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Physical Education & Coaching Major

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Physical Education & Coaching

5,830 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
1,717 Master's Degrees Annually
#4 in Popularity
$62,030 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Physical Education & Coaching Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many physical education teaching and coaching graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree 5,830
Master’s Degree 1,717
Basic Certificate 247
Associate Degree 166
Graduate Certificate 102
Undergraduate Certificate 31
Doctor’s Degree 28

What Physical Education & Coaching Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to physical education teaching were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Physical Education Teaching Majors

Physical Education Teaching majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

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  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Physical Education Teaching Majors

A major in physical education teaching prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

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  • Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

Abilities for Physical Education Teaching Majors

Physical Education Teaching majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

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  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Physical Education & Coaching Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with physical education teaching:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Coaches and Scouts 12.9% $33,780
Education Professors 10.3% $64,780
Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors 10.0% $39,820
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 7.5% $58,600
Recreation and Fitness Studies Professors 9.7% $62,620
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 7.5% $60,320

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education & Coaching?

5,830 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
44% Percent Women
36% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This major tends to be male dominated. About 56% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of physical education teaching majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 116
Black or African American 952
Hispanic or Latino 771
White 3,533
International Students 96
Other Races/Ethnicities 362

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Physical Education Teaching, too. About 1.6% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Physical Education & Coaching Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $44,580 to $72,190 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to physical education teaching. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for a Physical Education & Coaching Major  ( 44580 to 72190 )
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250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some degrees associated with physical education teaching may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to physical education teaching have obtained the following education levels.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma 0.7%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 2.6%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 5.1%
Some College Courses 1.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 7.3%
Bachelor’s Degree 37.3%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 6.0%
Master’s Degree 16.0%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 1.3%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. 0.6%
Doctoral Degree 22.0%
Post-Doctoral Training 0.0%

Online Physical Education & Coaching Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 591 schools offered some type of physical education teaching and coaching program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 11 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 1 0
Associate’s Degree 48 4
Bachelor’s Degree 27 5
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 138 25
Post-Master’s 4 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 13 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 1 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Physical Education & Coaching Worth It?

The median salary for a physical education teaching grad is $62,030 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 55% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $442,600 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to physical education teaching.

Major Number of Grads
Reading Teacher Education 6,490
Music Education 4,761
Mathematics Education 3,395
English & Language Arts Education 3,113
Other Teacher Education & Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas 2,335
Social Studies Education 1,968
Art Education 1,837
Health Education 1,801
Science Education 1,371
Agricultural Teacher Education 1,130
Biology Education 865
History Education 804
Trade & Industrial Teacher Education 715
Technology Education 575
Social Science Teacher Education 474
Technical Teacher Education 462
Spanish Education 457
School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist 370
Modern Language Education 338
Drama & Dance Education 293
Family & Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education 286
Chemistry Education 238
Computer Teacher Education 217
Business and Innovation/Entrepreneurship Teacher Education 185
Earth Science Teacher Education 169
Physics Education 152
Environmental Education 96
Speech Teacher Education 68
French Language Teacher Education 55
Driver & Safety Teacher Education 55
Health Occupations Teacher Education 48
Communication Arts and Literature Teacher Education 22
Distributive Education 11
German Language Teacher Education 8
Psychology Teacher Education 5
Latin Teacher Education 4
Geography Teacher Education 3

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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