A sports manager's income will rely on the wages earned by the athletes he represents.
Sports managers or agents are responsible for representing and promoting athletes and sports professionals to both the public and prospective employers. These managers deal both with maintaining image and contract negotiations. The salary of a sports manager will vary based largely on commission, which is usually between 3 and 5 percent, according to Become a Sports Agent. Managers may also charge an hourly rate, a flat fee or a combination of these methods.
Average Salary
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average salary of a sports manager was $87,430 as of May 2009. The median salary was $61,890, with managers in the 25th percentile earning less than $38,480 and those in the 75th percentile earning over $105,870 a year.
Type of Sport
According to Become a Sports Agent, sports managers representing players in the National Football League earn an average of $51,000 a year as of 2011, while those representing the highest-earning NFL players earn an average of $540,000 annually. In Major League Baseball, managers of average players earn $84,000 a year and managers of top-earning players earn $600,000 a year. Sports agents managing players for the National Basketball Association earn an average of $126,000 a year, with those managing top players earning an average of $750,000. In the National Hockey League, managers working with the average players earn a mean income of $54,000 a year and those managing top players earn $300,000 a year on average.
Industry
The BLS reports that most sports managers work in the industry of agents and managers for artists, athletes, entertainers and other public figures, where they earned an average of $97,820 as of 2009. Those working in the industry of spectator sports earned significantly less at $67,640 a year, while those working in accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping and payroll services earned much higher at an average of $119,110.
Location
The location of a sports manager and the players he works with will have a bearing on his salary. The BLS reports that California was the top-paying state for sports agents as of 2009 with a salary average of $114,300, followed by Connecticut at $107,260. New York, Illinois and Massachusetts also ranked in the top five with salary averages ranging from $91,330 to $102,960.
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