If you're a coach and you've made it to any position in the NFL, you're likely doing quite well. While head coaches obviously earn the most, offensive line coaches also earn big salaries. Because the salaries of NFL offensive line coaches aren't made public, some guesswork and research is required to estimate what these coaches earn.

Head Coaches Make Big Bucks

Pete Carroll, head coach of the Seattle Seahawks is thought to make $8 million annually. Bill Belichick, current head coach of the New England Patriots, earns a salary of $7.5 million. Mike Shanahan, head coach of the Washington Redskins, also makes $7.5 million annually.

These are some of the NFL's top earners, but even on the low end, head coaches in the NFL earn salaries in the low millions.

High Salaries for Assistant Coaches

A look at what some of the well paid college coaches earn can give us an idea of what an NFL offensive line coach makes.

The Chicago Tribune recently reported that in 2017, Michigan became the first public college football team paying assistant coaches $1 million and more in salary.

Tosh Lupoi, a defensive coach for Alabama now earns an annual salary of $950,000. This is reported to put Lupoi on the same earning level as coordinators in the NFL.

And two other Alabama assistant coaches earn even more. Defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt reportedly makes $1.3 million annually, and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll makes a whopping $1.2 million.

Average Coaching Salaries

While NFL coaches do quite well, whether they work as the head coach or an assistant coach, the average salary for coaches at all levels is low: $36,330 in 2020 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This number includes elementary, middle school, high school and college coaches. The median income for college coaches was higher, at $47,020. On the lowest end, elementary and secondary school coaches earned a median salary of $31,450 in May of 2020.

Job Outlook

The Bureau of Labor projects a growth in coaching jobs of 13 percent from 2016 to 2026, which is fast compared to most occupations. Competition is predicted to be high for many of these positions, particularly high school and college coaching positions.

Coaching is a job that can pay from very little to millions of dollars. Only a few coaches, however, ever reach the NFL. But even if you become an assistant coach for a college team, you can potentially earn a very high salary.