Also called: Talent Scout, Area Scout
Evaluates players to help teams decide whom to draft, sign, or trade for.
A scout drives across a region watching high school and college games, filing detailed reports on prospects. They talk to coaches and families, and compare players with stats and video. Baseball scouts can watch over 100 games a season.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 6 years after high school. Often former players or coaches; bachelor's degree common; scouting schools exist.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Sports Management, Kinesiology, Statistics.
Growing faster than average (about 6% over 10 years). Analytics are changing scouting, but in-person evaluation remains.
Medium risk for 10 years. Data and AI video tools now rank prospects and cut travel; judging character, makeup and context stays human, with fewer scouts.
Classes: Statistics, Physical education, Psychology.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-2022.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.