How Much Does A Soccer Coach Earn?

How do I find the right team?

Coaches who are at the top of their game easily earn eight figures. Being a soccer coach can be a very lucrative job, but anyone wanting to be a coach for this reason should think again. The chances of being able to live off of a coach’s salary are very slim.

Our article focuses on soccer trainers in the lower German leagues. We published a survey online a few years again, in which 10,000 coaches participated. The result will surprise you!

We would love to hear reports from other countries. Write a few sentences and send them to us, we would be happy to publish your story.

What do Germany’s children’s, youth and seniors’ coaches earn in club soccer?

1. What do soccer coaches earn?

To be frank: anyone looking to earn a living as a football coach should leave it be. It’s the wrong motivation; a soccer coach should be an idealist – otherwise you’ll give up the job in frustration.

Of course, the financial situation can change quickly, if you are a hard-working trainer who progresses well over the years. Training as a coach and participating in continuing education form the prerequisite for future earnings.

What’s the reality like?

Most basic coaches earn between 0 euro and 20 euro each month. It is also not unheard of for a coach to have to buy balls and other necessities; but clubs where this happens should rethink their situation. Lots of clubs organize a party for coaches and advisors with free food and drink. That doesn’t have to be everything; there are other ways of rewarding people:

- Reduced or no membership fees - Reimbursing traveling expenses - Hourly pay - Donation receipt for the tax bureau - A free outfit (jogging suit, jacket, etc.) - Subsidies for licensed coaches - Paying for coach training and continuing education

If we look at the financial options from a club’s perspective, an obolus for a specific time period, reimbursing travel expenses and an hourly wage are cost-intensive. Many clubs cannot afford this.

Reducing the membership fee doesn’t cost anything, but it means that no money is coming in either.

A donation receipt doesn’t cost anything, but the clubs must make sure they abide by certain tax regulations.

The cost of providing a free outfit is often carried by the sponsor and licensed coaches often receive a subsidy from the German Soccer Association.

Clubs often need this money to survive. If not, the subsidy is often paid to the coach, either partially or in full.

By covering the costs of coach training and continuing education, clubs want to reach a higher standard of quality for their coaches. Higher quality means more members; but is that always the case:

The amount of expense allowances for coaches depends on different factors:

- The club’s financial situation - Age and/or player grage of the team being coaches - Region - A coach’s education level

Most clubs pay much more to train seniors than children’s or youth teams. If you join the right club, you can quickly earn a four-digit sum each month, even in the lower leagues. A, B and C youth teams and especially in higher leagues, the pay can be a lot more generous than in children’s soccer.

2. How do I find the right team?

A lot of things have already been mentioned. You often know the clubs in your region and it is recommended to not say yes straight away, if you are asked to be a coach. This often happens to fathers who are standing on the edge of the pitch one minute, and are the coach the next. Our tip: have a long conversation and discover the club’s options. How much assistance can they offer and how are coaches “paid”? The working conditions should be right, even if no money changes hands.

The fun and excitement that children have is very rewarding, but it can’t hurt to keep the financial situation in mind. Soccer depends on volunteers and that is why the job is celebrated every year. But soccer is also a million-euro business that also profits from the great, complimentary work that lower league coaches perform.

Unfortunately, the coach’s „employers“ aren’t always in a good state. That is why a lot of idealism is important; the clubs could not survive otherwise.