Athletes and Sports Competitors: salary, outlook & degrees
Compete in athletic events.
Middle half $36,790–$109,880. 15,070 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
63% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $52,503.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 2,200 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Some preparation.
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Fitness Parks Recreation And Leisure | 11% | Kinesiology / Exercise Science · Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies |
| General Business | 9% | Business |
| Business Management And Administration | 7% | Business Administration |
| Communications | 6% | Communications · Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other |
| Criminal Justice And Fire Protection | 6% | Criminal Justice · Security / Homeland Security |
| Marketing And Marketing Research | 3% | Marketing · Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations |
| Psychology | 3% | Psychology |
| Economics | 3% | Economics |
| Finance | 2% | Finance · Insurance |
| Hospitality Management | 2% | Hospitality Management |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| New Jersey | $253,870 |
| Missouri | $172,700 |
| Utah | $122,800 |
| Nevada | $119,780 |
| Texas | $80,510 |
| California | $79,040 |
| Florida | $78,610 |
| Georgia | $77,530 |
| Kansas | $63,630 |
| Kentucky | $63,020 |
| Virginia | $61,500 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,100 |
| Louisiana | $55,890 |
| Arizona | $50,090 |
| Maryland | $48,200 |
| South Carolina | $45,720 |
| Oklahoma | $44,110 |
| Ohio | $39,040 |
Florida metro areas
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$76,860
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers$107,590
- Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach$74,440
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$106,060
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
Knowledge used
- Administration and Management
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Communications and Media
Work styles
- Achievement Orientation
- Perseverance
- Self-Confidence
- Stress Tolerance
- Self-Control
People in this job tend to have Realistic (hands-on), Enterprising (leading), Social (helping) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Athletes and Sports Competitors: questions
How much do athletes and Sports Competitors make?
Athletes and Sports Competitors earn a U.S. median $66,710 a year; the middle half earn $36,790 to $109,880 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $58,290 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is athletes and Sports Competitors a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 5.5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 2,200 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be an athletes and Sports Competitor?
BLS lists the typical entry education as no formal educational credential. In O*NET's survey, 25% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is physical Fitness Parks Recreation And Leisure (11%).
How much do athletes and Sports Competitors make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $78,610 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $66,710 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 27-2021. Method
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Cite this: “Athletes and Sports Competitors: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/athletes-and-sports-competitors.