Average Athletes And Sports Competitors Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Athletes And Sports Competitors is $62,360 per year. The middle 50% earn between $36,750 and $130,770, with 14,370 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates . Data covers 28 states and 38 metro areas.
Wage range
Pay distribution
Here is how Athletes And Sports Competitors pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $24,960
- 25th
- $36,750
- Median
- $62,360
- 75th
- $130,770
- 90th
- ≥$239,200
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Values marked ≥$239,200 are at or above the BLS wage cap. BLS does not publish an exact figure above this threshold.
Athletes And Sports Competitors earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
Some athletes and sports competitors earn above the BLS wage cap of $239,200, so the top percentiles shown here are BLS's minimum. Actual top-end earnings go higher but are not published in detail.
BLS projections
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for athletes and sports competitors from 2024 to 2034. Growth is above the US average of about 4% across all occupations. This is an expanding field.
- Projected growth
- +5.5%
- 1,000 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 2,100
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
There are no formal educational requirements for entry. Much of the training happens through experience on the job.
Where Athletes And Sports Competitors earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where athletes and sports competitors work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is New Jersey at $214,630, about 244.2% above the national median. At the metro level, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ leads with a median of $214,630.
By state
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $214,630 | 360 |
| Utah | $178,920 | 290 |
| Texas | $94,660 | 1,380 |
| New York | $86,890 | 400 |
| Connecticut | $84,460 | 150 |
| Iowa | $77,960 | 60 |
| Indiana | $75,420 | 120 |
| Georgia | $72,130 | 2,390 |
By metro
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $214,630 | 570 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $213,470 | 150 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $210,860 | 70 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $197,140 | 200 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $166,250 | 40 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $94,660 | 490 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $84,460 | 110 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $76,070 | 450 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see athletes and sports competitors pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2024, the national median salary for Athletes And Sports Competitors rose from $51,370 to $62,360, a gain of +21.4% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +22.7%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $51,370 would need to be worth $63,031 in 2024 dollars.
The actual 2024 median of $62,360 is −$671 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -1.1% in purchasing power.
Wages have roughly kept pace with inflation. Nominal pay rose by 21.4%, but inflation absorbed most of it.
- Nominal change
- +21.4%
- 2019–2024
- Cumulative inflation
- +22.7%
- US CPI, 2019–2024
- Real change
- -1.1%
- After adjusting for inflation
Annual history
Median salary over time
Athletes And Sports Competitors median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2019
- $51,370
- 2020
- $50,850
- 2021
- $77,300
- 2022
- $94,270
- 2023
- $70,280
- 2024
- $62,360
Similar jobs
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Music Directors And Composers
- $63,670
- Choreographers
- $55,600
- Coaches And Scouts
- $45,920
- Producers And Directors
- $83,480
- Actors
- N/A
- Dancers
- N/A
Common salary questions for Athletes And Sports Competitors
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Athletes And Sports Competitors workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.