Careers / Athletes and Sports Competitors
Athletes and Sports Competitors — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$66,710
United States, 2025
Employment
15,070
United States, 2025
Typical education
Less than a High School Diploma
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Compete in athletic events.
- O*NET code
- 27-2021.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
Typical tasks
- Assess performance following athletic competition, identifying strengths and weaknesses and making adjustments to improve future performance.
- Maintain equipment used in a particular sport.
- Attend scheduled practice or training sessions.
- Maintain optimum physical fitness levels by training regularly, following nutrition plans, or consulting with health professionals.
- Participate in athletic events or competitive sports, according to established rules and regulations.
- Exercise or practice under the direction of athletic trainers or professional coaches to develop skills, improve physical condition, or prepare for competitions.
- 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.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$26,500
25th percentile
$36,790
75th percentile
$109,880
90th percentile
$742,310
Most important skills
- Speaking3.9
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Active Listening3.8
- Coordination3.6
- Monitoring3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
- Time Management3.0
- Complex Problem Solving3.0
- Persuasion3.0
- Instructing3.0
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 13 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
13
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coordination | 3.6 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Active Listening | 3.8 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Speaking | 3.9 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Instructing | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Persuasion | 3.0 | 2.5 | Not selected | 2.5 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Athletes and Sports CompetitorsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| NJ | $253,870 | 390 | 2025 |
| St. Louis, MO | $203,390 | 320 | 2025 |
| MO | $172,700 | 670 | 2025 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $124,130 | 140 | 2025 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $123,140 | 240 | 2025 |
| UT | $122,800 | 340 | 2025 |
| NV | $119,780 | 160 | 2025 |
| Cape Coral, FL | $107,590 | — | 2025 |
| Orlando, FL | $106,060 | — | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $100,130 | 560 | 2025 |
| Atlanta, GA | $94,530 | — | 2025 |
| Provo, UT | $84,810 | 30 | 2025 |
| TX | $80,510 | 1,840 | 2025 |
| CA | $79,040 | 830 | 2025 |
| Kansas City, MO | $78,790 | 330 | 2025 |
| FL | $78,610 | 1,360 | 2025 |
| GA | $77,530 | 840 | 2025 |
| Tampa, FL | $76,860 | 350 | 2025 |
| Houston, TX | $75,550 | 510 | 2025 |
| Deltona, FL | $74,440 | — | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Athletes and Sports Competitors to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.