Hi I plan to have a future career in the golf industry and I was just wondering if anyone could give me a ballpark estimate of a salary for a class A PGA Professional . Thanks

Hard to say......they are ALL over the "ballpark".......

Clubs use to give the professional a small salary (24k or less), lessons, 100% of the golf shop, range, bag storage + 10% of green fee's/carts.......that was more or less the "standard" and any good professional could turn that into 150k + per year.......Some guy's had better deals and made TREMENDOUS amounts of money.........250k +........with some municipal professionals who owned the golf carts making 500k plus......those days are about over......

In the past 25 years things have changed quite a bit......CCA re-invented the "game" by purchasing "distressed" clubs/courses.....cutting overhead drastically......and making a profit from what once was a losing facility. CCA took EVERYTHING away from MOST of their golf staff and simply paid them a salary.......good CCA jobs paid upwards of 100k plus with some "perks".......MOST paid 50k or less with much smaller "perks"......depended on the club/course.......and this was for the HEAD professional.....

So, with that being said, a LOT of clubs/courses have followed the CCA "lead" and done similar things to boost OVERALL revenue with MANY of them cutting the head professional's revenues......in some cases DRASTICALLY.......there are still quite a few "good" job's available, almost ALWAYS at private, MEMBER owned, country clubs. Some "municipal" city job's are still pretty good with the head golf professional able to make 150k +.......

However, with the number of starving and ambitious assistants growing everyday more and more clubs/courses are hiring guy's who are desperate for a head job for 50k - 60k in salary with some small "bonus" money available.......Just a guesstimate, but, I'd say these type of jobs are 75k jobs with some professionals who TEACH a LOT making 100k +/-........

In summary, do NOT make $$$$$ the reason you get into the golf business.......do NOT think you'll "get paid to play golf and teach".......as an assistant be prepared to work 70 hour weeks and have Monday's off, maybe, for 18k - 30k per year........and remember the old cliche' in the golf business pertaining to head golf professionals....."IF a head professional does his job he'll piss off 10% of the membership each year with his decisions....rather right or wrong......so after about 4 years you'd better start lookin'...." (NOT quite that bad, but, it IS a very tough "political" position in most instances)

I'm NOT trying to scare you away from the golf business.......just let you know the "reality" in MOST instances........

Completely depends on location and the agreement between the course and Pro. The best, excluding the big names like Harmon, are making over 100k after their teaching commission is included. The other side of the spectrum is a lot lower, in the 20s.

I think you need to define what you're looking for in a job as a Class A so people can give you a better idea. Would you preferr to teach all day and make your money off commission, or would you preferr to be a pro at a Country club and teach once a day and four times on the weeked, relying mostly on your salary?

""....."IF a head professional does his job he'll piss off 10% of the membership each year with his decisions....rather right or wrong......so after about 4 years you'd better start lookin'...." (NOT quite that bad, but, it IS a very tough "political" position in most instances)""

You are 110% right on that! I used to work for one of the best head pro's I've ever seen at an upscale private club and no matter how great of a job he did there was always someone who wasn't happy. That's why I got out of the golf business.....ever work a job where you have 400 bosses????

One more thing to think about...

If you want to be a golf professional because you love to play golf...you might as well forget it.

As an assistant, you'll work from sunup to sundown (if there are only a couple of you)...

The head professional job is much more of a business executive job now than it used to be. Not a lot of golf involved. The Head Pro/Director of Golf at the club that I play at here in Nashville is one of the best swingers of the golf club that I have ever seen and he plays MAYBE twice a year...


The old saying goes: "If you want to play a lot of golf, never get into the golf business..."

have to agree with most of whats been said here. just started working as an asst. pro this summer and ive my weeks thus far have only been around 55hrs....only...anyway, ive been fortunate enough to be able to play in the early mornings before i start working. i probably wont be making more than 1500-2000 /month. and our season will only run through about october, if we're lucky, and after that my offseason hours will be drastically cut. if you're honestly thinking about getting into the golf business, just be prepared to put in a lot of hours for not the best pay on the planet.

If you want money, golf and to be in the golf business...try the sales end on the business. The pay is better and so are the hours. Head Club pros you are working 70 hours a week and you will never to to a fourth a july picknic for the rest of your life...

Sales side however, has more fexible hours and depending on who you work for you can make so REAL good $$$$. Its not all peaches and creme though, the best paycheck may not be the best company to work for because these are highly coveted jobs and they know you are expendible and they treat you that way. Thats why the mid sized companies are the best to work for, they need you and they pay well enough. I know the base for some of the mid-sized companies for company guys (not independents) starts at about $50,000-$60,000 (depending on where in the country you are) plus commision.