# Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes

> Represent and promote artists, performers, and athletes in dealings with current or prospective employers. May handle contract negotiation and other business matters for clients.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/agents-and-business-managers-of-artists-performers-and-athletes
- SOC code: 13-1011.00
- Career family: Business and finance
- Median annual pay: $82,890 (10th percentile $48,010, 90th percentile $284,570)
- Projected growth: Much faster than average, +9.7%
- Openings a year: 2,400
- Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code ESC)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 0 |
| Investigative (I) | 13 |
| Artistic (A) | 43 |
| Social (S) | 52 |
| Enterprising (E) | 91 |
| Conventional (C) | 46 |

## What you'd do

- Getting Information (importance 88/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 78/100)
- Thinking Creatively (importance 75/100)
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization (importance 74/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 71/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 70/100)
- Scheduling Work and Activities (importance 68/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 68/100)
- Selling or Influencing Others (importance 67/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 65/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Negotiation, Persuasion, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Critical Thinking, Time Management, Writing

## Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service, Sales and Marketing, English Language, Administration and Management, Fine Arts, Communications and Media, Administrative, Personnel and Human Resources, Economics and Accounting, Mathematics

## Also called

Acquisition Agent, Advance Agent, Agent, Artist Manager, Artist Representative, Artist's Manager, Artist's Representative, Athlete Manager, Athlete Marketing Agent, Athletic Agent

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Business Administration, Management and Operations](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5202) (CIP 5202, 2,372 colleges)
- [Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/0909) (CIP 0909, 621 colleges)
- [Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5010) (CIP 5010, 351 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Carnegie Mellon University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/carnegie-mellon-university-406) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $97,419 | $160,783 | $19,000 |
| [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor-main-campus-2956) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $96,806 | $144,654 | $19,500 |
| [University of California-Berkeley CAL](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-berkeley-cal-2881) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $94,811 | $144,599 | $10,656 |
| [University of Pennsylvania UPENN](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-pennsylvania-upenn-3009) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $108,743 | $136,806 | $19,250 |
| [Emory University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/emory-university-main-campus-916) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $87,830 | $136,731 | $15,000 |
| [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill-main-campus-2990) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $88,182 | $135,874 | $9,250 |
| [Boston College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/boston-college-285) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $75,464 | $123,144 | $18,625 |
| [Bismarck State College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/bismarck-state-college-254) | Business Administration, Management and Operations | $113,408 | $122,948 | $14,482 |

## Related careers

- [Talent Directors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/talent-directors): $90,360 median pay
- [Advertising Sales Agents](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/advertising-sales-agents): $64,820 median pay
- [Public Relations Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/public-relations-specialists): $74,750 median pay
- [Advertising and Promotions Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/advertising-and-promotions-managers): $133,660 median pay
- [Writers and Authors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/writers-and-authors): $76,910 median pay
- [Marketing Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/marketing-managers): $166,790 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

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. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.