Lea County’s 35 coaches earned an average salary of $63,589 in 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
This is the fifth highest average salary per county earned by coaches at New Mexico post-secondary schools during 2024.
Lea County is home to two post-secondary schools that paid coaches during 2024. Among them, New Mexico Junior College stood out with the highest average coaching salary of $77,693.
Male coaches of men’s teams received $57,341 on average in Lea County, while female coaches in charge of women’s teams earned an average of $55,214.
College football is one of the biggest sports in the U.S., with some college teams eclipsing NFL teams in terms of attendance and profit.
College athletes can now be paid directly by schools after a settlement approved in early July, which also requires the NCAA to pay $2.8 billion in back damages over 10 years to athletes who played from 2016 to the present.Â
In 2022, after years of legal and legislative pressure, athletes also gained the right to profit from their names, images and likenesses through state laws and an NCAA policy change.
| Institution | Salary |
|---|---|
| New Mexico Junior College | $77,693 |
| University of the Southwest | $32,818 |
Information in this story was obtained from the U.S. Department of Education. The source data can be found here.
