Occupation salary profile

Athletes and Sports Competitors

SOC 27-2021 BLS OEWS May 2025

Compete in athletic events.

National median · BLS
$66,710
▲ +6.98% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$206,180
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
15,070
Jobs (BLS)
Highest-paying state (cost-adjusted) Loading…
Most jobs Loading…
Highest-paying metro (cost-adjusted) Loading…

Check your salary

Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Athletes and Sports Competitors

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$26,500
25th$36,790
Median (50th)$66,710
75th$109,880
90th — top pay$742,310

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

Type in either box; the other updates instantly.

Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Athletes and Sports Competitors

BLS projects employment of athletes and sports competitors to grow 5.5% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 2,200 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
22,900 → 24,100
+1,300 jobs
Projected change
+5.5%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
2,200
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
29% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need no formal education →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Athletes and Sports Competitors

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Speaking3.9
  • Active Listening3.8
  • Critical Thinking3.8
  • Coordination3.6
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.3
  • Monitoring3.3
  • Reading Comprehension3.1
  • Social Perceptiveness3.1
  • Active Learning3.0
  • Complex Problem Solving3.0
Top knowledge areas
  • Administration and Management3.7
  • English Language3.7
  • Customer and Personal Service3.6
  • Personnel and Human Resources3.4
  • Communications and Media3.3
  • Education and Training3.2
  • Sales and Marketing3.2
  • Mathematics3.1
Software and technology used
Adobe PhotoshopFacebookMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordOracle PeopleSoftEmail softwareMotion analysis softwareTwitterWeb browser softwareYouTube

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What athletes and sports competitors do

  • 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.
Also called
Baseball PlayerGolf ProfessionalHockey PlayerRace Car DriverBaseball PitcherBasketball PlayerMajor League Baseball PlayerMinor League Baseball PlayerProfessional AthleteProfessional Golf Tournament Player
More job titles for this occupation (80)
All Terrain Vehicle Racer (ATV Racer)ArcherAthleteAutomobile Racer (Auto Racer)Barrel RacerBass FisherBicycle RacerBicyclistBilliard PlayerBMX Rider (Bicycle Motocross Rider)BodybuilderBowlerBoxerBull RiderCage FighterCar RacerCollege AthleteCompetitive AthleteCompetitorCricketerCyberathleteCyclistDirt Bike RacerDiverDrag Car RacerEquestrianEsports CompetitorExerciserFigure SkaterFootball PlayerGamerGolferHorse RacerHorsemanHouse PlayerIce SkaterJai Alai PlayerJockeyKarate Black BeltKick BoxerLacrosse PlayerMMA Fighter (Mixed Martial Arts Fighter)Motocross RacerMotorcycle RacerMotorcyclistNASCAR Driver (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing Driver)NASCAR Racer (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing Racer)NBA Player (National Basketball Association Player)NFL Player (National Football League Player)OarsmanPitcherPlayerPool PlayerPowerbuilderPrize FighterProfessional All-Terrain Vehicle RacerProfessional Auto RacerProfessional Baseball PitcherProfessional Baseball PlayerProfessional Basketball PlayerProfessional Bass FisherProfessional Bass FishermanProfessional Bicycle RacerProfessional BicyclistProfessional Billiards PlayerProfessional BowlerProfessional Bull RiderProfessional Car RacerProfessional CasterProfessional CyclistProfessional Dirt Bike RacerProfessional Drag Car RacerProfessional FighterProfessional Figure SkaterProfessional Football PlayerProfessional GolferProfessional Hockey PlayerProfessional Horse RacerProfessional Ice SkaterProfessional Jockey

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.