SOC 27-2021.00Bright outlook

    Athletes and Sports Competitors

    Compete in athletic events.

    Median pay
    $66,710
    Growth
    +5.5%
    Faster than average
    Openings a year
    2,200
    Typical education
    No formal credential

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $26,500
    Median
    $66,710
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $742,310
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    15,070 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Athletes and sports competitors participate in organized athletic events and competitions. The median annual pay for these professionals is $66,710, with earnings varying widely depending on the level of competition and sport.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What athletes and sports competitors do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    Compete in athletic events.

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    What the work is like

    People in this career participate in competitive athletic events. Their daily activities focus on performing general physical activities, developing objectives and strategies, and processing information. To succeed, they must analyze data, make decisions, solve problems, and identify key actions and events during competition. Communication is also essential, as they regularly interact with supervisors, peers, and subordinates, while establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships. They may also spend time coaching and developing others.

    This role requires strong skills in coordination, active listening, critical thinking, and social perceptiveness. Athletes must monitor their own performance and use judgment and decision-making skills under pressure. Key knowledge areas include public safety and security, customer and personal service, and education and training. Because this career is highly competitive, individuals need specific work styles, including achievement orientation, perseverance, self-confidence, stress tolerance, and self-control. This occupation appeals most to people with realistic interests who enjoy physical, hands-on activities.

    How to get there

    There is no formal educational credential required to enter this career. Most people in this field have a high school diploma, which corresponds to a job zone that requires some preparation. They typically gain the necessary skills through on-the-job training or prior experience in their sport.

    Students interested in this path often choose college majors such as sports, kinesiology, and physical education or fitness. While formal degrees are not mandatory, some athletes pursue certifications to enhance their skills, such as the USDF Certified Instructor/Trainer: First Level offered by the United States Dressage Federation. Additionally, some states list a license for this work, so requirements can vary by location.

    Pay and outlook explained

    In 2025, the median annual pay for athletes and sports competitors was $66,710. This means half of the workers earned more than this amount, and half earned less. Earnings in this field span a very wide range, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $26,500, and the highest 10 percent earning more than $742,310.

    There are 15,070 people employed in this occupation. Employment is projected to grow by 5.5% from 2025 to 2035, which is faster than the average for all occupations. This growth is expected to result in 2,200 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    70 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    7 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    19 / 100
    Social (S)
    55 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    59 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    34 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RES. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Getting Information
    81
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    76
    Analyzing Data or Information
    75
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    73
    Performing General Physical Activities
    73
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    72
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    71
    Developing Objectives and Strategies
    71
    Coaching and Developing Others
    68
    Processing Information
    68
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Speaking
    • Active Listening
    • Critical Thinking
    • Coordination
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Monitoring
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Active Learning
    • Complex Problem Solving

    Knowledge

    • Administration and Management
    • English Language
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Personnel and Human Resources
    • Communications and Media
    • Education and Training
    • Sales and Marketing
    • Mathematics
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Administrative

    Abilities

    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Stamina
    • Static Strength
    • Dynamic Strength
    • Explosive Strength
    • Speech Clarity
    • Gross Body Coordination
    • Near Vision

    Work styles

    • Achievement Orientation
    • Perseverance
    • Self-Confidence
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Self-Control
    • Dependability
    • Optimism
    • Adaptability
    • Initiative
    • Social Orientation

    Also called

    All Terrain Vehicle Racer (ATV Racer) · Archer · Athlete · Automobile Racer (Auto Racer) · Barrel Racer · Baseball Pitcher · Baseball Player · Basketball Player · Bass Fisher · Bicycle Racer

    Career pathway

    From your interests to athletes and sports competitors

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Athletes and Sports Competitors$66,710 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1Rice University logo
      Rice University

      Houston, TX · Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $48,301
      4 yrs after
      $87,404
      Median debt
      Not reported
    2. 2Emory University-Main Campus logo
      Emory University-Main Campus

      Atlanta, GA · Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $40,920
      4 yrs after
      $87,254
      Median debt
      $12,250
    3. 3University of Virginia-Main Campus UVA logo
      University of Virginia-Main Campus UVA

      Charlottesville, VA · Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $81,110
      Median debt
      $15,250
    4. 4University of Scranton logo
      University of Scranton

      Scranton, PA · Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $30,531
      4 yrs after
      $79,700
      Median debt
      $27,000
    5. 5Wake Forest University logo
      Wake Forest University

      Winston-Salem, NC · Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $39,950
      4 yrs after
      $79,599
      Median debt
      $19,500
    6. 6University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Main Campus logo
      University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Main Campus

      Ann Arbor, MI · Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $47,967
      4 yrs after
      $79,411
      Median debt
      $20,234
    7. 7
      Manhattan College

      Riverdale, NY · Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $78,264
      Median debt
      $26,000
    8. 8Seton Hall University-New Jersey logo
      Seton Hall University-New Jersey

      South Orange, NJ · Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $46,465
      4 yrs after
      $77,835
      Median debt
      $26,618

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What athletes and sports competitors may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    36 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Federal

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about athletes and sports competitors

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some common job titles in this field?

    People in this career work under various titles depending on their sport. Examples include baseball pitchers, basketball players, bicycle racers, automobile racers, and archers.

    What college majors are related to becoming an athlete?

    Students preparing for this career often major in sports, kinesiology, and physical education or fitness. These programs help students understand human movement, physical conditioning, and athletic performance.

    Are there any certifications or licenses required?

    No formal credential is required to enter the field, but some states list a license for this work. Additionally, some athletes obtain certifications like the USDF Certified Instructor/Trainer: First Level.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    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.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.