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(Assistant / Associate / Executive / Teaching / Tournament) Professional, Educator, Head Pro, Instructor
In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.
The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used. Here is how this occupation has been classified over time:
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2006 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Interest in manipulating and assembling supplies and sports and game equipment; and in monitoring recreational and sports activities to ensure safety and provide emergency and first aid assistance when required
Interest in instructing groups and individuals in arts, crafts and similar activities; in leading groups and individuals in recreational and leisure programs, and in attending clients with special needs by conducting therapeutic recreational and athletic activities
Interest in co-ordinating information to plan recreational, athletic, fitness and sports programs
To identify or change your interest codes, complete the Interests Exercise in CAREERinsite.
The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation.
It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective, and Social.
Each set of 3 interest codes for this NOC group is listed in order of importance.
A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.
A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.
To fill in or change the values for your abilities, complete the Abilities Exercise in CAREERinsite.
A Quick Guide
You are born with abilities that help you process certain types of information and turn it into action. These abilities influence which skills you can learn more easily.
The abilities or aptitudes shown for this NOC group come from the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). The GATB measures 9 aptitudes. It groups them into 3 categories: mental, visual, and physical.
The abilities scores range from 1 to 5, with 5 being stronger.
Golf professionals are expert players who promote all aspects of the sport, including teaching. They provide services such as golf club cleaning, storing, and repairs, caddie service, and rentals of clubs and power carts. They also:
Golf pros who play in tournaments are called tournament professionals. Tournament professionals must be associated with a recognized golf tour.
Golf professionals work indoors in golf shops and outdoors playing and teaching. They may need to lift and carry heavy and bulky equipment. They often work long hours in summer, but most of the time they work 40-hour week. The work can be seasonal, from early spring to late fall. To ensure year-round employment, some golf pros develop other golf-related activities, such as indoor teaching, indoor driving ranges, or making custom golf clubs. Some have introduced winter sports to clubs, such as cross-country skiing.
Tournament professionals may play year-round, in Canada during the warmer months and in the southern United States during the winter months. An important part of their work is practicing many hours a day.
Golf professionals need:
They should enjoy taking a methodical approach to assembling and custom-fitting equipment. They should enjoy monitoring activities, teaching people, and planning programs.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2011 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
This chart shows which job skills are currently in highest demand for this occupational group. It was created using this occupation's 99 most recent Alberta job postings, collected between Feb 17, 2022 and Sep 29, 2022.
Review these skills to learn:
| Plan and carry out recreational, fitness and sports activities | 58 |
|---|---|
| Monitor recreational, sports or fitness activities to ensure safety and provide emergency or first aid assistance when required | 53 |
| Demonstrate and instruct athletic, fitness or sports activities and techniques | 52 |
| Personal Suitability: Reliability | 52 |
| Personal Suitability: Organized | 50 |
| Personal Suitability: Team player | 49 |
| Personal Suitability: Dependability | 49 |
| Leading/instructing individuals | 48 |
| Schedule activities, keep logs, maintain records and prepare reports | 48 |
| Personal Suitability: Effective interpersonal skills | 48 |
The Professional Golfers’ Association of Alberta recommends that aspiring golf professionals develop skills in:
Additionally, they should learn club house management, turf care, and pro shop merchandising skills.
As well as exceptional golfing skills, golf pros need strong business skills. Most employers prefer to hire members of the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) of Canada. Membership requires completion of the PGA Training Academy program, which has partnered with 3 post-secondary programs in Canada.
For more information about membership requirements and registration, visit the PGA of Canada website.
The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter the field.
To expand or narrow your search for programs related to this occupation, visit Post-Secondary Programs.
Completing a program does not guarantee entrance into an occupation. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should look into various sources for education options and employment possibilities. For example, contact associations and employers in this field.
There is currently no provincial legislation regulating this occupation in Alberta.
Golf professionals working at facilities in Canada must give up their amateur status. Visit the Golf Canada website for more information.
Golf professionals work for golf clubs, golf courses, driving ranges, and golf retail shops. After completing an apprenticeship, it may take up to 10 years to secure a position as a head golf professional.
Once employed, golf professionals may advance from assistant professional to associate, head, and executive professional. They may become general managers, which means overseeing clubhouse operations and possibly golf course maintenance. Or they may open their own driving ranges or specialty golf shops.
Golf professionals are part of the larger 2011 National Occupational Classification 5254: Program leaders and instructors in recreation, sport and fitness. In Alberta, 75% of people employed in this classification work in the following industries:
The employment outlook [pdf] in this occupation is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
In Alberta, the 5254: Program leaders and instructors in recreation, sport and fitness occupational group is expected to have an average annual growth of 1.9% from 2019 to 2023. In addition to job openings created by employment turnover, 270 new positions are forecasted to be created within this occupational group each year.
Note
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For example, only some of the new positions to be created will be for this occupation. It also applies to other data for the NOC group such as number of people employed.
Source: Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.
Salaries vary with an individual’s experience and between different employers.
According to PGA of Alberta’s 2018-2019 Membership Compensation Survey, Class A registered golf professionals earned, on average, $46,920 per year. Head professionals averaged $87,189 per year.
Private clubs may pay golf professionals more than public facilities.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Unless otherwise noted, the data shown here is for all industries and all regions in Alberta.
All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production), and other forms of compensation.
To see the full survey data for this NOC group, visit the wage profile.
Other wage sources
To make an informed wage and salary decision, research other wage sources [pdf] to supplement this data.
Good Reliability, represents a CV of between 6.01% and 15.00% and/or fewer than 30 survey observations and/or if survey observations represent less than 50% of all estimated employment for the occupation.
| Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $15.00 | $28.00 | $17.69 | $16.00 |
| Overall | $15.20 | $35.00 | $20.15 | $18.39 |
| Top | $16.80 | $38.93 | $24.19 | $22.50 |
Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.
* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
Pay brackets for hourly wages
| Public Administration | $31,738 |
|---|---|
| Health Care & Social Assistance | $29,349 |
| Educational Services | $23,826 |
| Accommodation & Food Services | $21,925 |
| ALL INDUSTRIES | $19,502 |
| Information, Culture, Recreation | $16,959 |
Canadian Society of Club Managers (CSCM) website: cscm.org
Golf Canada website: golfcanada.ca
Professional Golfers’ Association of Alberta website: www.pgaofalberta.com
Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) of Canada website: www.pgaofcanada.com
Get information and referrals about career, education, and employment options from Alberta Supports.
Updated Mar 31, 2020. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.