Sports management is an exciting field involving the business aspects of sports. Anyone interested in management, sports and finance is well suited for pursuing a sports management career. Pursuing a degree in sports management will help graduates compete in this supply-heavy career landscape. This is a relatively new field of education and having a degree will dramatically help you stand out among the competition for new positions.
What is A Realistic Salary for Sports Management Graduates?
Sports management is a term for any management role within sports. This means that there is not a blanket salary for someone who just received their degree. Additionally, different franchises, sports and cities will have varying salaries.
However, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released a 2012 report for ‘agents and business managers of artists, performers and athletes’. This encompasses sports management and will help identify a starting salary for a recent graduate.
According the BLS report, the following are median annual salaries for various positions in the sports management field:
- Scouts: $28,000
- Sports Agents: $65,000
- Sports Marketing Manager: $115,000
- University Athletic Director: $100,000
- Sports Promoter: $87,000
It is worth noting that many of these positions receive bonuses that are not considered a part of their calculated salary. For example, a sports agent will receive a signing bonus when one of their players signs a new contract. These bonuses can provide a massive supplemental income to the usual salary.
Someone who just graduated with a degree in sports management should have realistic expectations about their starting salary. As with other industries, entry level positions may be hourly or lower than mentioned above. New graduates will need to work their way into the higher paying salaries and player lucrative bonuses.
Related Resource: Sports Management Salary
How Can a New Graduate Find Employment?
There is an immense amount of competition for sports management positions. Unlike some careers, graduates in other fields can compete with sports management degree holders. Communications majors, law students and MBA holders can all be your competition.
This means you will need to go above and beyond, here’s how:
- Sports management is a fast paced industry. Develop the ability to make decisions quickly, respond rapidly and be assertive in all things. These abilities will come across in the interview.
- Some cities are simply better for sports management careers than others. You may wish to do some research and consider moving to another city with more career options than your current town.
- Networking is vital in the industry of sports management. You will need to be memorable, speak up for yourself and clearly provide value to everything with which you are involved.
- Of course, you should scour the internet for all job postings and leads related to your dream career. Use LinkedIn, job posting boards and individual team pages for any possible job openings.
Your main targets for job openings are:
- Universities and colleges.
- Major / minor league teams.
- Sports broadcasting firms.
- Public relations firms.
- Sports management firms.
This means that while there is a lot of competition, there are also many paths to pursue to find gainful employment.
Sports management is a growing career that provide sports and marketing enthusiasts with the opportunity of a lifetime. Beyond working with athletes and reputable teams, you will earn a lucrative wage and may even receive special access to sporting events. After you receive your degree in sports management, you’ll be ready to enter this exciting field.
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