Optional · 1 of 3

Credentials that raise your pay

• Strength and conditioning certification

  The clearest route to a salaried college or professional job, and it needs a degree behind it.

• A teaching license

  For high school work this is the single most useful qualification, because it turns a stipend into a full time income.

• Higher coaching licenses in your sport

  The top levels in soccer, swimming and track take years and open club and college doors.

• Athletic administration

  Athletic director roles are salaried, year round, and the usual next step out of coaching.