What is a scout and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

Scouts are unified by their ability to find stuff, although what they're looking for depends on the industry. For example, athletic scouts discover new talent in their sport of choice and recruit players to join their team. They do this by reviewing footage and attending matches. Talent scouts discover potential star actors and models. On a far more serious note, military scouts conduct reconnaissance missions and gather information to help their superiors create battleplans.

Scouts need to be highly observant and knowledgeable about the latest developments in the industry to find the breakthroughs that they are looking for. They also need to be excellent communicators with the rest of their team to make sure that their relevant information is used properly.

The qualifications to become a scout depend on their industry. A Cavalry Scout for the army needs to complete basic and specialized training. An athletic scout often needs a bachelor's degree in a sports-related subject and certification as a scout. Scouts make an average salary of $53,141 a year, but this could vary widely from industry to industry.

ScoreScoutUS Average
Salary
4.6

Avg. Salary $58,288

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
8.0

Growth Rate 20%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.9
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%

Asian 5.46%

Black or African American 8.94%

Hispanic or Latino 13.31%

Unknown 5.92%

White 66.14%

Gender

female 19.30%

male 80.70%

Age - 34
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 34
Stress Level
8.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.4

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
7.3

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Scout career paths

Key steps to become a scout

  1. Explore scout education requirements

    Most common scout degrees

    Bachelor's

    60.3 %

    High School Diploma

    15.1 %

    Associate

    13.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific scout skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Combat21.25%
    BSA9.55%
    Student Athletes9.39%
    Weapon Systems7.75%
    CPR6.15%
  3. Complete relevant scout training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New scouts learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a scout based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real scout resumes.
  4. Research scout duties and responsibilities

    • Lead in PTA efforts to recognize school staff by planning events and organize and plan monthly appreciation gifts.
    • Maintain and operate M2 and M60 machine guns, M1911 pistol, M16A1.
    • Eagle project: design and construct a custom basketball scoring station which are then donate to a local church's gym
    • Hood, TX as the training NCO.
  5. Prepare your scout resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your scout resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a scout resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Scout Resume templates

    Build a professional Scout resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Scout resume.
    Scout Resume
    Scout Resume
    Scout Resume
    Scout Resume
    Scout Resume
    Scout Resume
    Scout Resume
    Scout Resume
    Scout Resume
    Scout Resume
    Scout Resume
    Scout Resume
    Scout Resume
    Scout Resume
    Scout Resume
    Scout Resume
  6. Apply for scout jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a scout job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Scout Job

Zippi

Are you a Scout?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average scout salary

The average Scout salary in the United States is $58,288 per year or $28 per hour. Scout salaries range between $28,000 and $118,000 per year.

Average Scout Salary
$58,288 Yearly
$28.02 hourly

What Am I Worth?

Loading...
Loading...
salary-calculator

How do scouts rate their job?

5/5

Based On 1 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Scout reviews

profile
5.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Pros

I have about 35-36 years experience as a baseball coach, a lot of baseball. it’s like time travel times and I see a lot of good kids come through


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019
Pros

my dream is to be a college baseball scout i work for the rancho cucamonga quakes baseball i have over 25 years of baseball knowledge

Cons

none


Working as a Scout? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall Rating*
Career Growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse arts, entertainment, sports, and media jobs