Life coach

About this occupation

Life coaches help clients set clear objectives for their personal development and help them achieve their goals and personal vision. They provide counselling and guidance and establish progress reports in order to keep track of their clients' achievements.

• Develop rehabilitation plans that fit clients' aptitudes, education levels, physical abilities, and career goals.
• Confer with clients to discuss their options and goals so that rehabilitation programs and plans for accessing needed services can be developed.
• Prepare and maintain records and case files, including documentation, such as clients' personal and eligibility information, services provided, narratives of client contacts, or relevant correspondence.
• Locate barriers to client employment, such as inaccessible work sites, inflexible schedules, or transportation problems, and work with clients to develop strategies for overcoming these barriers.
• Analyze information from interviews, educational and medical records, consultation with other professionals, and diagnostic evaluations to assess clients' abilities, needs, and eligibility for services.
• Monitor and record clients' progress to ensure that goals and objectives are met.

Preparation

Job Zone 5 of 5

Interests

Social, Enterprising, Investigative

Top skills: Active Listening, Speaking, Monitoring, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Service Orientation

US median pay: US$46,850 a year (2025), 94,740 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.

Subjects this work relies on

How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).

• PsychologyO*NET: PsychologyVery important (4.4)
• English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageVery important (4.1)
• SociologyO*NET: Sociology and AnthropologyImportant (3.3)
• Business Studies or EntrepreneurshipO*NET: Administration and ManagementImportant (3.0)

O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

Preparation needed

Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed

Education

Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Experience

Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Training

Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.