Coaches Salary Advice? What's the coach worth?

[Dr.Coach Psy.D]

What would a coach with more than 25 years experience in the gymnastics field be worth salary-wise?

Let's say that 11 of those years were spent training as a gymnast, and the other 14+ years are actual coaching experience. (has experience ranging from "mommy and me" to optional level coaching)

Let's also say that this coach is required to do about 10 meets a year, would be in charge of all levels of competitive team, teaches a few rec classes a week, and two preschool classes per week - so hours/week would be about 15 - and then meets on weekends when necessary.

We should probably factor into the mix the following:
* there are currently 214 paying students in the gym. 25 on team, the rest are class, rec or preschool kids.
*this coach has played a major roll in building the current business, which was almost non-existent 3 years ago (with a total of 41 class students and 6 on team)

This coach is currently paid at just above minimum wage (USD).




Anyone have any thoughts? Just wondering what would be a "fair" salary...

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I'd say about $500/hour sounds fair.

But perhaps I'm biased

 

[Dr.Coach Psy.D]

$500 an hour?! Wouldn't that be amazing? I wouldn't even know what to do with 500 an hour. I would probably be standing out on the streets handing out money to random people if I were making 500 an hour!

Honestly, though.

 

[gymnut29]

they deserve more than minimum wage thats for sure!

where i live.....northeast area

rec coaches: minimum wage to around $9 (new coaches not much experience amke minimum wage)

team coaches: $10-$20ish an hour and about $40 a meet session

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

$500 an hour?! Wouldn't that be amazing? I wouldn't even know what to do with 500 an hour. I would probably be standing out on the streets handing out money to random people if I were making 500 an hour!

Honestly, though.

Ok, a more serious answer: I don't know how much the other coaches at my gym get paid; all I can base my answer on is what I get paid.

I won't tell my exact salary, but it's between $10 and $15 an hour, and $50 per meet session. I have about 11 years of competitive experience, and 5 years coaching experience.

 

[gympanda]

I made around $15/hour just coaching Cheerleading tumbling, so I've always felt that should be around the minimum for an experienced gymnastics coach. I coach at a Y now, more for fun than anything as it is not my full time gig, and obviously get paid considerably less than that.

But, I always encourage coaches to look into judging. It pays considerably well! This information can all be found in the R&P, but for a Level 5-8 rated official the fee is $19.47/hour and just increases as the levels go up. I'm rated Level 10 and make $27.04/hour.

I always think of that when I judge a meet, then coach a meet. I'm doing considerably less work when I judge, but am getting paid considerably more to do it Go figure.

 

[gymcoach26]

What levels is this gym producing? Optionals? Elites? I have 10 years gymnastics experience and 3 years coaching and i make $15. Optional coaches at my gym make around $18-$22. This coach seems like they have done a large part in keeping the business going, so I'd say about $25.

 

[Mustanggal99]

Aren't y'all lucky

I am the gymnastics coordinator at a gym in south GA and I actually work for the government (we're a part of the parks and rec program for the county). Technically I get around $15 an hour... my staff gets anywhere from $10 an hour to minimum wage (and that was not my choice). The sad fact is that my co-team coach is one of the minimum wage employees... of course she's only 18- but was state champion in GA a few years ago.
I think the sport is a lot like teacher's salary- not paid as much as they're worth.

 

[flip4u]

This gym has approximately 250 students including about 20 team members (USAG and Rec combined).

Coach has approximately 10 years coaching experience (also a former competitive gymnast). Responsibilities include: Competitive team coach for L4-8. Recreational team coach for L4 and "optionals". Recreational instructor for intermediate gymnastics, but capable of instructing from mommy & me on up. Oversee developmental team program. Coach at approximately 8 USAG and 6 Rec meets per year.

Salary approximately $13.50/hr and $60/session for meets

 

[iluvgym]

I think it also depends where your gym is located. Our gym is in a larger metro area. Average salary would be $20-30 per hour for someone who not only did team (and ran the team program) but could also contribute to the business thru the preschool/rec program.. competitions pay at least $70 per session here as well.

In a smaller, less populated area, I've seen head coaches get paid much less than that, at around $17 per hour. So I think the cost of living where your gym is located has to be taken into account. Remember it's extremely hard to keep GOOD people, so if you have a loyal staff member who gets the job done, reward them for it!

 

[Aussie_coach]

Perhaps you should move to Australia. Here you would be paid around $25-$30 an hour.

 

[BlairBob]

I've seen some gyms try to run profit loss program for their team coaches as in the amount that team brings in should go 50/50 to coach payroll and gym and ratios like 80/20 in rec.

Also, we don't really know what area are you in. Can you state general part of the US (southeast, California, New York, Texas, etc) without giving up the location of the gym.

It sounds like I need to move to Australia.

Above minimum wage sounds ridiculous for someone who is the Head Team Coach plus working as management. 15 hours a week doesn't sound like they are completely running team if they are also coaching 4 rec classes that equate to 3.5 hours. Well, maybe but 12 hours doesn't sound like a lot of hours for optionals; but that depends on program focus.

 

[iluvgym]

I'm in California, which has a pretty high cost of living, so to make anything less than $20 per hour you wouldn't be able to support yourself, lol.

I've seen some gyms try to run profit loss program for their team coaches as in the amount that team brings in should go 50/50 to coach payroll and gym and ratios like 80/20 in rec.

Also, we don't really know what area are you in. Can you state general part of the US (southeast, California, New York, Texas, etc) without giving up the location of the gym.

It sounds like I need to move to Australia.

Above minimum wage sounds ridiculous for someone who is the Head Team Coach plus working as management. 15 hours a week doesn't sound like they are completely running team if they are also coaching 4 rec classes that equate to 3.5 hours. Well, maybe but 12 hours doesn't sound like a lot of hours for optionals; but that depends on program focus.