Athletes and Sports Competitors: Career Overview
Compete in athletic events.
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The Daily Work of Athletes and Sports Competitors Do?
The core tasks performed by athletes and sports competitors span:
- Assess performance following athletic competition, identifying strengths and weaknesses and making adjustments to improve future performance.
- Maintain equipment used in a particular sport.
- Attend scheduled practice or training sessions.
- Maintain optimum physical fitness levels by training regularly, following nutrition plans, or consulting with health professionals.
- Participate in athletic events or competitive sports, according to established rules and regulations.
- Exercise or practice under the direction of athletic trainers or professional coaches to develop skills, improve physical condition, or prepare for competitions.
- Receive instructions from coaches or other sports staff prior to events and discuss performance afterwards.
- Represent teams or professional sports clubs, performing such activities as meeting with members of the media, making speeches, or participating in charity events.
What Athletes and Sports Competitors Need to Know
Effective athletes and sports competitors rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Athletes and Sports Competitors Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- All Terrain Vehicle Racer (ATV Racer)
- Archer
- Athlete
- Automobile Racer (Auto Racer)
- BMX Rider (Bicycle Motocross Rider)
- Barrel Racer
- Baseball Pitcher
- Baseball Player
Job Outlook
There are roughly 228,195 athletes and sports competitors working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +7.1% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Athletes and Sports Competitors
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $39,714 |
| Hourly median | $19.09 |
| 10th percentile | $22,034 |
| 25th percentile | $30,874 |
| 75th percentile | $48,553 |
| 90th percentile | $57,393 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $214,630 |
| Utah | $178,920 |
| Texas | $94,660 |
| New York | $86,890 |
| Connecticut | $84,460 |
| Iowa | $77,960 |
| Indiana | $75,420 |
| Georgia | $72,130 |
| Missouri | $67,930 |
| Virginia | $63,250 |
| Wisconsin | $62,320 |
| Alabama | $61,670 |
| Kentucky | $57,060 |
| Tennessee | $56,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $51,340 |
| Florida | $45,570 |
| Oklahoma | $41,680 |
| Maine | $39,590 |
| Ohio | $36,750 |
| Kansas | $36,650 |
| Arizona | $33,640 |
Where Athletes and Sports Competitors Earn the Most
Pay for athletes and sports competitors vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $113,208 | 9.9% | 0.69 |
| Southwest | $94,660 | 11.6% | 1.07 |
| Rocky Mountains | $69,182 | 6.3% | 1.76 |
| New England | $61,301 | 2.6% | 1.81 |
| Plains States | $59,957 | 5.6% | 1.40 |
| Southeast | $44,504 | 45.3% | 3.26 |
| Great Lakes | $23,178 | 12.3% | 1.13 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $214,630 | 570 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | TX | $213,470 | 150 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | IN | $210,860 | 70 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | UT | $197,140 | 200 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | UT | $166,250 | 40 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | TX | $94,660 | 490 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | CT | $84,460 | 110 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | TX | $76,070 | 450 |
Which Industries Hire Athletes and Sports Competitors
The largest employers of athletes and sports competitors are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 13,850 | n/a |
| Educational Services | 280 | n/a |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 90 | n/a |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Athletes and Sports Competitors Use
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Web page creation and editing software: Facebook (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Oracle PeopleSoft (hot technology)
Work Environment
The work environment for athletes and sports competitors is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Level of Competition
- Contact With Others
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
How to Become Athletes and Sports Competitors
Most athletes and sports competitors positions require less than a high school diploma as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Training and Development Managers (Supplemental)
- Gambling Managers (Supplemental)
- Fitness and Wellness Coordinators (Supplemental)
- Training and Development Specialists (Primary-Long)
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary (Supplemental)
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Middle School (Supplemental)
- Career/Technical Education Teachers, Secondary School (Primary-Long)
- Self-Enrichment Teachers (Primary-Long)
Where to Study
Future athletes and sports competitors typically earn programs in:
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness Studies, and Kinesiology
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 27-2021.00 (Athletes and Sports Competitors).
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