Average Salary

• Average salaries for swim coaches vary widely by the size of the team, with large teams of 200 or more swimmers commanding a payroll proportionate to their size. Many smaller programs, such as master's programs offered by recreation districts, employ workers who handle coaching duties in addition to other aquatic duties. Swim coaches earn an average salary of $30,000 annually as of July 2011, according to Indeed.com. Salaries vary widely, however, as the American Swimming Coaches' Association reported 34 percent of coaches employed between 1992 and 2002 received between $26,000 and $35,000 annually, while 23 percent earned between $50,000 and $80,000 per year.
  
  

Average Advertised Salary

• Because of the relatively small number of swim coach positions in any area, finding a top-paying head coach position on a large team may be difficult without previous experience as an assistant coach for the same team. Advertised salaries were considerably less than those reported by the ASCA, averaging $28,100 annually as of July 2011, according to SalaryQuest.com. The highest advertised salary reported was $42,000, and the lowest advertised salary was $22,000 annually. Of the 20 listed salaries, 13 were between $30,000 and $33,280.
  
  

Salaries by Region

• Areas that have stronger swimming programs, and therefore more swimmers and a higher expectation for the coaches, may pay higher salaries than areas that don't produce many competitive swimmers. Coaches in Miami received the highest average annual salary, earning $61,373 as of July 2011, according to Salary Expert. That salary dwarfed the second-highest average salary, $44,518 in Atlanta. Of the 10 cities Salary Expert surveyed, half reported average salaries between $31,107 and $40,424.
  
  

Benefits

• As in many fields, swim teams entice the best coaches with compensation beyond annual salary. More than a third of coaches, 36 percent, receive paid vacations, according to the American Swim Coaches' Association. Major medical coverage is relatively common, with 69 percent of coaches receiving it, and 15 percent receive dental coverage. Nearly all, 89 percent, receive at least $500 annually to cover professional development and other educational expenses.