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What is an athlete manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an athlete manager. For example, did you know that they make an average of $20.8 an hour? That's $43,270 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 20% and produce 48,800 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreAthlete ManagerUS Average
Salary
3.4

Avg. Salary $43,270

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
8.0

Growth Rate 20%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.8
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.22%

Asian 5.48%

Black or African American 9.01%

Hispanic or Latino 13.42%

Unknown 5.67%

White 66.20%

Gender

female 32.39%

male 67.61%

Age - 34
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 34
Stress Level
8.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.4

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
7.3

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an athlete manager

  1. Explore athlete manager education requirements

    Most common athlete manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    71.1 %

    Master's

    9.9 %

    Associate

    9.2 %
  2. Start to develop specific athlete manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Athletic Events31.83%
    NCAA19.31%
    Ticket Sales9.41%
    Athletic Directors6.56%
    Athletic Equipment5.68%
  3. Complete relevant athlete manager training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New athlete managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an athlete manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real athlete manager resumes.
  4. Research athlete manager duties and responsibilities

    • Receive commendation from NCAA for managing national lacrosse championships
    • Develop and implement strategic merchandising plans to achieve revenue objectives and reduce expenditures while ensuring payroll remains within budget.
    • Record and edit practice and game film in compliance with NCAA and conference standards.
    • Coach and manager of the basketball and soccer teams.
  5. Apply for athlete manager jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an athlete manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Athlete Manager Job

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Average athlete manager salary

The average Athlete Manager salary in the United States is $43,270 per year or $21 per hour. Athlete manager salaries range between $24,000 and $75,000 per year.

Average Athlete Manager Salary
$43,270 Yearly
$20.80 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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