Sports coaches, instructors and officials Pay Data UK — 2025

Sports coaches, instructors and officials roles in the UK earn a median of £33,500 per year, equivalent to £15.97 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 14.9% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £25,500 in East Midlands to £42,000 in London. Pay has risen over the past 4 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £30,108/yr (11% above our computed national average).

Labour Market

Employment figures from ONS Annual Population Survey (APS). Counts are estimates; suppressed cells (small samples) are excluded from totals.

Pay by Region

Annual pay for Sports coaches, instructors and officials across UK regions. The bar shows the typical pay range (25th–75th percentile); the diamond marks the median.

Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).

How Pay Has Changed Over Time

Annual pay grew by +14.9% from 2024 to 2025.

National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot. Shaded band shows 25th–75th percentile range.

Year-on-Year Pay Change

Annual percentage change in median pay for Sports coaches, instructors and officials.

Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.

About Sports coaches, instructors and officials

Sports coaches, instructors and officials work with amateur and professional sportsmen and women to enhance performance, encourage greater participation in sport, supervise recreational activities such as canoeing and mountaineering, and organise and officiate at sporting events according to established rules.

Typical Tasks and Duties

• coaches teams or individuals by demonstrating techniques and directing training and exercise sessions
• controls team selection and discipline and recruits ancillary staff such as coaches or physiotherapists
• monitors and analyses technique and performance, and determines how future improvements can be made
• deals with administrative aspects such as arranging matches, contests or appearances for athlete or team, and organising required transport and accommodation
• provides information and develops facilities to encourage greater participation in sport, and to enhance the standards of participants
• understands health and safety aspects of various activities and ensures any statutory requirements are met
• inspects and maintains specialised clothing and equipment
• manages the playing areas and competitors, starts race, competition or match and controls its progress according to established rules

Entry Routes and Qualifications

There are no formal academic requirements although individuals must have experience in their sport and the relevant coaching and refereeing qualifications. Applicants to coaching courses must normally be over 18 years old and hold a first-aid certificate. Some courses encompass coaching awards within broader programmes of study. Vocational qualifications in coaching are available in the context of certain sports. Background checks including a DBS check are required for those working with children.

Related Occupations

Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.