insurance for 2026 to 2027, with the standard tax code and no pension or student loan. Work out your own take-home pay · Take-home pay on £29,000
Job titles in this occupation
ONS codes these 70 job titles to SOC 3432 Sports coaches, instructors and officials. Pay figures are for the whole occupation, not for each title.
- Activity instructor
- Balloon pilot
- Basketball coach
- Carriage driving instructor
- Climbing instructor
- Coach
- Cricket coach
- Cricket scorer
- Development officer
- Equestrian coach
- Esports administrator
- Esports coach
- Esports referee
- Football coach
- Football referee
- Football scout
- Forest school leader
- Forest school practitioner
- Gliding instructor
- Golf coach
- Gymnastics coach
- Handicapper
- Horse riding instructor
- Ice skating coach
- Instructor
- Judge
- Karate instructor
- Leisure officer
- Manager
- Martial arts instructor
- Netball coach
- Outdoor activities instructor
- Outdoor education instructor
- Outdoor education worker
- Outdoor instructor
- Outdoor pursuits instructor
- Outdoor pursuits leader
- Outdoors development trainer
- Outward bound tutor
- Racecourse official
- Recreation officer
- Referee
- Riding instructor
- Riding master
- Riding teacher
- Rugby coach
- Sailing instructor
- Scuba instructor
- Shooting coach
- Shooting instructor
- Signalman
- Ski instructor
- Sport development officer
- Sports agent
- Sports coach
- Sports coordinator
- Sports development officer
- Sports official
- Steward
- Swim coach
Show all 70 titles
- Swim instructor
- Swim teacher
- Swimming coach
- Swimming instructor
- Swimming teacher
- Teacher
- Team manager
- Tennis coach
- Trainer
- Umpire
Similar occupations
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Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2026 provisional, Table 14.7a (full-time employees, gross annual pay, UK, tax year ending 5 April 2026). Provisional figures may be revised.