9781422270691

from endorsements and other business deals. Top managers of professional sports teams can earn $5 million or more a year, and sports executives can earn anywhere from $100,000 to more than $1 million annually. Salaries for the remaining workers in the sports industry mirror the earnings of workers in “real world” industries such as health care, manufacturing, marketing, and engineering. With that said, earnings for many sports professionals are higher than those paid to workers in other jobs outside of sports. For example, workers in business and financial professions earn a median annual wage of $76,570, according to the US Department of Labor (DOL). This is higher than the median annual wage for all occupations of $45,760. Health care practitioners and workers in occupations such as physical therapy earn $75,040. Those in media and communication occupations make a median annual salary of $62,340. On the other hand, workers in some professions—such as stadium vendors and retail sales workers— earn salaries that are lower than the median annual wage for all workers. Many people break into the sports industry by working in these careers and obtain additional education to become eligible for higher-level positions. Employment in entertainment and sports occupations is projected to grow 13 percent from 2021 to 2031, according to the DOL. This is much faster than the average for all occupations. The DOL includes the following careers in this prediction: athletes and sports competitors; coaches and scouts; and umpires, referees, and other sports officials. Here is the employment outlook in various jobs for people who also work in the sports industry: • building and grounds cleaning: as fast as the average • business and financial: as fast as the average • computer and information technology (IT): much faster than the average

14

Getting Started: Careers in Sports