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Career

Athletes and Sports Competitors

Typical education: High school diplomaHigh pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Compete in athletic events.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.
  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $66,710 Median per year Most earn $26,500–$742,310

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • 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.
  • Maintain equipment used in a particular sport.
  • Maintain optimum physical fitness levels by training regularly, following nutrition plans, or consulting with health professionals.
  • Exercise or practice under the direction of athletic trainers or professional coaches to develop skills, improve physical condition, or prepare for competitions.
  • Attend scheduled practice or training sessions.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
6% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 2,200 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Spectator sports63.4%
  • Self-employed (their own business)29.0%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 4 to 6 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 4 to 6 years

Athletes and sports competitors usually need a high school diploma, but most people spend roughly 4 to 6 years building competitive experience before they compete at a professional or high level. Few people start at the top, so this path takes patience and steady training.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school while playing your sport at the highest level your school offers, which builds the basic skills and game experience that later levels depend on.

  2. Competitive development play (club, semi-pro, or college-level teams)

    4-6 years

    Compete on club, amateur, semi-pro, or college teams to gain match experience, handle tougher opponents, and get noticed by coaches or scouts.

  3. Athlete or Sports Competitor

    Ongoing once you reach this level

    Compete in organized events and tournaments at a professional or high competitive level, while keeping up training, recovery, and performance work.

Where it can lead

  1. Coach

    2-4 years of experience as an athlete or in a related role of experience first

    Many former athletes move into coaching, where you teach skills, plan training, and lead a team instead of competing yourself; coaching jobs often expect a bachelor's degree.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Join your school's sports teamRegular practice and games build your skills and show coaches what you can do.
  • Take health, anatomy, or physical education classesThese classes teach how the body moves, heals, and responds to training.
  • Get a first aid and CPR certificationMany schools and towns offer this course, and it's useful for any athlete or future coach.
  • Volunteer as a helper at youth sports programsHelping younger kids practice shows you how teams and training work from the other side.
  • Keep a training journalWriting down workouts and results helps you see progress and set goals over time.

In college

  • Join a varsity, club, or intramural teamCompeting at the college level is one of the most common ways to build the experience this career needs.
  • Major in exercise science or kinesiologyThese majors teach how bodies perform, how to prevent injuries, and how training works, which helps athletes at every level.
  • Work at the campus recreation centerA campus job gives you access to training facilities and teaches you about fitness and athlete support.
  • Coach or assist at youth sports campsCoaching builds leadership skills and gives you early experience in the next career step if you want it.
  • Earn a strength and conditioning or CPR certificationCertifications show you have solid training knowledge and safety skills, which employers and coaches value.

Tips for getting started

  • Competition at the top level is very competitive, so keep school or a backup career plan going alongside your sport.
  • Track your training, results, and injuries in a simple log, and ask a coach to review it with you regularly to spot what is improving.
  • Learn about injury prevention, nutrition, and recovery early, since staying healthy is a big part of lasting in this career. You can find pay ranges for this career on its page in the app.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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