Athletes and sports competitors

Detailed Occupation

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2020 Workforce

33.9k

Average Age

36.2

Estimated Job Growth

10.3%

10-year projection

Average Salary

$62,955

Average Male Salary

$64,965

Average Female Salary

$47,815

About

Athletes and sports competitors are most often employed by the Amusement & Recreation industry. The average yearly wage for Athletes and sports competitors was $62,955 in 2016. The top 3 most similar occupations to Athletes and sports competitors by wage are Speechlanguage pathologists, Transportation inspectors, and Firstline supervisors of correctional officers.

Athletes and sports competitors are part of the Arts, design, entertainment, sports, & media occupations, along with Artists & related workers, Commercial and industrial designers, Fashion designers, Floral designers, Graphic designers, and 25 more.

The top 3 locations that employ the most Athletes and sports competitors are Hilton Head Island, Bluffton Towns & Beaufort City PUMA, SC, McKinney City PUMA, TX, and Franklin & Brentwood Cities PUMA, TN. The top 3 locations with a relatively high concentration of Athletes and sports competitors are Hilton Head Island, Bluffton Towns & Beaufort City PUMA, SC, Palm Desert, La Quinta (West) & Desert Hot Springs Cities PUMA, CA, and McKinney City PUMA, TX.

Employment

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Athletes and sports competitors and on wages and locations for those in the field. Amusement & Recreation is the industry that employs the most Athletes and sports competitors, both by share and by number, though the highest paid industry for Athletes and sports competitors, by average wage, is Independent artists, writers, and performers. Athletes and sports competitors are paid most in Tallahassee City (Central) PUMA, FL but are relatively concentrated in Hilton Head Island, Bluffton Towns & Beaufort City PUMA, SC.

Yearly Wage

$62,955

AVERAGE SALARY

± $13,302

In 2020, Athletes and sports competitors earned an average of $62,955, $7,001 more than than the average national salary of $55,954.

Speechlanguage pathologists make somewhat more than Athletes and sports competitors while Firstline supervisors of correctional officers make somewhat less. This chart shows the various occupations closest to Athletes and sports competitors as measured by average annual salary in the US.

Wage Distribution

0.6

WAGE GINI

In 2019, Athletes and sports competitors had a wage GINI coefficient of 0.6, which is higher than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly for Athletes and sports competitors (shown in red) than for the overall labor force (shown in gray).

Wage by Location

HIGHEST PAYING PUMAS

This map shows the Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States shaded by average annual wage for Athletes and sports competitors.

Spatial Concentration

PUMAs with a Relatively High Concentration of Athletes and sports competitors

This map displays which Public Use Microdata Areas (PUMAs) in the United States have a relatively high population of Athletes and sports competitors.

Most Common

The most common industries employing Athletes and sports competitors, by number of employees, are Amusement & Recreation, Spectator sports, Other schools & instruction and educational support services, Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges, Elementary & secondary schools, Independent artists, writers, and performers, Promoters of performing arts, sports, and similar events, agents and managers for artists, athletes, entertainers, and other public figures, Performing arts companies, Museums, art galleries, historical sites, & similar institutions, Traveler accommodation, and Civic, social, advocacy organizations, & grantmaking & giving services.

Highest Paying

The highest paying industries for Athletes and sports competitors, by average wage, are Independent artists, writers, and performers, Spectator sports, and Performing arts companies.

Industries by Share

33.9k

2020 Workforce

± 4,521

6.5%

1 YEAR GROWTH

± 18%

The number of people employed as Athletes and sports competitors has been growing at a rate of 6.5%, from 31,852 people in 2019 to 33,922 people in 2020.

This graphic shows the share of Athletes and sports competitors employed by various industries. Amusement & Recreation employs the largest share of Athletes and sports competitors at 48.5%, followed by Spectator sports with 25.1% and Other schools & instruction and educational support services with 9.23%.

Diversity

Demographic information on Athletes and sports competitors in the US. The average age of male Athletes and sports competitors in the workforce is 36.4 and of female Athletes and sports competitors is 34.8, and the most common race/ethnicity for Athletes and sports competitors is White (Non-Hispanic).

Composition by Sex

29.9k

MALE WORKFORCE

± 4,248

3.98k

FEMALE WORKFORCE

± 1,548

88.3% of Athletes and sports competitors are Male, making them the more common sex in the occupation. This chart shows the sex breakdown of Athletes and sports competitors.

Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity of Athletes and sports competitors

White (Non-Hispanic)
Black (Non-Hispanic)
White (Hispanic)

71.6% of Athletes and sports competitors are White (Non-Hispanic), making that the most common race or ethnicity in the occupation. Representing 10.9% of Athletes and sports competitors, Black (Non-Hispanic) is the second most common race or ethnicity in this occupation. This chart shows the racial and ethnic breakdown of Athletes and sports competitors.

Age by Sex

36.4

AVERAGE MALE AGE

± 2.05

34.8

AVERAGE FEMALE AGE

± 6

The median age of Athletes and sports competitors is 36.2, and Male employees are generally 1.55 years older than than their Female counterparts.

Education

Data on higher education choices for Athletes and sports competitors from The Department of Education and Census Bureau. The most common major for Athletes and sports competitors is Business but a relatively high number of Athletes and sports competitors hold a major in Parks, Recreation, & Leisure.

Majors

ACS PUMS data only shows the major for bachelor's degrees. However, we can filter the data based on highest degree obtained.

MOST COMMON MAJORS

MOST SPECIALIZED MAJORS

Projections

Projections on job growth for Athletes and Sports Competitors from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 10-year national workforce is projected to grow 3.71%, but Athletes and Sports Competitors are expected to see a growth of 10.3% over the same period. This occupation is expected to grow more than the national average.

Job Growth

10.3%

Estimated Job Growth

10-year Projection

3.71%

National Growth

10-year Projection

This line chart shows the projected 10-year growth in the number of jobs for Athletes and Sports Competitors. This profession is expected to grow more than than 3.71%, the average rate of national job growth.