How much do NFL scouts make? All you need to know about under-the-radar team employees

The importance of an NFL scout in the football landscape cannot be understated, as these individuals can make or break an organization with their recommendations.

Since NFL scouts scour the country and the world in search of talent, their salary reflects their effort. There are two categories of scouts in the NFL, and both types earn different salaries. The directors of scouting for NFL teams make between $95,000 and $275,000 per year. Then there are the road scouts that make around $20,000 to $95,000 depending on their experience and the caliber of the team they work for.

What do NFL scouts do?

Directors of scouting are executives, and with that comes team management responsibilities. They oversee road scouts and analyze and compile various reports to make crucial recommendations to head coaches, general managers, and other top-ranking staff.

Most road scouts work either the pros or college football but not both. They are tasked with doing the footwork, so these professionals spend much more time in the field watching players and considering talent. They feed data to desk scouts and directors.

They scour college teams at all levels (Divisions I, II, and III) and high school football players to identify talent.

Do you need to go to school to be an NFL scout?

Going to school isn't necessary for scouting, but it's a plus if you are a college graduate in sports management or a related field.

It's also critical that scouts in the NFL and any American sports league have excellent skills in statistics and math. Their evaluations and scouting reports are made up of mainly statistical analyses.

What is the job market like for NFL scouts in 2023?

According to the USA Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for scouts is rising significantly. Scout jobs are expected to grow 26 percent between 2020 and 2030, which is substantially faster than the national average for American jobs.

Top scouts in the NFL in 2023

Here's a brief list of the top evaluators in the National Football League; they are the golden standard for Pro Football scouting.

1. Alonzo Highsmith, Green Bay Packers
2. Bill DeKraker, Dallas Cowboys
3. Blake Beddingfield, Tennessee Titans
4. Brian Gardner, Tennessee Titans
5. Chris Grier, Miami Dolphins
6. Jim Abrams, Dallas Cowboys
7. Kyle O'Brien, Jacksonville Jaguars
8. Mike Martin, Houston Texans
9. Shaun Herock, Las Vegas Raiders