A degree in sport performance psychology can be the start of a wide variety of sport psychology careers. By utilizing the tenets of mind-body science, a graduate with an M.S. in Sport Performance Psychology has the qualifications to optimize the performance of their future clients with research and science. An M.S. in Sport Performance Psychology can assist you in pursuing or enhancing your career along these five paths:
- Head Coach
- Personal Trainer
- Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES)
- Academia
- Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC)
What Is a Sport Performance Psychology Degree?
A sport performance psychology degree is an education program built on maximizing an athlete’s competitive execution by enhancing their mind and body. The M.S. in Sport Performance Psychology prepares students to analyze a patient’s performance and health levels and then scientifically optimize them based on their knowledge and skills.
Utilizing traditional mind-body sciences combined with psychophysiology, Saybrook graduates have a deep understanding of how the brain and body work together, and how that can influence overall sports performance. This is an ideal field of study for someone looking to work with athletes, artists, military personnel, and performers.
Head Coach
A head coach of any sports team is responsible for planning and managing team development during competitions, providing feedback to players on their performance, recruiting other team members if needed, maintaining equipment, and reserving practice space, all while enforcing good sportsmanship.
Head coaches can work with youth, collegiate, or professional athletes at various levels. The years of experience and education required are determined by the age and competition level of the team. Most employers require head coaches to have a bachelor’s degree in a related field. Some sports, such as soccer, require multiple-level licensing as well as certifications in CPR and first aid. Some programs may require coaches to further their sports education, e.g., obtaining a football certification.
How Much Does a Head Coach Make?
The national average salary for a head coach is $44,890, according to USN.
*Data gathered in 2023.
Personal Trainer
As an expert in personal wellness and exercise, a personal trainer works with clients, either during individual sessions or during semi-private group sessions, to help them achieve their fitness goals. These fitness goals can range from bodybuilding to having a desired body mass index (BMI). A good personal trainer develops a relationship with clients and works together with them to flesh out realistic fitness goals, making sure clients are both happy with their results and are seeing an improvement in their health.
Personal trainers may have the freedom to work in a wide variety of settings, such as local or regional gyms, personal studios, fitness centers, or even at the client’s home. Besides helping their clients to perfect their form and push them to work their hardest (within reason), personal trainers will also help their clients focus on more long-term goals, such as setting up a diet that works with their desired lifestyle and creating a workout schedule that can show their desired results.
How Much Does a Personal Trainer Make?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, fitness trainers make an average of $46,480 a year. The job outlook for personal trainers is expected to grow by 14% by 2033, which is much faster than the average job growth rate.
*Data gathered in 2023.
Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES)
Someone with certification as a Performance Enhancement Specialist becomes an expert in athletic training, having knowledge of performance exercise techniques. As a specialized coach, a PES goes beyond the standard workout regimens, diving deeper into athletic performance testing and training to bring your clients to the next level of performance.
Not only will you focus on the physical aspect of performance, but you will also work closely with your clients to work on their diet and even the psychological aspects of their motivation. A performance enhancement specialist uses knowledge from sport psychology to help clients overcome personal struggles that go beyond the gym, so they can work to be the best version of themselves.
How Much Does a Performance Enhancement Specialist Make?
The national average salary is $68,249, according to ZipRecruiter.
*Data gathered in 2025.
Sport and Performance Psychology Academia
A career in sports and psychology doesn’t always mean you have to work in a gym or with clients on the track. Getting a degree in sport performance psychology can be the start of a long and successful career in academia. With this degree as a stepping stone to graduate school, you can work in a variety of fields, helping to expand and teach the next generation of professional athletic trainers who are pushing the boundaries of professional athleticism.
As a professor in sport performance psychology, you have the opportunity to receive grants and funding to help push your own passions and interests in the field of sports performance by conducting independent research that could potentially help to advance the field and change the way professional athletes train and look at performance.
How Much Does a Professor Make?
The national average salary for a university professor is $84,380, according to the BLS.* According to the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, the median compensation for mental performance work in academia was $105,000 a year.**
*Data gathered in 2023.
**Data gathered in 2020.
Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC)
With a master’s degree or doctorate in sports psychology and national-level certification from the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, a certified mental performance consultant (CMPC) helps clients focus on their personal and professional goals.
CMPCs work with athletes and other professional performers to overcome personal struggles that they feel are getting in the way of their performance. This can range from psychological barriers (such as performance anxiety, mental exhaustion, or depression) to more physical issues (recovering from an injury or a desired increase in mobility). Using the skills acquired during their studies at Saybrook, a CMPC’s career in sports psychology can be both rewarding and challenging.
How Much Does a Certified Mental Performance Consultant Make?
According to the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, the median income for CMPCs is $85,000 a year.
*Data gathered in 2020.
Pursuing a Sport Performance Psychology Job
As a school that focuses on the nuanced complexities of human beings, Saybrook has celebrated more than 50 years of success, creating a positive impact in the lives of both our students and their future patients. Developing a range of skills from biofeedback to athletic counseling, a graduate of Saybrook’s M.S. in Sport Performance Psychology is prepared for a range of comprehensive careers in and out of sports psychology. Do you want to help change people’s lives through science? Learn more today.
Graduates may also be interested in pursuing a doctorate in Applied Psychophysiology, Mind-Body Medicine, Integrative and Functional Nutrition, or similar programs.
| Career Path | Head Coach | Personal Trainer | PES | Academia | CMPC |
| Minimum Degree Needed | Bachelor’s or Master’s | Master’s degree | Master’s degree | Master’s or Ph.D. | Master’s degree |
| Licensure or Certification Needed | May need certification or licensing | Certification may be necessary | N/A | N/A | Certification |
| Average Salary | $44,890* | $46,480* | $68,249** | $105,000*** | $85,000*** |
*Data gathered in 2023.
**Data gathered in 2025.
***Data gathered in 2020.
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